MEXT Interview Tips (From My Own Interview) and Surviving the Wait

This is chapter two of Japan Unfiltered. Chapter one ended with my MEXT written exam.

The same day, I was sitting on the terrace of my PG in an old pair of lowers, wondering what would happen. Then an email arrived from the embassy: I'd passed the written test.

Two feelings at once. Yes, I worked so hard, I did it. And: Is this real? Was it too easy? Until that moment there had been fear in my heart. The email felt like a green light from the universe.

My mother always says: when hard work meets the right opportunity, a person's destiny changes. Sometimes we work hard but the opportunity isn't right. Sometimes the opportunity is right but we don't work hard. When both come together, everything changes.

The next day I packed my bags for Bhopal to prepare for the interview.

Pillar 3: my Japanese sensei designs a four-day plan 🗓️

I knew the panel would have one Indian and one Japanese interviewer. The Indian side I could handle. The Japanese side was completely unknown, and the Japanese interviewer would weigh heavily on my candidacy.

So I called my Japanese sensei, the third pillar of my journey. I expected a quick Zoom call with dos and don'ts. Instead she designed a complete four-day routine: day one this, day two that, day three these.

Even before going to Japan, my respect for Japanese people had grown. They take their work seriously, whether cleaning, cooking ramen or teaching. That's something we Indians can learn from.

What she fixed in me (MEXT interview tips) 🎯

1. Slow down

"Adi, you speak very fast." It's true: I talk with energy and speed. She said there's nothing wrong with it, but if you speak slowly and comfortably, you look calm, confident and composed. In professional settings, especially with someone you're meeting for the first time, Japanese people appreciate a composed manner. Keep the energy, but bring it down to a Japanese style.

Only after living in Japan and making Japanese friends did I fully understand how right she was.

2. Structure your answers

Don't ramble. Think in clear points.

3. Bow properly

She taught me how to bow, and how the angle of a bow changes its meaning.

4. Eye contact

Natural, steady eye contact, not staring, not looking away.

5. Your secret weapon: a smile

"Adi, your biggest skill is your smile. Smile so the person in front of you enjoys talking to you."

These are small things no MEXT preparation video talks about, and they made a huge difference.

6. What to wear

Don't wear a black tie with a white shirt. In Japan that combination is associated with funerals. Skip the tie or wear a blue one, or simply a clean white shirt.

Recommended. But not selected. Yet. ⏳

A few days later another email: I'd passed the written exam and the interview, and the embassy would recommend my name to the Japanese government. But recommendation doesn't mean selection. My candidacy would be reviewed again in Tokyo, with candidates from other countries, and the final result would come months later.

Should I be happy? Sad? Relief and gratitude in one corner of my heart, nervousness in another. That was the end of July. My part was done: documents, exam, interview.

People think the interview or the written exam is the hardest part. The hardest part is waiting from July to February.

Some mornings I woke up sure I'd be selected. Others, I was anxious all day.

What got me through: do your karma

One day I saw a scene from the Mahabharata on Instagram. Arjun asks Krishna whether he's afraid of the future, and Krishna smiles: why fear something that hasn't happened? Do your work. Don't worry about the result.

That hit me. I had done everything in my control. What happened in Tokyo wasn't in my control.

When you fear what you can't control, you let it control you. Don't allow that.

So I stopped obsessing and refocused: I started going to the gym, and picked N3 and N2 back up to keep my mind busy. (I still checked my inbox every morning, of course.)

Two funny moments

• Around September, the embassy emailed asking me to name some famous Japanese characters that are popular worldwide, nothing to do with my application. I smiled, replied with my list and a small thank-you note. To me, it felt like they trusted my opinion after the interview.
• In February, I heard an official call was coming. My family wanted to visit a Ganesh temple on the highway, where the network is weak. I didn't want to risk missing the call, but went anyway. At the temple I whispered my wish into the ear of the mouse idol, as many people do. The moment I stepped forward to bow before Lord Ganesha, my phone rang. "This is from the Japanese government. Please confirm your residential address." Yes sir, here it is. Call cut. Friends told me they'd got the same call: the final documents were coming by post.

Around then, my selection was confirmed.

What to take from chapter two ✅

1. Prepare for the Japanese interviewer, not just the Indian one. Find someone who knows Japanese etiquette.
2. Speak slower than feels natural. Calm reads as confident.
3. Structure, bow, eye contact, smile.
4. No black tie on a white shirt.
5. During the wait, do your karma and let go. Gym, Japanese, anything productive.
6. Stay positive. The journey can feel lonely.

Not everything in my journey was happy, and the next chapter is a darker one. Meanwhile, read about the MEXT STC scholarship, studying in Japan for free, and if you want interview practice for MEXT, look at FS – Future's Scholar.