Tokyo Metropolitan University

Tokyo Metropolitan University
Established	2005
Type	Public
Academic staff	695 full-time
Students	8,538
Undergraduates	6,583
Postgraduates	1,955
Doctoral students	454
Location	Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
Campus	Urban
Website	www.tmu.ac.jp

Tokyo Metropolitan University  is one of the largest public universities in Japan. Often it is referred to as TMU.

History

TMU was established in 2005 by integrating three metropolitan universities and one junior college: Tokyo Metropolitan University , Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology , Tokyo Metropolitan University of Health Sciences and Tokyo Metropolitan college .

Although Tokyo Metropolitan University was formed from Tokyo Metropolitan High School and Tokyo Metropolitan College of Industry, among others, in 1949, TMU) doesn't have a very long history, but it does have a reputation for high level academic studies. Until 1991 it had two campuses near the city center, Yakumo campus, Meguro and Fukazawa campus, Setagaya. On April 1 1991, it moved to Hachiōji city, Tokyo. The current campus is named Minamiosawa campus.

The English name for the university has not been changed since 1949.

Faculties (Undergraduate Schools)

• Urban Liberal Arts
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Law and Politics
  • Business Administration
  • Science and Engineering
• Urban Environmental Sciences
• System Design
• Health Sciences

Graduate Schools

• Humanities
• Social Sciences
• Science and Engineering
• Urban Environmental Sciences
• System Design
• Human Health Sciences

Faculty and Staff

Faculty		Profs.	Assoc. Profs.	Assist. Profs.	Res. Assoc.	Total
Urban Liberal Arts	Humanities and Social Sciences	51	24	16	0	91
	Law and Politics	22	14	6	0	42
	Business Administration	23	9	6	0	38
	Science and Engineering	59	58	53	2	172
	Urban Policy	3	3	2	0	8
	Subtotal	158	108	83	2	351
Urban Environmental Sciences		47	28	38	0	113
System Design		39	25	26	0	90
Health Sciences		30	33	20	1	84
University Education Center		7	13	1	0	21
Open University (Institute for Extended Study)		18	17	5	0	40
Center for Priority Areas		3	4	0	0	7
Students Support Center		1	1	0	0	2
Total		303	229	173	3	708

Secretariat		Officer	Staff	Total
Department of Corporate		8	150	158
Tokyo Metropritan University	Administrative Affairs Division	0	184	184
	Administrative Affairs Division of Hino	0	38	38
	Administrative Affairs Division of Arakawa	0	39	39
	Subtotal	0	261	261
Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology		0	23	23
Tokyo Metropolitan College of Industrial Technology		0	66	66
Total		8	500	508

Faculty & Graduate School

• Faculty of Urban Liberal Arts
  • School of Humanities and Social Sciences
    • Division of Social Studies
    • Division of Psychology and Pedagogy
    • Division of Humanities and Intercultural Studies
  • School of Law and Politics
    • Division of Law
    • Division of Politics
  • School of Business Administration
    • Division of Business Administration
    • Division of Economics
  • School of Science and Engineering
    • Division of Mathematical Sciences
    • Division of Physics
    • Division of Chemistry
    • Division of Biological Sciences
    • Division of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
    • Division of Mechanical Engineering
  • Division of Urban Policy

Garduate School 

• Graduate School of Humanities

1. Department of Behavioral Social Sciences
2. Department of Human Sciences
3. Department of Philosophy, History and Cultural Studies
4. Department of Intercultural Studies

• Graduate School of Social Sciences
  • Department of Law and Politics
  • Law School
  • Department of Business Administration
• Graduate School of Science and Engineering
  • Department of Mathematics and Information Sciences
  • Department of Physics
  • Department of Chemistry
  • Department of Biological Sciences
  • Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences
  • Department of Geography
  • Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Department of Architecture and Building Engineering
  • Department of Urban Science
  • Department of Applied Chemistry
  • Department of Tourism Science
• Graduate School of System Design
  • Department of Human Mechatronics Systems
  • Department of Information and Communications Systems
  • Department of Aerospace Engineering
  • Department of Management Systems Engineering
  • Department of Industrial Art
• Graduate School of Human Health Sciences
  • Department of Nursing Sciences
  • Department of Physical Therapy
  • Department of Occupational Therapy
  • Department of Radiological Sciences
  • Department of Frontier Health Sciences
  • Department of Health Promotion Sciences

 Research

• Center for Priority Areas

The University encourages focused and strategic research by identifying areas of study that can be developed as strengths from a long-term perspective. The core of this commitment is the Center for Priority Areas.

Directed by the University's president, who is also the director of the Center, the Center for Priority Areas utilizes the focused and strategic research the University targets, with funds from external bodies, to undertake research on cutting-edge areas involving important issues in cooperation with University and external researchers. The Center consists of researchers who are leaders in their fields.

From a long-term viewpoint, the Center chooses the areas of study in which it develops its strength

The principal screens proposals from within the University and chooses areas of study for the Center by envisioning a direction for the University, with consideration to academic trends, issues in society, as well as the multiplier effects of cooperation and combination with existing areas of study.

Researchers of the Center for Priority Areas are employed on a five-year basis for the area of study to which they are assigned (project-type assignment), and must be individuals suited to conducting research in a focused and intensive manner.

Researchers of the Center for Priority Areas who are 45 years old or younger may receive a grant of up to 10 million yen in total for the first two years of their study. This is a commitment to helping initiate the career of talented young researchers.

 Priority Areas Chosen (six areas)

Priority Areas and Category
Mesoscopic	Structural biology (protein)
	Spectroscopy in the area of unexplored frequency
Brain science	Brain science with the use of drosophila
Architectonic	Architectonics
Advanced measurement and analysis for urban life environment
Business administration	Real option
Optical energy and substance transformation

• Status of Receipt of Research Funds
• Leading ProjectExternal Link
• Industry-Academic-Public Cooperation Cente

Tokyo Metropolitan University has established the Industry-Academic-Public Cooperation Center to contribute to society through industrial-academic-public cooperation and create new industries and employment. The Center makes the University's research work available in many spheres of society and cooperates with business and public research organizations in developing creative technologies and products.

At the University, the Industry-Academic-Public Cooperation Center takes the initiative in commitments to make the University's research work available in many spheres of society.

Facilitation of collaborative and commissioned research

The center creates a database of research conducted by the University's faculty members (seeds) and identifies demand from companies (needs) with the aim of matching them. It also has a network with testing organizations, other universities, and the corporate sector.

Technical advice

The Center utilizes the University's resources and its unique network in offering advice on technical issues encountered by many companies. It also recommends faculty members and related organizations (e.g. Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute) when necessary.

Facilitation of exchange among industries, academic circles and public organizations

With technical innovation evolving rapidly, the Center conveys extensive information through seminars, symposiums, exhibitions, and events for the purpose of ensuring that the companies keep pace with the changing times and evolving society.

 

Exchange of information with related organizations

While deepening cooperation with testing organizations, other universities and other related organizations, the Center engages in a lot of information exchange by, for example, proactively gathering information on companies' needs. It also makes new proposals to companies.

Public relations

The Center is active in public relations such as participating in events, with the aim of making the University's research activities widely known. Through its wide range of activities, it creates opportunities to meet many local municipalities and companies.

Management and utilization of intellectual properties

The Center ensures that intellectual property of the University are effectively and properly managed so that its research can benefit many spheres of society. It also makes proactive efforts to create intellectual property, acquire rights, and utilize them while striving to create new industries.

Education

• University Calendar

April 2-7	Guidance Orientation for New Students
April 5	Matriculation Ceremony
April 11	First Semester Classes Begin
July 1-3	Annual Athletic Tournaments between Tokyo Metropolitan University and Osaka Prefecture University
July 26 – August 9	First Semester Examination Period (except August 2)
August 10 – September 30	Summer Vacation

         

October 3	Second Semester Classes Begin
November 3-5	University Festival
December 29 – January 5	Winter Vacation
January 21, 22	University Testing Center Examination
January 24 – February 10	Final Examination Period (except January 31)
February 11-	Spring Vacation
February 25, 26	Entrance Examination (1)
March 12	Entrance Examination (2)
March (late in March)	Graduation Ceremony

        

• Liberal Arts Programs

1. Basic Seminar
2. Practical English Education
3. Information Education
4. Urban Liberal Arts Program

• Specialized Programs
  Visit the websites of faculties, departments, schools, and courses for more detailed information about specialized programs.
• Minor course (Human Health Sciences)

Take combined, interdisciplinary programs in specialized education, in addition to your major.

A minor course in Human Health Sciences is offered by the Faculty of Health Sciences. Teachers of Health Promotion Science of the Department of Human Health Sciences are assigned to the course.

The minor course is designed for students to learn, in an interdisciplinary and practical manner, problems of human behavior, adaptation, nutrition and health in big cities, and the aging society, acquire comprehensive views and specialized insight and knowledge, and become a person who is energetic and mentally and physically balanced.

A certificate of completion of a minor course is given to graduating students.

Combined learning to acquire new perspectives

Become an expert in food and nutrition!

Food functions and health science, health management and nutrition, nutritional science, public health, life-stage health science, biological defense, health science, among other areas

Focus on sports!

Sports pedagogy, sports and nutritional care, sports functional anatomy, theory of exercise prescription, cognitive ethology, theory of exercise culture, among other areas.

Lean applied physiology and biochemistry!

Environmental physiology and biochemistry, behavioral neuroscience, food functions and health science, biological defense and health science, nutritional science, theory of exercise prescription, among other area

Discover the wonders of the human mind!

Theory of perceptual motion control, exercise psychology, theory of exercise culture, behavioral neuroscience, cognitive ethology, physical growth, and development science, among other areas

• Internship Program

Internships involve students working at a company or other organization for work experience for a certain period.

Tokyo Metropolitan University offers two different kinds of internships. Our on-the-job type internship is an experiment- and experience-oriented course in our Urban Liberal Arts Program and is given in early part of the student's years at university. Our other kind of internship involves specialized training given to senior year students for pre-employment experience.

The on-the-job type internship takes place first and aims to develop students' awareness about problems through real work experience in the major city of Tokyo, so that they can hone their ability to proactively tackle problems.

Our second internship for 3rd year and older students involves specialized education and relates to students' future careers.

* Mainly designed for 1st and 2nd year students

On-the-job experience in the major city of Tokyo where many challenges can be found

Through lectures and practical training, students acquire the basic knowledge and skills they will need for their careers 

* Mainly for 3rd year and 1st year students (see detailed information of courses and departments)

• Taking courses at other universities etc.

Tokyo Metropolitan University has a system of permitting its students to earn credits by attending classes at other universities while learning systematically in the courses offered by TMU as a base.

Social experience, associated with its educational benefits, also offer the possibility to earn credits.

This system is designed to enable students to access educational resources both inside and outside the University based on their interest and objectives, and cultivate extensive knowledge and skills.

The Jikei University (General Theory of Healthcare I, Social Medicine and other courses of its School of Medicine)

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Turkish, Khmer, and other courses at its Faculty of Foreign Studies)

• Committee related to Education

Led by the Faculty Development Committee, Tokyo Metropolitan University undertakes many activities to facilitate a University-wide commitment to improving its educational activities, including its teaching methods.

About Faculty Development

Faculty development refers to an organizational commitment to helping teachers improve what they teach in class and how.

Tokyo Metropolitan University has set up the Intellectual Career Support Committee as a standing committee, and pursues a broad commitment to facilitating cooperation among different faculties and schools and to helping the students of Tokyo Metropolitan University build their intellectual careers in a way suited to their needs.

Definition of intellectual career support

Comprehensive support for encouraging all students to develop their careers and achieve independence, through educational courses focused on the acquisition and exploration of greater intelligence.

Intellectual career support is regarded as:

A new complementary mechanism for support across the University, respecting independence and previous commitments made by faculties, schools, and courses. This is not a system to replace conventional commitments in each course.

Defining a “career”

A career is defined as the collective unit and process of changes in social role, profession, and position of a human being throughout his/her career as well as related values. Generally, it refers to the direction a person takes, their profession, and their way of life.

Career education is meant to demonstrate the philosophy and direction, for extensively reviewing and reforming conventional practices of education, from the perspective of encouraging each student to develop their career and become independent.

• Open University

Tokyo Metropolitan University operates an Open University as a center of life-long learning to satisfy the demands of working people and general citizens in Tokyo, and operating with the aim of revitalizing local communities. It is also designed to ensure that the results of the University's research are extensively returned t society. Since its open in 2005, the Open University has been attended by many citizens of many different ages and has earned an excellent reputation. It cooperates with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and its related organizations in offering attractive courses that are not available at any other universities. Besides the University's faculties, which operate at the forefront of their respective fields, many public figures and prominent experts are invited to teach unique courses.

General courses

Lecturers of Tokyo Metropolitan University teach more than 300 courses on ten subjects, easily explaining the latest themes.

Subjects: Heart, body/health, sports, economy and business, society, science/technology, language, history, art, literature/classics

Partnership courses

Based on partnerships with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, art and cultural facilities and research organizations of Tokyo offer attractive courses on history, art, music, environment, medicine, urban areas, transportation, and other subjects in a multidisciplinary manner.

Course titles: "Tokyo City Guide Examination Preparation Course," "Edo: relics and present," "Attractiveness of Kampo medicine" etc.

Current events seminars

Collaboratively held with Tokyo Metropolitan Labor Consultation Center, the seminars discuss current events on labor and employment. Experts in many different fields are invited and explain related laws and systems, background to problems, and what needs to be done in the future.

Themes of lectures: "Observance of laws in employment," "Learn work, sharing from the basis," "Young people's view of the modern employment environment" etc.

 Campus Life

The Student Support Center supports campus life. The Student Support Center consists of the Student Affairs Section, the Career Development Section and The Health Center (Student Advisory Center and Health Center Office).The Student Affairs Section conducts services ranging from club activities and other extracurricular activities to information on available scholarships. Outstanding students can apply for full/half exemption of tuition at each term.There are also Counselors for Academic and Personal Development who provide counseling services from the perspective of career development. The counseling covers interpersonal relations, academic problems, career planning and other issues relating to campus life.
The Career Development Support Section provides support for employment, through detailed employment consultation services and various other types of guidance. Information about the latest job offers is also available at the Employment Support Section.

During their period of study, it is only natural that students may sometimes feel uneasy or encounter certaindifficulties. The Student Counseling Section has counselors on hand to provide guidance at such times.
Consultations are held in strict confidence, enabling students to seek advice without stress, fear, or hesitation.

A healthy body and a healthy mind are extremely important in pursuing one's studies. The Health Center Office provides support so that students can enjoy a meaningful campus life in good mental and physical health. Services include examinations by the university doctor, regular health checks based on the School Health Law, and first-aid treatment and health counseling. Please feel free to drop into the Health Center at any time.

Tokyo Metropolitan University has student dormitories (Kishukushaand Ryo) at the Minami-Osawacampus designed for the character-building of students. The members of the Ryo plan seminars and other activities for the boarding students to participate in.
Common facilities in each room: heater, telephone, bed, desk, desk lamp
Kishukusha: 150 single rooms (targeted at students living far from home)
Application: February for freshmen, January for enrolled students
Ohtoryo: 84 single rooms
Application: February for freshmen
In general, approved students can live in a student dormitory for a maximum of two years.
Since the number of rooms available is limited, there is a possibility that Tokyo Metropolitan University will not be able to accept all international students who apply.



                 

The gymnasium on the Minami-osawacampus is a beautiful arch-like, two-storied building equipped with an arena (3 basketball courts), a heated indoor pool (25m, 6courses), a Judo hall, a Kendo (Japanese fencing) hall, a training room, a running track, and men's and women's changing rooms with coin lockers and showers. In addition, there are outdoor facilities including 6 tennis courts (omni), a baseball field, an athletics track and field, a ball game ground, a Kyudo (archery) hall, golf practice ranges, and a running course. There is also a clubhouse for use by student sports clubs attached to the gymnasium. The Hino campus and Arakawa campus also have a gymnasium, a ground, tennis courts, and more.

        

There is a dining hall at each of the Minami-Osawa, Hino and Arakawa campuses. Students can choose from various dishes made with seasonal ingredients at very reasonable prices.

There is a campus store called the Co-op at each of the Minami-Osawa, Hino and Arakawa campuses. Students are able to purchase food and books, and can even make travel arrangements. Co-op members are also eligible for special discounts. At the Minami-Osawacampus, there is also a convenience store where students can purchase snacks.

     

Information in the form of magazines, books, and other forms of literature is essential to the education and research activities at the University. In recent years, demand for access to online databases, electronic journals, and other electronic media has been growing.

In line with these changes in the role of university libraries, the Library and Information Center has been established with the aim of gathering, storing, and providing printed materials that have been available from the past, as well as ensuring access to a variety of electronic media, improving information retrieval services, and disseminating information on research results.

Tokyo Metropolitan University has library facilities in the faculties and departments at its Minami-Osawa, Hino, Arakawa, and Harumi campuses.

The Central Library has three stories above ground and two below, located at the center of Minami-Osawa Campus. It has regular reading desks, carrels available on an individual basis, reading rooms available for group discussion, and computer rooms.
The stock of books in the Central Library ranges widely, from humanities to natural science, and includes some valuable works such as an old document about the famous Mizuno Family.
* If books of faculty libraries etc. are added, the number of books kept in the Minami-Osawa Campus overall stands at nearly 1.85 million.

System Design Library belongs to the Faculty of System Design and gathers and provides materials necessary for the learning and research in Human Mechatronics Systems, Information and Communications Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Management Systems Engineering and Industrial Art courses.

Health Science Library belongs to the Faculty of Health Sciences. Besides keeping materials necessary for the training of highly specialized professionals such as nurses (public health nurses and midwives), physical therapists, occupational therapists, and clinical radiologists, Health Science Library introduces internal and external medical databases in an effort to keep its literature information updated.

Radioisotope Research Center (Minami-Osawa)

This facility is used for research using radioactive isotopes (RI) and radiation at the Minami-Osawa campus. Radiation protection employs various types of monitoring systems and radioactivity control systems so that users can handle material that is safe and is for the intended purpose. At present, approximately 400 teaching staff and students are registered as radiation workers.

Manufacturing Facilities (Minami-Osawa)

This facility supports state-of-the-art research, by developing prototypes for new research equipment and by processing data. Through the hands-on training in various types of machine tools, students are also able to improve their basic skills in manufacturing.

Science and Technology Experimental Facilities (Minami-Osawa)

This facility is for conducting research in the latest fields of study. It is equipped with a variety of equipment to support advanced experiments. It conducts experiments related to precise analysis and electron microscopes, high density energy primarily involving lasers, and in engineering works and landforms.

Wastewater Treatment Plant (Minami-Osawa)

This facility is engaged in environmental preservation, including the treatment of wastewater, such as processing experimental wastewater and reusing it as gray water.

Physical Education Research Center (Minami-Osawa)

This center is engaged in health promotion science that consists of human adaptation, motor behavior, and nutrition/food sciences. The center provides graduate programs for master's (health science) and doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees and an undergraduate program (physical education).

Wind Tunnel Facilities (Hino)

The Center is equipped with various types of wind tunnels, from a large circuit wind tunnel in which various types of aerodynamic tests are possible, to a supersonic wind tunnel which can create flows faster than the speed of sound.

High Energy Experimental Facilities (Arakawa)

This Laboratory conducts research and education on such topics as radiotherapy technology using the latest linear accelerator which was installed in May 2006.

　　   　

The Makino Herbarium was founded in 1958, based on the approximately 400,000 plant specimens kept in the private house of the late Dr. Tomitaro Makino (1862-1957), the so-called father of Japanese botany. Dr. Makino utilized his specimens as the basic materials for botanical research. He described as many as 2,500 new plant species in Japan, and thus his collection contains many "type specimens", which formed the basis of his original description of these new species of Japanese wild plants. Such valuable specimens were donated to Tokyo Metropolitan University by his bereaved family, and became the basis for the Makino Herbarium. Now, the Makino Herbarium also houses many specimens obtained from foreign herbaria through the exchange of duplicate specimens from the collection of Dr. Makino, as well as those collected by the staffs of the herbarium from the Bonin Islands, the Himalaya region, China, South America and other areas. At present, the Makino Herbarium possesses about 500,000 plant specimens. It is managed by the staff of the laboratory of Systematic Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering. Staff at the Makino Herbarium investigate modern plant taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography using modern facilities such as the electron microscope and DNA sequencer in addition to the classical taxonomical methods.

The Ogasawara Field Research Station was established in 1971, three years after jurisdiction of the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands reverted from the US Navy to Japan. Since then numerous researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have conducted studies on the unique nature and culture of these oceanic islands. These studies are conducted systematically by the Ogasawara Research Committee. The station was rebuilt in 1992 and has served effectively as a base for research and education. Research activities based at the station are introduced in the periodical publications of Ogasawara Research (with articles either in English or in Japanese with English summaries) and The Annual Report of Ogasawara Studyies (in Japanese). Such studies contribute to the formation of policies regarding nature conservation and management by the Ministry of the Environment, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Ogasawara Village, particularly in regard to the registration of Ogasawara as a World Nature Heritage.

             

Tokyo Metropolitan University's campuses boast Gigabit Ethernet backbone networks, and they are also connected via an intercampus network. Various services (email, WWW, etc.) are provided through this network environment.

The Computer Center has an IBM System p5 590 (32CPUs) and a research system comprised of 16 IBM BladeCenterHS21s, and they are used for high performance computing in various research fields. The Computer Center also houses various administrative systems, including those for academic affairs, personnel and accounting.

Each of the campuses has computer classrooms and UNIX classrooms, where basic education and professional education classes are taught. Students can also use these classrooms for their own private study when classes are not in progress, thereby increasing their own computer literacy.

         

 Photo of University