Master's Interviews: Common Questions and Answer Frameworks

90% of the questions revolve around your research proposal. If every paragraph can be probed 2–3 layers deep and you can still answer, the interview almost never falls apart.

Frequent Questions (in the order they tend to come up)

1. "Please introduce yourself (自己紹介をお願いします)": Within one minute — your school / major / research interests / why you're applying here. Don't read off your résumé.
2. "Why do you want to study in Japan? (なぜ日本で学びたいのですか)": A concrete reason Japan appeals to you, not "Japan's technology is advanced."
3. "Why did you choose this university (this lab)? (なぜ本学（本研究室）を選んだのですか)": You must be able to name one of a target professor's research topics and your own point of connection to it.
4. "Please briefly explain the outline of your research proposal. (研究計画書の概要を簡潔に説明してください)": A 3–5 sentence summary, practiced until you can deliver it at any moment.
5. "What prior research have you read? (先行研究はどのようなものを読みましたか)": Be able to cite 3–5 specific works, including those referenced in your own proposal.
6. "Why did you choose this method? (なぜこの方法を選んだのですか)": Compare it with other options and state the strengths and weaknesses of your approach.
7. "What difficulties do you anticipate? (予想される困難は何ですか)": Proactively raise "the limitations of your method / the challenge of obtaining data." Dodging the question loses points.
8. "What are your plans 5 or 10 years out? (5 年後、10 年後の計画は？)": You don't necessarily have to say a doctorate, but you need a logically coherent arc.
9. "Do you have any questions for us? (最後に質問はありますか)": You must prepare 2–3 specific questions about how the lab is run / its research direction / the supervisor's mentoring style.

Answer Frameworks

For questions about research content, use the three-part "conclusion → reasoning → concrete example" structure. Japanese interviews favor stating the conclusion first and then expanding, which also matches the rhythm of an academic presentation.

Notes on Japanese Expression

• Use the です / ます form throughout; don't mix in casual speech (じゃなくて, めっちゃ, という感じ).
• If you're interrupted or can't hear clearly, say "申し訳ございません、もう一度お願いできますでしょうか" rather than "え？"
• Say "ありがとうございます" to thank them; avoid the casual "どうも。"
• Open uncertain answers with "私の理解では……" — it lands more steadily than flatly saying "分からないです。"

Preparation Schedule

1. 3 weeks before: write out, on your own, the likely follow-up questions for each paragraph of your proposal, three layers deep.
2. 2 weeks before: find one person who can correct your Japanese grammar and one who understands academic logic, and do a mock interview with each.
3. 1 week before: record yourself once on video and review it, watching your speaking pace / eye contact / gestures.
4. 2 days before: do no new preparation. Rest well, and review your summary and statement of motivation.