Admission Policy/
Who Are We Looking For?
We believe that the leaders of the next generation must combine a sharp business sense with a belief in public awareness and responsibility. We are a graduate school of business administration, and consequently we find that many of our students come from the business sector, perhaps intending to manage firms and projects or start their own businesses in the future. At the same time, we accept applicants from the public and civil service sectors, international organizations and central/local governments as well as NGOs and NPOs and other social enterprises. We do so because we believe that the future of leadership education lies in learning beyond specific boundaries.
In the selection process, an applicant’s potential will be assessed according to the following 3 elements:
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1. Willingness to Take Initiative and Find your Own Path in Life:
Applicants must have experiences of demonstrating leadership, taking an initiative and exerting influence over others to spark change in an organization they are affiliated or manage; one's own recognition of the "self" formed through life experiences; and motivation to become a manager/entrepreneur (*) rather than a mere functional specialist by developing oneself through the Shizenkan program.
*We expect applicants from the public sector to have willingness to confront policy making and its implementation within their organizations.
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2. Ability to Absorb Knowledge and Think Critically:
Applicants should possess basic academic ability, intellectual capacity, curiosity, and attitude to explore the essence of subject matters, all of which are crucial to digest and absorb the contents of the program. Furthermore, they must demonstrate the ability to explore the underlying factors of the subject phenomenon, analyze their causal structure, form one’s hypothesis through logical inferences, and engage in constructive discussions.
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3. Sense of Social Awareness and Willingness to Help Others:
Applicants should have an interest in world affairs and societal issues , and possess problem awareness regarding trends of the times and their future direction. They should have their thoughts about challenges and endeavors of organizations they belong to or manage. Having an attitude to face reality and deeply contemplate human existence and organizational activities, communities, and society created by human endeavors, without falling into idealism or pessimism, and without remaining at superficial understanding. Above all, having motivation to actively share such deep problem awareness accompanied by reality with others rather than keeping it within oneself, and connecting this to mutual learning and human growth through mutual inspiration and friendly competition.
Application Process
- Applicant Eligibility
- As an applicant, you are required to have a minimum of three years full-time work experience and to fulfill one of the following conditions at the time of enrollment:
- Obtained a university or college degree
- Obtained a bachelor’s degree from the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education of Japan
- Completed 16 years of education in a foreign country
- Being designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
- Are considered to have qualifications in education, knowledge, skills and aspiration to be admitted in the program by the Shizenkan Admissions Committee
- Admissions Process
- 【Stage 1】Document screening
【Stage 2】Interview - Admissions Cycle
- There are three application cycles for admissions. In principle, applicants who completed their application before a particular submission deadline will receive their admissions result within one month of each deadline. However, the document screening and interviews may start before the deadline to facilitate the admissions process.
• 1st Deadline: December 12th, 2025
• 2nd Deadline: March 31st, 2026
• 3rd Deadline: May 31st, 2026 - Application Guidelines
- Shizenkan Application Guide（PDF）
- How To Apply
- Please prepare and submit your documents according to the application guidelines.
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Prepare your application package and pay the application fee
Please download and fill out the application forms.
* Prepare application forms in the language of the program you are applying for (Japanese/English). -
Submit the application package
To complete your application to Shizenkan you should pay the application fee, submit the application forms via the online system, and mail the required original documents.
<Online Application Process>
1. Access the application system to submit online forms in the language of
the course you are applying for (Japanese/English).
2. Enter your basic information:
Please enter your basic information by following the instructions on the screen.
Your information can be saved if you are not able to finish in one sitting.
3. Upload required documents:
(1) Application form (Form A)
(2) CV/Personal resume *Free format, 1-3 sheets of A4 paper
(3) Essay (Form B)
(4) Copy of receipt of the application fee (Form D)
(5) Certificate of company sponsorship (Form E: company sponsored applicants only)
(6) Passport copy (non-Japanese applicants only)
(7) Residence card copy [both sides] (non-Japanese applicants residing in Japan only)
(8) Application for Credit Recognition (Form F: Applicants earned credits as a non-degree student)
(9) Request for Use of Preferred Name (Form G: Applicants wish to use their preferred name (including maiden name) )
4. Confirm registered information:
Please click the "Confirmation" button after registering each item listed above to complete the application.
5. Mail documents:
After completing the online application, please mail the following documents to Shizenkan.
-Graduation Certificate (if you are unable to submit a Graduation Certificate, please submit a copy of your diploma or certificate of degree.)
-Academic Transcripts of Academic Degrees
*At the same time, please submit them to Shizenkan Admissions Office in PDF files attached to the email. (If it takes long time to get the documents or it is difficult to send them as PDF files, please contact us.)
[Mailing Address]
Admissions Office,
Graduate School of Leadership & Innovation, Shizenkan University
Nihonbashi Takashimaya Mitsui Bldg 17F,
5-1, Nihonbashi 2-Chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103 ‒ 6117
6. Provide Letters of Recommendation (Form C):
Shizenkan requires all applicants provide 2 letters of recommendation which should be sent to Shizenkan directly by your referees in soft or hard copy.
You can find the detailed information as well as required format for letters of recommendation HERE. - Schedule the interview
- Personal interview Step
*The interview will be conducted online (Zoom).We will let you know the details by email after the document submissions have been completed. - Admission
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Prepare your application package and pay the application fee
- Academic Fees
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The following table shows the academic fees required for enrollment in the program.
(*Note. The application fee is JPY 35,000)- Enrollment Fee
- JPY 200,000
- Tuition Fee for Year 1
- JPY 2,400,000
- Tuition Fee for Year 2
- JPY 2,400,000
- Grand Total Educational Fees
- JPY 5,000,000
- The enrollment fee is paid only one time – at the start of the first year.
- Program tuition can be paid on a yearly basis or as a lump sum. When necessary, the tuition fees for the first and the second semesters may be paid separately with the permission of Shizenkan, for the students who are nor sponsored and are self-funded. Further detailed information regarding the tuition and fee payment will be sent to you upon notification of acceptance.
- The tuition fees do not include costs of textbooks and other optional academic materials.
Optional Field Studies: In addition to the above, if you participate in field studies (optional) in Japan or overseas, their expenses are paid separately.
- Scholarship Program
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Shizenkan Scholarship Program provides students the opportunity of leadership education in an environment where people of different nationalities, coming from different backgrounds and sectors can learn together and inspire each other.
In principle, the amount is limited to ¥1,000,000 (for 2 years). However, applicants who have excelled in their academic achievements and/or need financial aid that is above the principle amount, may receive up to ¥4,800,000. The enrollment fee (¥200,000) must be paid by every applicant. Scholarship application must be submitted at the same time as the admission application.
For more information, please check our scholarship application guideline.
Scholarship Guidelines/Application (Zip)
<Online Scholarship Application Process>
Access the application system to submit online forms in the language of the course you are applying for (Japanese/English).
Shizenkan offers the following specific scholarships for those with specific eligibility requirements. Please refer to each scholarship page for details.
◆Global Impact Maker Scholarship
◆International Development Professionals Scholarship
◆Social Innovators Scholarship
◆Europa House-Shizenkan Scholarship
◆Refugee Higher Education Scholarship
◆ANZCCJ-Shizenkan Scholarship
◆Shizenkan-ASEAN Visionary Leaders Scholarship
- Use of Public Support Systems
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(1) Educational Training Benefits System
The Program has been designated as a course eligible for the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare’s Practical Education and Training Benefits Program. As a result, students who enroll and meet the requirements will be able to apply to receive reimbursement for a certain percentage of their education and training expenses (the maximum benefits of 1,280,000 JPY can be granted over 2 years). For further infomation, please checkHERE.
*Information about the Education and Training Program
(2) Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) Loan Type Scholarship
Shizenkan students can apply for a loan scholarship (which recipients must reimburse after graduation) offered by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO). Students are required to apply for this scholarship through Shizenkan to JASSO after enrollment. For more information on the application requirements etc on this scholarship, please refer to the JASSO website. The application information for the students who start their study in AY2026 will be released by JASSO around March 2026. For your reference, please see the link below to the application guidelines for students enrolled in AY2025 and the outline of the scholarships.
Application Guidelines for Academic Year 2025 (only in Japanese)