Fukui University of Technology

Fukui University of Technology (FUT) is a private university with about 2,400 students in the city of Fukui, Japan.

It began life as an electrical engineering school in 1955 before gaining university status exactly a decade later. Half of the university’s students are enrolled in an engineering course.

Since 2015, FUT has operated two additional faculties: environmental and information sciences, and sports and health sciences. Graduate courses are available in applied science and engineering, and social system engineering.

The university has two campuses. Its main base is in central Fukui, where a 16-storey building, known as the FUT tower, is the most striking feature. Lectures take place on many of the floors of the FUT tower and it is also where student support services can be found. A conference room on the 15th floor offers views across the city.

The second campus is in the small coastal city of Awara, about 20 minutes north of Fukui by train. The facilities at FUT’s Awara base include a gymnasium for the sports and health sciences faculty and a very large parabolic antenna – the university claims it is the largest in the region. Students visiting Awara can also enjoy the hot springs for which the city is famous.

Fukui is a city with a population of 260,000, near to the Sea of Japan and surrounded by mountainous terrain. It has several important historical sites, including the Ichijōdani Asakura family ruins. It is about two hours from Kyoto and just over four hours from Tokyo by train.