Japan Foundation Fellowship for Arts and Culture in Asia (Visual Arts)

Benefits

• Airfare: Round-trip discount economy-class airfare.
  • The most direct route will be provided in principle.
• Insurance:
  • Overseas traveler’s insurance policy (the insurance coverage will be determined by the Japan Foundation).
• Payment Method
  • In principle, Long-term Fellows will receive remittance monthly, and Short-term Fellows will receive the total sum in one remittance.
• About necessary visa application
  • If a visa is required for the destination of your activity or for transit, it is the responsibility of Fellow to obtain a necessary visa. Before applying for a visa, please check in advance whether a visa is required and what type of visa is needed for your activity. Some countries may take a long time to obtain a visa, so please apply at your earliest convenience.
  • The Japan Foundation will provide the necessary facilities, such as issuing certificates in Japanese and English, for obtaining visas.

Funding Information

• A maximum of 300,000 JPY for activities conducted in Japan and Singapore, and a maximum of 200,000 JPY for activities conducted in other countries (the amount varies according to the duration of the Fellowship).
• Stipend
  • Short-term
    • Japan, Singapore: 21,400 JPY/per diem
    • Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, and Timor-Leste: 14,400 JPY/per diem
  • Long-term
    • Japan, Singapore: 513,600 JPY/per month
    • Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, and Timor-Leste: 345,600 JPY/per month
• Short-term (10 days-59 days)
• Long-term (60 days-180 days)

Eligible Activities

• Activities/Projects planned to be conducted in Japan, 10 ASEAN member countries (Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Laos), and Timor-Leste. Activities/Projects may be conducted in two or more of the above countries.
• Applicants outside Japan must include Japan as one of the countries (except for applicants who hold nationality or permanent residency of Japan).
• Activities/Projects that take place where the applicant holds nationality, citizenship, or permanent residency, or where the applicant currently resides or where s/he is based in (hereinafter Country of Residence) are not eligible for the fellowship.
• The travel must be continuous; you cannot go back to a country you have already traveled to during the Fellowship Period.
• Projects that, in relation to art-related fields, aim to conduct research, study, and/or creative activities, to build network platforms, and so on.
• The projects should necessitate an applying candidate of the filed, who is based in Japan, member countries of ASEAN, or Timor-Leste, to stay for a certain period of time in countries other than where they are based.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible individuals
  • Individuals who are active in the eligible areas mentioned above (Those include but are not limited to artists, researchers, curators, administrators, coordinators, educators, conservators, art-handlers, and practitioners).
• Nationality and permanent residency
  • Applicants need to meet both of the following criteria:
    • Applicants must reside in Japan, 10 ASEAN member countries, or Timor-Leste.
    • Applicants must hold nationality (or citizenship / permanent residency) in Japan, 10 ASEAN member countries, or Timor-Leste.
• Other necessary conditions
  • Applicants must be in good health, both physically and mentally.
  • Applicants must be proficient in either Japanese or English.
  • Should a language other than English or Japanese be required to pursue the proposed project, the Japan Foundation may request additional document(s) proving the applicant’s language proficiency.
  • Possess a bank account that can accept remittance from Japan (the Japan Foundation Headquarters) prior to or by the time of the remittance. The name of said bank account’s holder must be the same as the applicant’s.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Those who intend to conduct activities other than the above-mentioned Eligible Areas.
• Undergraduates; master’s degree candidates; those intending to enroll in undergraduate or master’s courses at universities in research destinations; or graduates who are to pursue Ph.D. courses in research destinations.
• Those who intend to use this Fellowship for political or religious purposes.
• Those who intend to work for profit-making or fund-raising purposes.
• Those whose main intention is to enhance their language ability.
• Those who receive other grant programs of the Japan Foundation in the same fiscal year.

Application Requirements

• Applicant
  • Honorific title and name: You should write this both in the Latin alphabet and your native language.
  • Nationality/area: Select your nationality. Please only select one if you have two or more applicable to you.
  • Residential address/Contact: Give the address of your current residence and your contact information. Please promptly notify your nearest JF overseas office or JF Headquarters of your current address and contact information.
• Project Summary
  • Proposed term of the Fellowship: The commencement date of the Fellowship is the Fellow’s “Arrival date” in the first activity destination, and the completion date of the Fellowship is the Fellow’s “Departure date” from the final activity destination. The Fellowship must begin between October 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. The term of the Fellowship must be between the minimum and maximum days stipulated in 5-(1) of the Application Instruction.
  • Project abstract: Give a summary of the project in 200 words or less in English (400 words or less in Japanese).
• Qualifications
  • Language ability: Check the column corresponding to the level of your Japanese language/English-language proficiency. Should the proposed activity require another language, specify the language, and check the column accordingly.
  • Application for other grants: Applicants who are submitting requests to other funding organizations must list the names of these organizations and the length of the term requested, as well as the dates that awards will be announced. Indicate the results if already known.
  • Acceptance Forms: List the names of two individual(s) and/or institution(s) to whom you are sending the Acceptance Form.
  • Cooperating organizations/individuals in Japan: In order to conduct activities of transnational collaboration, cooperating organizations/individuals are important.

For more information, visit Japan Foundation.