15 Science Summer Programs in Japan for High School Students

TL;DR

This page rounds up 15 ways to spend a summer in Japanese STEM labs, from free government placements to paid residential courses. Eligibility varies widely; some options require Japan residency while others welcome international applicants, which shifts cost and access. Most suit curious students around ages 13 to 18 looking for research, data, or lab experience. OIST's SEED program, for instance, lets you book single-day to multi-day lab sessions up to a year ahead. Immerse Education's own two-week Tokyo Summer School, open to students aged 15 to 18, appears here too, with bursary scholarships available.

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Most of what you learn about science in the classroom happens on paper: balancing equations, memorizing formulas, or reading about historical experiments that led to discoveries years ago. A science summer program helps you move beyond theoretical learning. As a participant, you will dive into advanced scientific concepts through hands-on work, running experiments, watching the data come in on your own screen, and figuring out what to do when the results don't match what the textbook said would happen. 

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Some programs place you in a university lab working under a professor, while others have you build something from scratch and defend your reasoning in front of people who know the subject well. Either way, you will leave with a much sharper sense of how research actually happens, not just what it produces. 

Why should you consider science summer programs in Japan?

Japan offers a uniquely scientific and tech-forward environment to students from around the world. You will spend time in a country where advanced infrastructure, from high-tech vending machines to entire train lines, is running on technology developed a few stops away from wherever you happen to be. 

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To help you choose the right options, we have rounded up 15 science summer programs in Japan for high school students. 

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For more alternatives, consider engineering summer programs and STEM summer programs in Japan for high school students.

15 Science Summer Programs in Japan for High School Students

1. SAKURA SCIENCE High School Program

Location: Various universities and research institutes across Japan
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: Typically one week in summer; dates vary by hosting institution
Application deadline: Varies by partner institution nomination window
Eligibility: High school students nominated by schools or national science organizations from partner countries (typically in Asia)

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Run by the Japan Science and Technology Agency, this free program offers students a real look at Japanese research culture. You will spend the week attending lectures, laboratory visits, and collaborative workshops covering topics in STEM. You will visit universities, national research institutes, and innovation centers to observe how research moves from theory to application. 

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Discussions with Japanese students and researchers will help you build communication and teamwork skills in an international environment. Cultural activities are integrated throughout the program, offering a broader understanding of Japanese academic and scientific culture. Past cohorts have attended special lectures led by Nobel laureates, toured facilities like JAXA's research campuses in Tsukuba, and spent time talking with Japanese high school students their own age.

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Why it stands out: It lets you explore topics in STEM, connect with scientists, explore Japan’s scientific ecosystem, and connect with a global cohort of peers, all within a week.

2. Immerse Education’s Tokyo Summer School

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; an average of 7 participants per class
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application deadline: Multiple cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students around the world aged 15-18 currently enrolled in high school; open to international students

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The Career Insights Summer School in Tokyo lets you explore a career from the inside over two weeks. You will be taught by an industry expert and study in small groups with an average of 7 participants per class. You can choose from Business Management, Engineering, Film & Animation, or Medicine. 

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Alongside your classes, you will join off-campus industry visits to see your chosen field in action and understand what different jobs in the industry involve. By the end of the program, you will earn a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.

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Why it stands out: It lets you explore a career in Tokyo through expert-led classes and real industry visits, with engineering and medicine tracks for science-minded students.

3. Temple University Japan High School Summer Program 

Location: Temple University’s Japan Campus, Tokyo, Japan + trips to Nikko and nearby areas
Cost: JPY 340,000 + JPY 20,000 registration fee
Dates: July 29th - August 6th
Application deadline: May 1st (payment deadline for domestic students) | April 1st (for international students)
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9-12; international students are eligible.

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This eight-night program combines academic classes with cultural experiences in Japan. You will attend Japanese language classes at a level aligned with your experience and choose an elective course, which can be a STEM track, modeled after university classes. 

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Alongside academics, you will explore Tokyo through guided activities and take part in trips, including an overnight excursion and a visit to Tokyo DisneySea. You will connect with both international participants and Japanese high schoolers during events and meals. Throughout the program, staff and university students will support you as you engage in classes and activities.

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Why it stands out: It combines university-style classes, academic exploration, and cultural excursions within a short, residential format on campus.

4. RIKEN BDR Hands-On Life Science Workshop

Location: RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Kobe Campus, Kobe, Japan
Cost: Free (Participants pay for their own transportation)
Dates: 1 day during the summer (usually in August)
Application Deadline: Details not available on the official website
Eligibility: High school students residing in Japan; international students living outside the country are ineligible because the administration requires physical attendance and conducts all activities strictly in Japanese.

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The RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research invites teenagers to spend a full day exploring professional life science concepts inside official government laboratories. You extract and analyze your own DNA to decide specific genetic traits, such as your body's ability to break down alcohol. 

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You operate complex laboratory equipment like polymerase chain reaction machines and microscopes under the direct supervision of professional biologists. Everyone concludes the workshop by chatting directly with the scientists to evaluate future college majors and potential careers in biology. No details are available on the official website for the application form.

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Why it stands out: Local teenagers spend a full day conducting real genetic tests on their own DNA inside an official government biology laboratory.

5. OIST SEED Program

Location: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology campus, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
Cost: JPY 8,000/day (per student fee)
Dates: Weekdays; no fixed dates, as sessions can be scheduled on a rolling basis throughout the year in single-day, half-day, or multi-day formats.
Application deadline: Applications must be submitted at least 3 months before the scheduled date; reservations can be made up to 1 year in advance.
Eligibility: Students from Super Science High Schools (SSH) and high schools with science-oriented curricula in Japan; schools need to apply to reserve spots.

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Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology’s STEM Experience, Exploration, and Discovery (OIST SEED) Program gives you a chance to visit the OIST campus and its research labs, hear career talks from researchers and graduate students, and engage in hands-on science activities. A typical one-day schedule will include an introduction to OIST, a campus and lab tour, a lunch break, and a two-hour session of lectures or hands-on science and engineering experiments. 

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The program is designed to introduce you to a university research environment. The content will be tailored based on your school's year level, group size, and areas of interest, and can be arranged as a half-day, full-day, or multi-day overnight session. Through discussions with international students, researchers, and staff at OIST, you can gain a sense of what a career in science might look like. Your school will apply on your behalf and can request specific activities in advance through the application form.

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Why it stands out: It places you within an active research institute, letting you explore real labs, interact with researchers from around the world, and explore a future in STEM.

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6. High School Students Bio-Summit in Tsuruoka

Location: Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Dates: Summer program; dates TBA for the next cycle
Application deadline: TBA for the next cycle
Eligibility: High school students already conducting independent research who are nominated by their school

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The Bio-Summit is an opportunity to present a research project you are already working on and practice explaining your work to peers and experts. Organized by Keio University's Institute for Advanced Biosciences in Tsuruoka, the summit brings together students from across Japan for oral presentations on their bioscience projects, alongside open discussion about where the field of biology is headed next. 

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If you already have a research project in the works, this is a chance to defend it in front of a genuinely knowledgeable audience. The experience can help you learn about STEM research that your peers are engaging in as well as test your own work and presentation skills.

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Why it stands out: It offers a platform to share your research and gain real-world experience defending your ideas before an academic audience.

7. Summer in JAPAN

Location: Oita City, Oita Prefecture, Japan
Cost: JPY 330,000
Dates: August 1-8
Application deadline: February 28th
Eligibility: Students, ages 7-18, from around the world with English proficiency at CEFR A2 or above

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Summer in JAPAN is an eight-day English summer program led by Harvard University students and held in Oita City. You will spend the mornings on Language Arts classes designed to strengthen reading and writing skills, joining sessions grouped based on English proficiency levels. 

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In the afternoons, you will choose one of three specialized workshops: Public Speaking, Performing Arts, or Computer Science, with the CS including programming and AI projects. The program will also include presentations and lectures by Harvard instructors on topics such as campus life, university studies, and admissions experiences. You may also attend a classical concert and find opportunities to interact with peers from Japan and other countries.

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Why it stands out: It combines daily English instruction with specialized science and arts workshops and direct interaction with Harvard students, including guidance on studying at universities overseas.

8. CyberAgent High School Visit Program 

Location: CyberAgent, Inc. office, Tokyo, Japan; online or in-person experience
Cost: Free
Dates: Flexible; year-round availability including in the summer
Application deadline: Two weeks to three months prior to the desired date; applications must be accepted via a school or group.
Eligibility: Junior high and high school students across Japan; international students are not eligible.

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This free program allows you to participate in a company visit organized by CyberAgent, either online or in person at its Tokyo office. You will explore a real-world workplace and see how STEM connects to genuine careers while learning about CyberAgent’s business, services, and how the company works through presentations and interactions with employees. You will also learn about the roles within an internet company, which can help you explore potential profiles and career paths. 

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If your school opts for in-office visits, you will go on a guided tour of the space, including meeting rooms and creative areas. You can speak to the staff during a Q&A session to learn more about the company and its operations. While not a traditional science program, this can be an opportunity to explore an organization in Japan and possible career paths in STEM.

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Why it stands out: You get to visit a real company office and interact with professionals to learn how tech- and science-focused work is conducted within Japan’s internet industry.

9. Natsu-Gaku Summer School

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Cost: JPY 10,000; transportation subsidies and fee waivers available
Dates: August 8-10
Application deadline: June 13th
Eligibility: Female students in junior high school, high school, or technical college programs

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This three-day residential STEM program introduces students to science and engineering careers through workshops, experiments, and mentorship. You will attend lectures led by researchers, engineers, and scientists working across multiple technical disciplines. Lab activities and poster exhibitions will expose you to the real-world applications of engineering, science communication, and the scientific research process. 

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The schedule will additionally include career-planning sessions and group discussions designed to help you explore future academic interests. Interaction with undergraduate and graduate students will offer you insight into university pathways and STEM careers in Japan. 

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Why it stands out: It offers mentorship and support through interactions with women in STEM along with early exposure to STEM pathways.

10. JAXA Aerospace School

Location: Various JAXA facilities in Japan
Cost: Not specified
Dates: Summer program; three-day/two-night - five-day/four-night sessions
Application deadline: TBA for next cycle
Eligibility: High school students; restricted to Japanese students 

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This program lets you spend a few days living at a real JAXA space center alongside peers. You will spend your time working on a shared space or aeronautical mission within a team. You will also attend lectures led by JAXA staff who work in the field day to day. Facility tours will take you into spacecraft and research areas that are normally off-limits to the public. 

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The program will wrap with a debriefing session, sometimes structured as a debate or a lab visit, where teams will present how they approached their mission. The experience can help you see what it's like to work in a professional aerospace environment.

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Why it stands out: It lets you live in a space center in Japan and work alongside actual JAXA staff for several days.

11. Tsukuba University GFEST Program

Location: Tsukuba University and local research institutions, Ibaraki, Japan (with online components) 

Cost: Free (Participants pay for their own transportation, meals, and overnight accommodation if required) 

Dates: July to March (9 months) 

Application Deadline: Mid-June 

Eligibility: High school students and highly motivated 9th graders residing in Japan; international students living outside the country are ineligible because the program requires regular physical attendance at facilities in Tsukuba City and operates entirely in Japanese.

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Tsukuba University mentors teenagers to cultivate advanced science and technology skills through an intensive 9-month curriculum. You select between 2 distinct tracks based on their academic goals: conducting independent research or deeply exploring specific scientific fields. You attend interactive lectures and collaborative group work sessions focusing on entrepreneurship, societal problem-solving, and cross-cultural communication. 

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You visit respected research institutions around Tsukuba City to observe professional scientific operations directly. You conclude the experience by presenting their accumulated research data during a formal presentation session. Applications will start from May this year. 

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Why it stands out: Teenagers interact with international college students and run personalized science experiments under the direct supervision of university professors.

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12. Tokyo University of Science’s Science Lecture Series

Location: Tokyo University of Science, Kagurazaka Campus, Tokyo

Cost: Free

Dates: Seven sessions in July - November

Application deadline: Friday before each session begins

Eligibility: High school students, junior high school students, university students, teachers, and the general public

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This lecture series lets you hear from working professors who will offer insights into topics like battery chemistry, structural engineering, disaster-prevention science, and the biomechanics of prosthetic limbs over single sessions scheduled throughout the summer and school year. If you attend one of the in-person sessions, you can also sign up for a Kagurazaka campus tour, which is typically capped at 80 people, and get a look at the university itself before the lecture starts. 

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You can pick a single session that interests you or commit to the whole series based on your interests. The mix of in-person and online sessions means you can join even if you can't make it to Tokyo for every date.

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Why it stands out: You will hear directly from professors and learn about their active research efforts through short sessions while also exploring the university learning environment.

13. Kansai Science Academy for Junior and Senior High School Girls

Location: Rotates yearly among Kyoto University, Osaka University, Kobe University, Nara Women's University, and Osaka Metropolitan University

Cost: Free

Dates: Year-round program with six sessions; summer sessions on July 26th, August 6th, and August 20th

Application deadline: June 30th

Eligibility: Female junior and senior high school students

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This program lets you explore STEM topics of interest through a range of instructional sessions and excursions offered throughout the year. The program, backed by multiple companies and foundations, including Panasonic, Kyocera, and Sumitomo Electric, will place you directly in roundtable and workshop sessions to hear from professionals. 

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The program will run across five different university campuses over the year, offering you exposure to a wide range of labs, faculty, and research cultures rather than just one school. One of the sessions will include a visit and roundtable discussion at Daicel Corporation's Himeji plant.

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Why it stands out: You will explore careers and topics in STEM as well as possible pathways while connecting with real professionals.

14. Entreplanet’s Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC)

Location: Online (global event hosted by organizations in Japan and Indonesia)
Cost: JPY 10,000/team
Dates: May 16th (Preliminary Round); June 20th (Final Round)
Application deadline: April 20th
Eligibility: High school students, ages 14-18; international students are eligible, but must apply in teams of 3-8 students who are all from the same country.

This online entrepreneurship competition lets you work in a team to solve a real-world problem. On the day of the challenge, you will receive a problem statement and get 12 hours to develop a business idea using science and tech. During this time, you will conduct research, come up with a business plan, and develop and deliver a short video presentation in English. 

Your work will be evaluated based on criteria such as feasibility, marketing, innovation, and communication. If you are successful, you will advance to the next level to compete in a final round against teams from around the world. While not a typical program, the competitive event can help you learn how to apply STEM to sustainability, education, and social impact. 

Why it stands out: It is a fast-paced global event that lets you build and present a complete science-focused business idea within just 12 hours.

15. Tohoku University Aspiring Scientist Training Program

Location: Tohoku University, Sendai

Cost: Free

Dates: Year-long program with core summer component and monthly school-year engagements

Application deadline: Self-recommendation applications close May 11th

Eligibility: High school 1st and 2nd year students

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This program lets you come up with your own research question to work through over the year while also engaging in experiments, lab activities, and lectures. The program will let you move through a sequence of research-focused tracks, starting with a Research Fundamentals Course and building toward more advanced Research Development and Research Promotion courses. 

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Rather than focusing on one subject, you will engage in lectures led by students and faculty across Tohoku University's full range of science departments, getting exposure to a range of natural sciences. The program will include an English-language component built in specifically to help you get comfortable discussing science with a global audience.

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Why it stands out: You will get research exposure, lab experience, and a taste of academic research environments along with the chance to connect with college students and faculty.

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Studying science abroad in Japan this summer

A summer spent inside Japanese research labs teaches you more about scientific thinking than another year of classroom textbooks and lectures ever could.

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Whether you choose a free week with SAKURA SCIENCE or a residential course, science summer programs in Japan for high school students fit many budgets.

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You can present existing research at the Bio-Summit, start fresh inside RIKEN's labs, or build an independent project over nine months through Tsukuba's GFEST track.

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As you weigh these options, explore our Study Abroad blogs to help you plan the rest of your international academic summer with real confidence.