Japanese Universities That Teach in English

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world for students to visit, live and study. It is bursting with culture and there are numerous universities that offer quality education in English language. There are a wide range of options at bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate level for international English-speaking students who want to study in Japan but do not know how to speak Japanese. In this article, Insuredhelp will provide a list of the top 10 higher institutions in the Asian country where programs are taught in English language.

1. University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo also known as Todai, is one of Japan’s premier institutions that provide degree programs from bachelor to PhD levels entirely taught in English. This Japanese university is internationally renowned for its outstanding research output. University of Tokyo offers a program called PEAK, which can be completed within two years for further advancement​.

2. Osaka University

Osaka University, established in 1931 has a strong reputation for excellence in academics, particularly in the following fields; chemical engineering, physics, astronomy, natural sciences, and dentistry. The higher institution offers various undergraduate and graduate programs taught entirely in English language and they incude mathematics, engineering, physics, biology, information sciences, macromolecular science, and biological sciences​.

3. Sophia University

This was the first university to offer English-taught programs in Japan and it is recognized as an institution that places high value on academic excellence and outstanding research results in natural sciences, humanities, social sciences. Sophia University which is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, offers courses at all levels which are all taught in English language.

4. Musashino University

Musashino University has a history which dates back to the founding of Musashino Girls’ School by Dr. Junjiro Takakusa in 1924. The higher education institution has 16 Departments domiciled in over 9 Faculties, including literature, science and medicine. Musashino also has Graduate Schools dedicated to continually evolving with the times.

5. Hiroshima University

Founded in 1949, Hiroshima University has 12 schools, 4 graduate schools, a research institute, research facilities and an affiliated hospital. There are approximately 11,000 undergraduate students and 4,500 graduate students at the institution, as well as 1,638 international students from 84 countries.

The Department of Integrated Global Studies offers a 4-year undergraduate program taught in English covering disciplines like humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The curriculum focuses on the three fields of Culture and Tourism, Peace and Communication, and Environment and Society.

6. Tohoku University

The programs which are available at Tohoku University include BSc, MSc and PhD, all of which are entirely taught in English. The institution located in Sendai, Miyagi, The university is known for its high-quality education and was the first university in Japan to accept women and international students. It runs a Future Global Leadership program (FGL) which offers a range of courses such as environmental studies, law, politics, mechanical and aerospace engineering, international relations, biomechanics, social sciences, molecular chemistry, and molecular biology.​​

7. Hokkaido University

Hokkaido University is one of the higher institutions in Japan that teach undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D students entirely in English language. Some of the English-taught programs available at the institution include environmental science, integrated science, life science and veterinary science.

Hokkaido is the first university in Japan to award bachelor’s degrees to students. It is one of the top Japanese national research universities that welcomes students from across the world.

8. Kwansei Gakuin University

Kwansei Gakuin University is one of the most prestigious private universities founded in Kobe by the American missionary Reverend Walter Russell Lambuth, M.D in 1889. It is a comprehensive and integrated educational institution spread across eight campuses. Located in Kansai, KGU offers various courses in English language to around 25,000 students in over 80 different disciplines.

9. International Christian University

International Christian University (ICU) is a highly recognised liberal arts college that accepts students from all over the world. This higher education institution provides outstanding bilingual education in both English and Japanese. International Christian University offers 31 majors as well as superlative Japanese Language Programs.

10. Temple University, Japan Campus

Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) located in central Tokyo is the branch campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, United States of America. TUJ was founded in 1982 and designated as the first Foreign University, Japan Campus by the Japanese Ministry of Education in 2005.

This is Japan’s largest and oldest foreign university, where all its programs across undergraduate and graduate studies are taught in English and adhere to the same high standards as the main Temple University campus in USA.