Welcoming International Students

We began accepting international students in 2023. If you're looking for a research environment with a diverse international atmosphere, we encourage you to consider our lab. While passion is crucial, it's not the sole criterion — we comprehensively assess compatibility with our lab, considering factors like productivity, cooperativeness, responsibility, dedication, and open-mindedness. We aim to welcome individuals with potential for growth who can invigorate our research group.

Please contact us directly if you have any questions.

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Research Focus

Our lab focuses on key research themes: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), bacteial/viral/fungal infections, the microbiota, and molecular diagnostics. We also actively pursue emerging infectious disease topics, adopting a scientific approach when our clinical experience deems it necessary. These fields are critically important in modern medicine and offer significant potential to advance your career.

For our latest research achievements, please search "Yoshitomo Morinaga" on PubMed.

Our environment is particularly well-suited for those with or aspiring to the following specializations:

• Medical doctors looking to start research

• Clinical laboratory technologists

• Microbiologists with non-medical research experience seeking to apply it in the medical field

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Scholarships and Studying in Japan

For those considering studying in Japan, the following scholarship programs and resources may be helpful:

• Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships

• Japan Student Service Organization 

• Study in Japan  

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A Note on Recent Competitiveness

In recent years, the number of applicants to our lab has been high, and selection has become correspondingly competitive. Please keep the following in mind before reaching out:

• Motivation alone is not sufficient for selection.

• Authorship of review articles — particularly those that appear to simply summarize a regional outbreak or trend — is generally not considered meaningful evidence of research ability.

• Authorship of original articles is considered meaningful evidence.

• Language proficiency and completion of general skills/knowledge courses are considered a baseline expectation, and on their own rarely differentiate one applicant from another.

• If your primary motivation is simply to study in Japan, we encourage you to consider other labs that may be a better fit.

• Beyond your personal career background, we also consider fit with our lab's current areas of interest and with broader trends in the field (e.g., topical infectious disease issues, emerging technologies).

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Who We're Looking For

• Applicants who understand the significance and purpose of medical research

• Applicants who can make good use of AI tools, rather than being led by them

• Applicants who understand that research is ultimately a contribution to society, not solely a personal achievement

• Applicants who can reliably carry out lab responsibilities

• Applicants who act responsibly and follow lab rules

• Applicants who can grow within a lab culture that is competitive yet built on mutual respect and cooperation among members

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For Self-Financed (Privately Funded) International Students

If you plan to study with us at your own expense, the following can meaningfully strengthen your chances of securing a scholarship after arriving in Japan:

• Actively studying Japanese, ideally with a demonstrable score (e.g., JLPT)

• Being able to clearly show the progress of your research

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MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation)

We are now accepting individual inquiries for the MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation).

Please note:

• If we receive a large number of inquiries, we may close acceptance earlier than expected (approximately by the end of October).

• The overall selection process consists of three stages: lab-level selection → faculty-level selection → university-wide selection (followed by MEXT's own selection). Our lab is involved only in the lab-level selection stage; we have no involvement in, and cannot influence, the subsequent stages.

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Important Notes on MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation) Applications

(For MEXT Scholarship (Embassy Recommendation), please refer to the guidance in your respective country.)

The MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation) involves a multi-step selection process, as noted above. Our lab has internal guidelines for MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation) applications to the University of Toyama. When there are multiple applicants, the following factors are considered:

• Those who wish to study here at their own expense even if they do not receive the MEXT scholarship

• Those who have not previously applied for a MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation) through our lab (unless explicitly invited by our lab to reapply)

• Those who are cooperative in communicating closely with staff

Additional Notes for Master's Degree Applicants

• Those who are considering continuing to our lab's doctoral program

Additional Notes for Doctoral Degree Applicants

• Those with publications of original articles (co-authorship on review articles will not be considered)

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Cases Where Applications Cannot Be Accepted (Regarding Applicants from the Same Country)

To maintain a fair and trustworthy process, we will not accept applicants from the same country for three years in the following cases:

• Those who expressed a desire to study here at their own expense if they couldn't receive the MEXT scholarship, but did not actually proceed with self-financed study

• Those whose academic records from their alma mater were disproportionately highly rated (e.g., if recommendation letters or transcripts were deemed excessively positive compared to actual achievements)

• Those who have seriously damaged our trust

These restrictions do not apply to recipients of MEXT scholarships (embassy recommendations) or other scholarships, or to those genuinely intending to study abroad at their own expense.

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