Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Faculty of Marine Engineering, Miwa Masato Scholarship Foundation

This project was taken over by our university from the Miwa Masato Scholarship Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation. It inherits the purpose of the foundation and the spirit of Masato Miwa's will, which states, "To provide scholarship support to those who have a enthusiastic attitude toward their studies, are excellent in character, and are in good health, but who are unable to continue their studies for financial reasons, thereby cultivating human resources who are useful to society." The purpose of the project is to provide financial assistance as scholarships to students (including graduate students) of the Faculty of Marine Engineering at our university, which is Masato Miwa's alma mater, in order to carry out support projects to help them play an active role in society in the future.
This program is funded by the legacy of Masato and Hatsue Miwa. The childless couple entrusted their hopes to the 21st century generation. We hope that this legacy will be remembered for a long time, and that the scholarship recipients will become better citizens and contribute to society.

Masato Miwa and Hatsue couple

Tokyo Maru, captained by Masato Miwa after the war

Origins

The name is derived from Miwa Masato, who was born in Gifu Prefecture in February 1906 and studied at the Department of Navigation at Tokyo Higher School of Marine Technology, the predecessor to the Faculty of Marine Technology at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. After graduating, he joined Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and after the war he worked as a captain for Tokyo Senpaku. After retiring from the company in 1959, he became a pilot (guide) in Tokyo Bay.
Miwa Masato married Ukita Hatsue in 1935. As Masato was often away from home as a ship captain, his wife Hatsue supported him by doing dressmaking and other tasks. In 1951, the couple built a house that was very modern for the time on a hill overlooking the Tama River in Todoroki, Setagaya, Tokyo. As they had no children, they first had a dog and a parrot, and later cats, who became part of their new family. When Masato became a pilot, he obtained his driver's license for the first time at the age of 60, and from then on, for about a quarter of a century until his retirement, he continued to commute by car between his home in Todoroki and Yokohama Port.
One of the couple's favorite pastimes was inviting relatives and acquaintances over to their home to spend some relaxing time together. Masato was quiet and always smiling, while Hatsue was quite competitive, making them a perfect contrasting couple, and there was always cheerful laughter around them. However, in 60, after retiring from his job as a pilot in Tokyo Bay, Masato fell ill and passed away in the early autumn of that year.
Hatsue, who was left behind, recalled that Masato had said during his lifetime that he wanted to use his assets to help financially disadvantaged students, and in order to fulfill his wish, she left a provision in her will to create a scholarship foundation based on his inheritance.
After Hatsue's death in the fall of 1993, with the understanding of her family, the executors of her will proceeded with the establishment of the scholarship foundation. As a result, the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education granted permission for the establishment of the Miwa Masato Scholarship Foundation in December 1995, and the first scholarship program began in fiscal year 1996, awarding scholarships to seven students. On April 1, 2012, the scholarship program was restructured and reorganized as the Miwa Masato Scholarship Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation. However, as the board members who knew Masato and Hatsue Miwa during their lifetimes advanced in age, it became difficult to continue the scholarship program in the same way. Therefore, around the 20th anniversary of its founding, the foundation began considering the future of the foundation and engaged in extensive discussions. As a result, the Miwa Masato Scholarship Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, was dissolved at the end of January 2020, marking the 25th anniversary of its founding. The remaining assets were donated to Masato Miwa's alma mater, the former Tokyo Higher School of Marine Technology, now the Faculty of Marine Technology at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, to continue the scholarship program.
Since its inception, the Ikueikai has provided scholarships to a total of 267 undergraduate and graduate master's students. In November 2015, to mark the 20th anniversary of its founding, a commemorative gathering was held at the Faculty of Marine Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, where former and current scholarship recipients, related relatives, and Ikueikai officials looked back on the foundation of the association and shared the thoughts of Masato and Hatsue Miwa and their wife, promoting interaction and friendship.

Application outline (please refer to the application guidelines for each year for details)

• Number of students: 5 undergraduate students (including international students) and 5 graduate students (including international students enrolled in October)
• Scholarship amount: 3 yen per month (paid every three months), grant-type, no repayment required
• Grant period: The minimum period of regular study
• Application deadline: Usually scheduled for late August (late October for October enrollees)
• Other: Tuition exemption and scholarships from the national government (including the Japan Student Services Organization scholarship), local governments, and private organizationsConcurrent scholarships are possible. However, this may lower your ranking in the selection process for other scholarships.
• Notification method: The start of recruitment will be announced on the Faculty of Marine Engineering website.
  　　　　　Students who have enrolled in the School of Marine Engineering (including transfer students) and students who have enrolled in the Graduate School of Marine Systems Engineering or Marine Logistics will be notified via the contact email system in the academic affairs system.
• Contact: Etchujima Office, Student Support Section e-gaku@o.kaiyodai.ac.jp