Founded in 1880, Kyoto City University consists of two main faculties: Art and Music. Courses of study are offered at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Notable Japanese artists such as Seiho Takeuchi, Shouen Uemura, and Kunitaro Suda studied and taught there. The university may be of particular interest to foreigners with its Research Centre for Traditional Japanese Music, a subject not widely taught in the West. The school prides itself on an international student body and has established exchange programs with the U.K. and China. The campus sits at the foot of a mountain range in Southwest Kyoto in a bucolic setting, which provides an excellent environment for creative expression.
Based in Yamagata, the school includes programs in Japanese painting, sculpture, and graphic design. Besides training artists, the school's Department of Historic Heritage dedicates itself to the conservation of Japanese art. At the graduate level, students may also study the art and culture of the Tohuku region of Japan. Foreign students must take an entrance exam for admission at the undergraduate level. Since all courses are taught in Japanese, students need to be relatively fluent in the language to enroll in any programs at the school.
Founded in 1935, Tama Art University consists of two campuses in Tokyo. The school has course offerings in traditional and modern Japanese art as well as studios for photography and film. It has an international exchange program with the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena with joint exhibitions and workshops for students and faculties from both schools. The school also boasts a large museum with an extensive collection of works from all periods of Japanese art. For students who want to branch out from creation to curation of Asian art, the museum is an excellent resource.
Tokyo University consists of several campuses in the Tokyo metropolitan area, including Senju, Toride City, and Kanagawa prefecture. The school offers numerous programs in music, fine arts, and film & new media at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. While the institution does not differ greatly from many American art schools in its departmental structure, the school considers one of its principle goals to be "handing down the traditions of Japanese art accumulated up to the present day." At the same time, the school strongly maintains an international profile, operating exchange programs with 27 universities in 14 countries for students and faculty.