The purpose of this systematic review was to explore the current state of research in motivation for rehabilitation. A total of 1,930 articles were identified through a search of databases including PubMed, CENTRAL, and ICHUSHI web;13 articles were retrieved with the inclusion/exclusion criteria and included for the review. Regarding the evaluation scale for motivation, the non-specific scales for motivation and the observational evaluation by medical staff were used. These studies reported that the interaction between motivation and rehabilitation, such as the effects of motivation on function and activities, and the factors influencing motivation for rehabilitation. This review, however, reveals a lack of both quality and quantity of research regarding motivation for rehabilitation. Further studies are required to develop a specific evaluation scale of motivation for rehabilitation, and to establish the concept of motivation for rehabilitation.