u/AdministrativeAd8718

Hey everyone. I'm about to graduate with a media/design degree and I'm at a crossroads. I have some background in Japanese (JLPT N2) and Japan has always been a serious option for me, but the timing of everything is making this really hard. Would love to hear from people who've been through similar decisions, especially anyone in the Japan creative/design world.

My four options

Option 1 — MEXT Scholarship (Japan) It's my top interest given that my girlfriend lives in Japan and I have real connections there. And N2 Japanese which might give me an little advantage. Problem is results don't come out until July, and committing to this means fully walking away from my Taiwan scholarship paths, which are confirmed interview invites. It's a gamble I'm seriously considering.

Option 2 — NCKU Master's, Taiwan (MOE Scholarship, fully funded) Got invited to interview for the MOE Taiwan Scholarship for NCKU's Institute of Creative Industries Design. Less generous amount of scholarship than Japan but I'm considering. But I'm uncertain how the Taiwanese Master's degree would translate in Japan's work market, if I eventually want to work in Japan.

Option 3 — Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (6-month Chinese study, Taiwan) + Erasmus Internship Gap year to study Mandarin, then pursue an Erasmus internship in Europe. More flexible, but the internship isn't guaranteed and it delays a master's. But I would have a more clear head.

Option 4 — Master's in Europe (Italy or Germany) Stronger name recognition internationally, Italian scholarships seem attainable. But less relevant to Japan which is I feel like where I will head eventually.

Specific questions, especially for the Japan path

1.If I do MEXT and land a design/media master's in Japan, what are realistic job prospects in the Japanese creative industry afterward?

2. How does Japan's creative industry actually compare to Taiwan's in terms of work-life balance, salary, and opportunities for foreigners?

3. If MEXT doesn't work out and I end up doing the NCKU master's in Taiwan, how hard would it be to pivot to Japan from there? Does a Taiwanese master's help, hurt, or not matter?

4 .Is the risk of waiting for MEXT results in July (and giving up confirmed Taiwan scholarship interviews) worth it, or would you hedge?

5.Anyone been through MEXT for design/media specifically? Which universities/labs would you recommend for someone in that field?

I'm not purely career-driven, I genuinely want to live somewhere that fits me long-term, and Japan has always pulled at me more than anywhere else. But I don't want to romanticize it either. Honest takes from people who've actually navigated this are really appreciated.

Thank you.

Hey, graduating soon with a media/design degree in my home country. I applied to two Taiwan scholarships, the MOE Taiwan Scholarship (fully-funded master's) and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (6-month language study) and got invited to interview for both. I'm torn between four paths and would love input from people with real experience.

The options:

Option 1 – NCKU (National Cheng Kung University) Master's (MOE Scholarship, Taiwan) Only applied to NCKU's Institute of Creative Industries Design, it was the only English-taught program in my field that interested me. Main concerns:

How much can you really network in the creative field without strong Chinese? How is the degree perceived in Taiwan or globally? What's the salary reality for a creative master's graduate in Taiwan?

Option 2 – Master's in Europe (Italy or Germany) Stronger international name recognition, and scholarships seem attainable in Italy.

Option 3 – HES Gap Year (Taiwan) + Erasmus Internship (Europe) Use Huayu Enrichment Scholarsihp to study Chinese 6 months, come home, then go for an Erasmus internship. I would also have time to figure out what I more clearly. But the finding a place to do internship isn't guaranteed.

Option 4 – MEXT Scholarship (Japan) I'm N2 in Japanese, so I'm applying. However results come out in July, meaning I'd have to fully abandon the Taiwan path to pursue this. It's a risk.

I'm not purely career-driven and I also believe any path could work out but I don't want to make a decision I'll regret professionally and life wise.

Specific questions:

Has anyone done a design/media master's in Taiwan and worked there after? Was the degree and salary worth it?

How does Japan's creative industry compare to Taiwan's (work-life, opportunities)?

Would you reckon that would it be easy to work in Japan with Taiwanese master's degree?

Is NCKU respected outside Asia?

Appreciate any honest takes from people who've been through these kind of stuff. Thank you.