Internship in Japan — hosted by MPJA, Tokyo
A structured internship in Tokyo, hosted by MPJA, a halal certification body recommended by JAKIM. You take on real tasks in certification, research and industry visits, and learn a way of working you can use throughout your career.
本ページは海外からの応募者向けのため、英語で構成しています。日本語でのお問い合わせはお問い合わせフォームからどうぞ。
Year 3–4
Jump straight to the requirements, selection flow and application.
See how to applyYear 1–2
You're welcome to reach out now. Tell us about yourself, and we'll keep you posted on future intakes.
Get in touchEveryone is welcome to get in touch — including first- and second-year students.
Programme Overview
Duration
2 months
Location
Tokyo
Shinjuku Gyoenmae, Tokyo, Japan
Places
8 per intake
4 male, 4 female
Participation fee
RM3,500
Covers two months' rent and utilities
Fields of study: Islamic studies · halal management · food technology and food science · chemistry and industrial chemistry · and related fields generally.
Recent intakes have been fully booked months in advance.
Living in Japan
Japan is widely known for low crime, reliable public transport and a culture of order. Lost wallets famously come back. For most Malaysian families, day-to-day safety is the least of the worries — and we will still walk you through emergency contacts before departure.
Yes. Japan now has more than 100 mosques nationwide, and halal-aware restaurants and prayer spaces are increasing, especially in Tokyo. You will also be working inside a Muslim-led organisation — your colleagues understand prayer times and halal needs as a matter of course.
MPJA's office is in Yotsuya, central Tokyo — minutes from Shinjuku Gyoen, one of the city's best-known parks, with direct metro access.
Who Can Apply
You can get involved from your first year — start early and grow with us.
Malaysian students.
Non-Malaysian students: see the non-sponsored track below.
Diploma, Degree or Master — Year 1 and up welcome.
First-year students are welcome.
Fits university internship requirements.
Counts towards your university placement.
Islamic studies, halal management, food technology, chemistry and related fields are prioritised.
Related fields are considered too.
What You'll Do
Five strands of work run through the two months. Each one is a real assignment with real output.
Join real halal audits alongside professional auditors and take part in the audit work itself, with industry-standard training delivered on site. Through plant visits and on-the-job learning you build practical knowledge and skills — halal compliance, production processes, and how the industry works day to day.
Attend Japan's major exhibitions and industry events across technology, food and travel. Observing new trends, technologies, products and market movements first-hand shows you the opportunities shaping Japan's industrial ecosystem — and shows you how business is done in Japan.
Visit restaurants across Japan and take part in the evaluation work: service quality, menu suitability, and how Muslim guests are looked after. Your reviews feed directly into improving and spreading Muslim-friendly hospitality and food service nationwide.
Join motivation and practice-sharing sessions led by experienced industry figures and partner organisations. These sessions build your communication skills, confidence and professional outlook.
Spend real time with local people, Muslim professionals, fellow interns and Japanese students. Cultural exchange activities deepen your cross-cultural understanding, widen your network and broaden your global perspective in a multicultural working environment.
Plus: research and documentation, event operations, and interpreting support — depending on the intake.
Voices
In their own words — what three recent interns took home from two months in Tokyo.
During my stay in Japan, I truly enjoyed exploring different places and trying various Japanese foods. Traveling around and doing food reviews were such exciting experiences, especially because I got to feel the beautiful weather and unique atmosphere of Japan. I also loved how polite and respectful the people were, and how clean and organized everything felt.
I enjoyed experiencing the Japanese culture, cleanliness, and disciplined lifestyle the most during my stay in Japan. I also enjoyed working at MPJA because I had the opportunity to learn more about the halal industry in Japan and gain real working experience in audits, halal management, and exhibitions. Besides that, I loved exploring places around Tokyo, seeing the beautiful sakura scenery, using the efficient train system, and trying different Japanese foods and Muslim-friendly restaurants. The kindness and respect shown by Japanese people also made my experience more meaningful and comfortable.
I enjoyed many things during my stay in Japan. The places here are very beautiful, clean, and well-organized. I also loved the food. Even though it can be expensive, it is worth it, especially the ramen at Hanolu. I was happy to make new friends here. Although they were from different universities, they were all kind, supportive, and fun to be with. We spent a lot of time together and created many great memories. The staff were also very friendly and taught me a lot during my internship. Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Japan and had a wonderful experience.
Schedule
| Week | Month 1 | Month 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Japanese workplace culture and hospitality (the spirit of omotenashi) | Trade business training |
| Week 2 | Halal auditing in Japanese industry | Digital marketing training |
| Week 3 | Exhibition visits in Japan | Cultural exchange with Japanese students |
| Week 4 | Building a business plan for your project | Motivational talks with high achievers, and public speaking |
Two Tracks
Malaysian students enrolled on a diploma or degree programme at a Malaysian institution, majoring in one of the following: halal management; shariah and Islamic studies; food technology and food science; chemistry and industrial chemistry.
Open to any student currently enrolled on a diploma or degree programme at any institution. The following fields are preferred, but applicants from related fields are also welcome: halal management; shariah and Islamic studies; food technology and food science; chemistry and industrial chemistry; and fields connected to halal certification.
| Item | Sponsored internship | Non-sponsored internship |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Malaysian students on a diploma or degree programme at a Malaysian institution, majoring in a relevant field | Any student on a diploma or degree programme at any institution |
| Additional requirements | Malaysian citizenship, CGPA 3.0 or above, university recommendation letter or equivalent | — |
| Shared requirements | Apply at least two months before the start date, résumé/CV, statement of motivation. After passing the interview, you will obtain the Halal Administrator Certificate on HalaliO (MPJA's on-demand e-learning platform). | Same as sponsored |
| Allowance | RM1,000 for the two months, paid by MPJA | RM1,000 for the two months, paid by MPJA |
| What MPJA covers | Flights, the train fare on first arrival, the office commute, and all audit travel | The office commute and all audit travel |
Insurance & Visa
Participants are strongly encouraged to take out suitable overseas travel medical insurance covering their entire stay in Japan. Cover should ideally include medical expenses, hospitalisation, accidents and emergency assistance.
Visa requirements differ according to nationality, passport type, purpose of stay and length of stay. Some participants may qualify for visa exemption or an eVISA, while others will need to obtain a visa in advance. Every participant must confirm the entry requirements that apply to them with their nearest Japanese embassy or consulate before travelling to Japan.
What You'll Learn
Hands-on knowledge of a specialised, growing field, directly relevant to careers in Malaysia's halal industry, food and trade.
Business etiquette, quality culture and how decisions are made, learned by working alongside Japanese colleagues.
Practical EN↔JP communication through company visits and interpreting support.
A certification body's view of the halal supply chain. A perspective most graduates simply don't have.
From Our Founder
In Malaysia, twenty to thirty universities teach halal management. Yet many of their graduates struggle to find a career that matches what they studied — a Halal Executive qualification is often enough to get the job, and certification bodies mostly hire religious scholars or food-science specialists. I have met too many capable students whose best option was to stay at university and teach. This programme began for them.
What I want students to take home from Japan is more than work experience. It is the everyday morals you can feel here: being on time, doing work worth your salary, caring for the customer, leaving things right for the next person. Japan has an environment where becoming a good person is part of daily life. If, in two months, you can carry home even a part of that, this internship has done its job.
And none of this is foreign to us as Muslims. When Japanese people say itadakimasu before a meal, I hear Bismillah. When they say gochisousama after it, I hear Alhamdulillah. The spirit is the same — Japan is simply a place where it is practised, in small actions, every day.
Years from now, if something goes well in your career and you think, “Ah — this is what Akmal said” — that is enough for me.
Internship Flow
The online prep step before departure helps ease the language barrier and settle any nerves — for students and families alike.
MPJA does not provide templates. Preparing each document appropriately is part of the application. Send everything by email to internship@mpja.jp; large videos may be shared as a Google Drive link.
Email your application and the five documents above to internship@mpja.jp.
Document screening.
Applicants from Shariah, Halal or Islamic Studies backgrounds receive a video assessment task by email; applicants from other fields are invited to a short online interview.
Successful applicants complete the Halal Administrator Certificate course on HalaliO, MPJA's on-demand e-learning platform, and send the certificate to internship@mpja.jp.
MPJA issues an offer letter.
Certificate
Interns are presented with an MPJA Internship Certificate of Appreciation, recognising both the completion of the internship and the effort they put into it.
Participants who complete the internship may be presented with an MPJA Internship Certificate of Appreciation, recognising their participation, contribution and commitment over the course of the programme.
This programme values the contribution of every intern who has come before, and treats their participation as part of MPJA’s continuing growth and exchange work.
Offices
3F Yoshioka Building, 4-32-1 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004, Japan
〒160-0004 東京都新宿区四谷4-32-1 吉岡ビル3階
M2, Jln ML16, ML 16 Industrial Park, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia
Helping you send your child abroad with confidence
We understand that sending your child abroad is a big decision. Here is how MPJA addresses the concerns families care about most.
Before any commitment, we provide a written breakdown of what MPJA supports and what students fund themselves. No hidden fees.
MPJA is a registered association with a real office in Yotsuya, Tokyo. Students work alongside our staff, and parents can reach MPJA directly at any time.
English is enough for the programme. Online preparation before departure helps with daily-life Japanese, and our staff support students on the ground.
We have hosted Malaysian students before, and we keep a direct line open to families throughout the internship.
In June 2026, MPJA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with KITAB, an international Islamic university in Penang, to promote internships between Malaysia and Japan. This programme is built on a formal university partnership — not an ad-hoc arrangement.
A message from our founder
I first came to Japan at nineteen, as a government-sponsored student, and this country shaped who I am. I built this programme so that Malaysian students could have that experience — with someone watching over them. Your child will live and work with us in Tokyo: on time, looked after, and surrounded by values closer to our own faith than you might expect. Please ask me anything, as one parent to another.
FAQ
Costs depend on intake and duration, and we share a full written breakdown before you apply. As a guide from past intakes, accommodation for the two months has been around ¥100,000–120,000, with self-catering possible.
We explain accommodation and travel arrangements during the selection process.
We guide accepted students through the required insurance and visa steps.
Not required. The programme runs in English, with online preparation before departure.
Ready to start?
Not sure yet? Ask us anything — we're happy to speak with you and your parents, in English or in Japanese.
Why MPJA — ご家族に安心いただける理由
