University of Yamanashi

The University of Yamanashi (UY) was founded in 1949, merging in 2002 with two separate higher education institutions in the Japanese city of Kofu to become the university it is today.

UYs university campus is situated in the city of Kofu itself, around 60 miles from Tokyo, and houses the majority of the university’s academic facilities, such as libraries, scientific research centres, the university hospital and other medical facilities.

The university comprises four faculties for undergraduate study as well as five graduate schools, most of which offer courses in scientific disciplines, including biology and engineering.

UY also operates five separate research institutions. In 2012 it established the faculty of life and environmental sciences – a new agricultural hub integrating the study of life sciences and management with food and environmental concerns.  In 2016, it launched the Graduate School of Education and the Integrated Graduate School of Medicine, Engineering, and Agricultural Sciences.

UY prides itself on offering study programmes that encompass a broad range of subject areas as well as advanced interdisciplinary teaching and research.

Outside of the classroom, the university campus offers a vast array of sports and recreational facilities. Students also have easy access to the city of Kofu, which is home to a number of important Japanese cultural sites, as well as a modern retail landscape and nightlife. Kofu also has extensive rail links to the rest of Japan and the city is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with much of its northern portion situated within the borders of the Kai National Park.

Among the university’s most famous alumni is Satoshi Omura, a biochemist and winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.