Nagoya University

Nagoya University is in the Tokai region, one of Japan's leading areas for industry. It has sent many people to the world of industry and has been responsible for several important innovations, including the invention of the blue light-emitting diode.

Nagoya University has grown to become one of Japan's leading comprehensive research universities, having nine schools and 13 graduate schools. Not content to sit still, in 2020, we joined with Gifu University to establish the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System.

Since becoming corporate entities in 2004, Japan's national universities have faced an era of rapid change. They must now set up mid-term objectives and plans and then assess their progress every six years. The year 2022 is the first year of the fourth of these mid-term assessment periods. In the previous assessment period, national universities were required to choose one of the three Assistance Frameworks. Nagoya University chose Framework 3, which aims to pursue world-class achievements in research, education, and social implementation of research results. Also in 2018, in recognition of its development of education and research activities, Nagoya University was selected as a Designated National University.

My term as president coincides with the start of the fourth period of these mid-term objectives and plans. Nagoya University and the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System will be involved in several important projects, such as the full-scale implementation of "Academic Central" initiatives, which provide a new platform for education; the construction of the Tokai Platform; and further promotion of the Digital University initiatives. Through implementing these plans, we will strive to become one of the world's leading research universities.

Over 80 years have passed since the founding of Nagoya University, and I sometimes worry that the University is losing the vitality of its early days, facing a less open atmosphere because of its proud history. So, I hope that, like Mount Liang, our university will also serve as a venue that brings together ambitious researchers from throughout Japan and abroad, to create innovations that have the potential to change the world.

During my presidency, I will devote myself to Nagoya University and cooperate with faculty members and students. I will also build closer partnerships with the Chancellor of the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, Seiichi Matsuo, and President of Gifu University, Kazuhiro Yoshida, to enhance our mutual development.

Introduction to Nagoya

Nagoya is the fourth largest city in Japan, and is the capital city of Aichi Prefecture. It lies in the southwest part of the Chubu (Central Japan) region and is conveniently placed for access by public transport through being on the main Shinkansen (Bullet Train) railway line that runs east-west along the Pacific Ocean. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima are all within easy reach.

Nagoya city is an ancient foundation which has played a significant role through history, not only as a transport hub but also as the main city of the rich and fertile Nōbi Plain. The magnificent Nagoya Castle was constructed early in the 17th century and the town with its many industries has since developed around it. Over the last century, the port of Nagoya has grown to become the largest in Japan for international commercial shipping and is today connected with over 150 countries worldwide. Because of its excellent transport connections, Nagoya has become increasingly prosperous and is now the home of many significant industrial businesses, such as the Toyota Motor Corporation.

Today, Nagoya has a population of 2.2 million and continues to develop as a vibrant center of commerce, culture and learning. Its port, its business center, its museums and its university make it one of the most lively and stimulating cities in Japan.

University Library

The University Libraries, consisting of the Central Library, Medical Library, and libraries in each school/graduate school, provide services as centers for academic information with the objective of supporting education and research activities.

In recent years, to keep up with globalization and the evolution of information, the University Libraries have started providing a variety of academic information in digital formats, including e-books, databases and electronic journals.

Nagoya University Museum

The Nagoya University Museum was founded in April 2000 and is the fifth largest comprehensive university museum in Japan. The objective of the museum is to store academic samples and documents from Nagoya University, as well as feedback from research results, in order to be a resource for the public and to give something back to the people of Japan and the world.

The primary missions of the museum are as follows:

• Research
• Next-generation education
• Exhibits
• Creation and inheritance of knowledge
• Collection of samples
• International exchange

2008 Nobel Physics An Chemistry Award Display

Dr. Toshihide Maskawa and Dr. Makoto Kobayashi, both graduates of Nagoya University, won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics. Dr. Osamu Shimomura, a former Assistant Professor at Nagoya University, won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This gallery was set up to commemorate these outstanding achievements.

The gallery has official replicas of the Nobel Prize medals and panels describing the Nobel Prize-winning research, to give visitors a close connection to the research content. You will find information about unique aspects of the research and education in Prof. Shoichi Sakata's Elementary Particle Theory Laboratory ("E Ken"), where Dr. Maskawa and Dr. Kobayashi studied, and Yoshimasa Hirata's laboratory, where Dr. Shimomura studied.

Admission to the gallery is free, so everyone is welcome to visit.