English Finding a Japanese institution is easier when you save its original Japanese name, its school code and the date of the source record together. An English search result alone may refer to a campus, a former name or a programme listing. The MEXT school-code directory provides a different starting point: identifying the institution described by an official administrative record.
Start with the institution, then research the programme
Open the Japan MEXT institution directory and search the Japanese name or the complete 13-character code. The directory preserves source names rather than creating English translations. If you already have an admissions page, compare its Japanese institution name and address with the observation before saving it in your research notes.
For example, the retained record for 東京大学, code F113110102700 offers dated observations. The profile shows the original fields, source release labels and downloaded evidence. Use those observations to confirm which source identity you are researching. They do not establish a particular course's teaching language or admission requirements.
The connected directory covers three source categories: universities, junior colleges and colleges of technology. These administrative categories are useful for narrowing an institution search. A category label alone does not tell you the qualification offered by an individual programme or whether an international applicant can enter it.
Keep the reference date and release label
The two recent connected releases describe the position as of 1 May 2025 and 1 May 2026. A final release for 1 May 2024 is also retained for longer identity history. The final 1 May 2023 release is retained too; its bare enumeration codes stay as written instead of being replaced with later Japanese labels. The official catalogue labels the 2025 release final and the 2026 release provisional. CollegeVerse retains those labels beside the observations. A provisional release may change; a final historical release still does not become a current admissions statement.
The download date, the file's update marker and the observation's reference date answer different questions. A newer download can contain an older reference period. Some connected files have an update marker before the header and others do not; an absent marker remains absent. When comparing two observations, use the reference date first and consult the linked original CSV for the underlying values.
The default directory displays main records from the latest retained reference date. Broader filters can include source records marked abolished. A record missing from a later connected release is retained as history. Neither an omission nor a historical administrative flag should be used alone to decide whether a particular intake is open.
Read dates and code pointers carefully
The source includes attribute setting and attribute abolition dates. The setting date is not presented as the institution's founding date. Historical survey codes and transition code pointers also remain separate fields. A transition pointer can help you locate another retained record, but CollegeVerse does not turn it into an inferred merger or a replacement institution name.
MEXT's catalogue states that school codes were reassigned in 2021. Do not assume a code from an older document uses the same code system as the current CSV. Preserve the original document, its date and the full code when checking an older application record. Postal codes and school codes are text identifiers; leading zeroes matter and are retained.
Use JASSO listings for a different question
If your next question is whether there is a source-listed programme taught in English, follow the connected JASSO listings or the full-English bachelor listing directory. Those listings describe the programmes included in a different source, with their own coverage limits.
MEXT code records and JASSO listings are not automatically joined by an institution name. Similar names can conceal a campus distinction or an old label. Verify the exact institution and programme on its own official admissions page, including the entry year, applicant category, teaching language and qualification. A listing is a research lead rather than an assurance that a programme is currently accepting applications.
You can narrow the university-kind identities through six prefecture research directories, including Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. A source prefecture address is separate from the campus used by a specific programme.
Save a compact evidence checklist
- Original Japanese institution name and full MEXT code.
- Source reference date, provisional or final label, and original CSV URL.
- Address and postal code as written in the source.
- Exact programme name, campus and qualification from the institution's admissions page.
- Intake year, applicant category, application route and current official contact page.
Keep costs in a separate plan. The MEXT code CSV does not supply tuition, living costs, telephone numbers or institution websites. You can build your own JPY budget scenario, then replace each assumption with a current figure from the relevant institution or service. The calculator performs arithmetic on your inputs and does not quote a school's fees.
Source and reuse notes
This guide uses the MEXT school-code catalogue and its linked official CSV files. The original values are attributed to Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. CollegeVerse parses, organizes and explains those values; this edited presentation is not a government publication or an endorsement. See the MEXT website reuse terms for attribution and other conditions.