Tokyo University of the Arts

Welcome to the Tokyo University of the Arts—the most prestigious art school in the country, as well as being the oldest. As we walk in the heart of this vast campus, let me tell you about this school’s history. The university was officially founded in 1949, yet it actually originates from a union between two earlier institutions: the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, dating back to 1885, and the Tokyo Music School, founded in 1879. Some of Japan’s most renowned artists, composers, musicians, painters, and architects have studied inside these premises. Today, the university offers exchange programs with leading institutions such as the University of London, the University of Sydney, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Korea National University of Arts, and the China Academy of Art. These other universities are home to creative minds, shaping the great artists of tomorrow. If you continue a little further down the street to your left, you’ll find the University Art Museum, showcasing research projects and artworks from the school’s archives.