The University of Tsukuba is consistently ranked in Japan's top 10 universities, and in the top 200 worldwide (QS Worldwide rankings).  The University has produced three Nobel prize winning scientists.  We have particular strengths in the natural sciences, while our School of Social and International Studies was ranked #1 in Japan in 2010 by Toyokeizai (Eastern Economics) magazine. 

Tsukuba was created to become Japan's science and technology city.  Currently, over 200 private research organizations and approximately 60 public research organizations call Tsukuba home.  Approximately half of Japan's research funding is spent in Tsukuba, and over 15,000 PhD scientists are employed in the city.  The city was recently named as Japan's robotics and nanotechnology hub, with new research facilities planned.

The University of Tsukuba has some of the best sports facilities in Japan.  Our sports science department has numerous internationally recognized staff members.  For example, our gymnastics coach, Prof Sawao Kato, has won 12 Olympic medals, including 8 gold medals, our head judo coach, Prof Hirotaka Okada, is a two-time world champion, and won a bronze medal at the Olympics.  Our Kendo coach, Prof Kunihide Koda, is a former world champion and holds the highest rank awarded in Kendo (8th dan).  We have sent over 60 athletes to the Olympics.

The Tsukuba Express runs from Tsukuba center to Akihabara in central Tokyo. The trains operate on three different schedules - local trains take 56 minutes, while express trains take only 45 minutes.

As Japan's science city, Tsukuba has a large number of research institutes ranging from biotechnology to robotics and nanotechnology.  However, the city is located in Ibaraki prefecture - one of Japan's most traditional areas.  To the north of the city is Tsukuba mountain, home to the third oldest working Shinto shrine in Japan, and to a number of Japanese traditional "onsen" spa baths.  The city has a large number of fesitvals throughout the year.

As one of the top ranked universities in the world, you can be confident of receiving a high quality education at Tsukuba.  However, as a public, research university, we are able to offer first year free to undergraduate students, and domestic fees thereafter.  Domestic fees are low by world standards, with universities in other countries often being several times more expensive than similarly ranked Japanese universities.  While Tsukuba is convenient for Tokyo, it retains much of its rural feel, and housing is far more affordable than the capital.

Since the completion of the Tsukuba express, and the increased convenience of visiting Tokyo which that brings, Tsukuba has seen a huge amount of development.  In 2011 the city hall moved to Kenkyu-gakuen, near the new Iias mall, and a huge number of new shopping and residential areas are being developed.  Tsukuba's population is young by national standards, mainly due to the large concentration of educational and research institutes in the city.

Approximately 7,500 of Tsukuba's 220,000 residents hail from overseas, with around 2000 of these studying or working at the University.  The percentage of foreign residents is one of the highest for any Japanese city, making Tsukuba a friendly, welcoming place for international students.  The city provides a wide range of services in English, including residents services, a weekly legal consulation, lists of medical care facilities which provide multilingual support, and also cultural and educational activies helping Japanese and non-Japanese residents meet.  There are over 1,100 residents subscribed to the "News for Tsukuba residents" Facebook page, while the International Student Association (TISA) is one of the biggest student clubs in the university.

Every incoming international student is guaranteed university accommodation for the first year of their time in Tsukuba.  Our dormitories are excellent value for money - prices start at approximately 14,000 yen per month (~US$200), excluding utilities.  The campus has a wide variety of dining and other facilities available for student, while the area surrounding the university offers many low-cost possibilties for dining and recreation.  After the first year, many students move out of university accommodation into a private apartment.  Local estate agents offer a huge variety of rental accommodations, often with only small deposits, and low monthly rents.

Tsukuba's student support is second to none.  We have a large Istudent support section providing catering, accommodation and a wide variety of other services, and also a vibrant International Student Center located in the heart of the campus, which provides services specific to incoming international students, such as visa and registration support, scholarship information, living information and support, multi-lingual counselling and support as well as providing Japanese language and cultural training to all registered students.  We also have on-campus medical support at the University medical center which provides very low-cost medical care to all students and staff.