This page explains research opportunities, admission routes, scholarships and financial support for students who are seriously interested in joining our group.

We welcome motivated students who wish to join our research group through the Master's Program in Materials Innovation or the Doctoral Program in Materials Innovation, within the Degree Programs in Pure and Applied Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba.

Students in my group conduct their research mainly at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), one of Japan’s leading national research institutes. This provides an excellent environment for students who wish to work at the interface of materials science, condensed matter physics, electronic devices, neuromorphic hardware and quantum materials.

Research in Our Group

Graduate students in our group usually conduct their day-to-day research at AIST on frontier topics such as:

• neuromorphic devices and circuits

• slow electronics for low-power edge computing

• oxide electronics

• the interplay between ferroelectric quantum criticality and superconductivity

• superconducting devices and quantum materials

Our aim is to develop new electronic and quantum devices based on the intrinsic physical dynamics of materials.

International Research Experience:
Japan–Netherlands ASPIRE Project

Our research group has been selected for a major Japan–Netherlands international collaborative research project under the JST ASPIRE programme.

This project will run until 2031. During the project period, selected students may have opportunities to spend several months conducting research at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Travel and living expenses for these research stays will be covered by our project, subject to the project plan and the student’s research progress.

This is an excellent opportunity for students who wish to build an international research career while working on advanced materials, devices and physics.

Admissions: Master’s and Doctoral Programmes

Detailed and up-to-date information is available from the official website of the Master's and Doctoral Program in Materials Innovation.

The information below applies to ordinary admission.
The MEXT University Recommendation route follows a separate application procedure and schedule, as explained in the next section.

The Materials Innovation Programme normally holds entrance examinations twice a year.
For AY2027, the examination consists of an individual online interview in English. There is no written examination.

July examination
Typical application period: late May to early June
Examination: early July
Possible enrolment:
    Master’s Programme: April of the following year only
    Doctoral Programme: October of the same year or April of the following year

October examination
Typical application period: late August to early September
Examination: mid-October
Possible enrolment:
Master’s Programme: April or October of the following year
Doctoral Programme: April or October of the following year

The precise dates and available enrolment options may change from year to year. Applicants must always consult the latest official application guidelines.

Important: Laboratory Capacity and Pre-application Coordination

Under the current internal rules of the Materials Innovation Programme, limits apply to the number of candidates that each laboratory can support.

• For the Master’s Programme, no more than two students per laboratory may be admitted through the July and October examinations combined in one admission cycle. The number of places remaining for the October examination therefore depends on the results of the July examination.

• For the Doctoral Programme, no more than two candidates per laboratory may apply through the October MEXT University Recommendation route. Different rules apply to privately financed applicants using the ordinary admission route.

Because of these limits, I may not be able to support every applicant who wishes to join my group. If the number of suitable prospective applicants exceeds the available capacity, I may need to decide which applicants I can support before formal applications are submitted. In such cases, I may recommend that some applicants contact another faculty member in the Materials Innovation Programme and seek their consent before applying.

Please understand that satisfying the formal eligibility requirements, or contacting me to express interest, does not automatically guarantee my consent to your application. These internal limits may also be revised, and the latest official and programme instructions will always take precedence.

MEXT Scholarship

International applicants are encouraged to consider the Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship, which provides comprehensive financial support for selected students.

There are two main application routes:

Embassy Recommendation
Applicants apply through a Japanese embassy or consulate in their home country. The application schedule and selection procedure are determined by the embassy in each country.

University Recommendation
Applicants apply through the University of Tsukuba. This route has a separate application procedure and may have an earlier deadline than the ordinary October entrance examination.

For the AY2027 University Recommendation call (see also the application guidelines here):
    Application deadline: 3 September 2026, 17:00 JST
    Online examination: 8 October and 13–15 October 2026
    Enrolment: April 2027 only

Applicants should not assume that the enrolment options available through ordinary admission are also available through the MEXT University Recommendation route.

Passing the entrance examination does not guarantee nomination for the MEXT Scholarship. Candidates for university recommendation are selected from among those who pass the entrance examination, and the final scholarship decision is made by MEXT. Applicants who pass the entrance examination but are not selected for MEXT recommendation may enrol as privately financed students if they are able and willing to do so.

Important for AY2027: the Materials Innovation Programme plans to apply for participation in this MEXT scheme. If the programme itself is not selected, successful applicants to the special entrance examination will be admitted as privately financed students and must decide whether to enrol at their own expense or decline admission.

The MEXT Scholarship is highly competitive, and its requirements and availability may change from year to year. Applicants must always check the latest official information.

Degree Award and Eligibility Deadline
Applicants must meet one of the academic-background requirements specified in the latest official application guidelines by the month preceding enrolment. In the usual case, Master’s applicants must hold or expect to receive a bachelor’s degree, and Doctoral applicants must hold or expect to receive a master’s or equivalent degree. Alternative eligibility routes may be available subject to prior eligibility screening.

In practice, applicants for April enrolment must normally complete the required degree by the end of March.
Applicants for October enrolment must normally complete it by the end of September.

Please note that thesis submission, final examination, provisional results, or course completion may not be sufficient.
What matters is whether your university can issue an official certificate showing that you have obtained, or are expected to obtain, the required degree by the required deadline.

For example, if a student expects to receive a master’s degree in May, they cannot normally apply for April enrolment of the same year as a Doctoral Programme applicant.
They should instead consider a later admission schedule after receiving the degree.

The exact rules may change from year to year.
Applicants must always check the latest official guidelines of the University of Tsukuba and MEXT.

Useful links:

• University of Tsukuba: Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship
  https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/admissions/financial-scholarships/mext/

• University of Tsukuba: Scholarships
  https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/admissions/financial-scholarships/

• Study in Japan: Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship
  https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarships/mext-scholarships/

• MEXT: Japanese Government Scholarship
  https://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/highered/title02/detail02/sdetail02/1373897.htm

Financial Support from AIST
Graduate students in our group will be considered for employment as Research Assistants (RAs) at AIST, regardless of whether they receive a MEXT Scholarship.

The current RA remuneration is (as of FY2026):

• Master’s students: ¥13,175 per day, up to 6 days per month
  Maximum: ¥79,050 per month

• Doctoral students: ¥17,050 per day, up to 10 days per month
  Maximum: ¥170,500 per month

This RA remuneration is paid in addition to any scholarship the student may receive, including the MEXT Scholarship.

In addition, daily transport between the student’s residence or university campus and AIST can be reimbursed according to AIST rules, including on research days that are not counted as RA working days.

This support is intended to help students concentrate on their research while studying at the University of Tsukuba and conducting their day-to-day research activities at AIST.

Please note that RA employment, the number of RA working days and transport reimbursement are subject to AIST regulations, budget availability and the student’s enrolment/visa status.