Tokyo University of the Arts was founded in May 1949 under the National School Establishment Law (Act No. 150 of 1949) through a merger of Tokyo Fine Arts School (currently the Faculty of Fine Arts) and Tokyo Music School (currently the Faculty of Music). At the time of its establishment, the university comprised ten departments in two faculties, the Faculty of Fine Arts (Departments of Painting, Sculpture, Crafts, Architecture, and Aesthetics and Art History), the Faculty of Music (Departments of Composition, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Conducting, and Musicology), as well as the University Library.
The faculties have expanded and been reorganized through the years, resulting in the current organization comprising 14 departments in two faculties; the Faculty of Fine Arts (Departments of Painting, Sculpture, Crafts, Design, Architecture, Inter-Media Art, and Aesthetics and Art History), Faculty of Music (Departments of Composition, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Conducting, Traditional Japanese Music, Musicology, and Musical Creativity and the Environment), as well as facilities such as the University Library, the University Art Museum, and the Performing Arts Center.
The Graduate School comprises four schools; the Graduate School of Fine Arts, the Graduate School of Music, the Graduate School of Film and New Media, and the Graduate School of Global Arts. The university also contains the Music High School and an education and research facility attached to the Faculty of Music.
As Japan gears up for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a great opportunity is coming our way, as our nation’s art and culture will gain attention around the world. Tokyo University of the Arts also regards the year 2020 as a historical turning point and intends to organize various activities around it. However, the Olympic year is not the goal but a stepping stone for the university. Tokyo University of the Arts will strive to expand and develop the possibility of Japanese art and culture in a more creative and sustainable manner, hoping that they will further flourish on the international stage.
Tokyo University of the Arts is an internationally unique arts university including faculties of fine arts and music, a graduate school of film and new media; and since 2016, a new graduate school of global arts. The university, alongside the faculty staff and administrators will continue efforts to nurture the next generation of outstanding artists, to promote the power of Japanese art and culture and to contribute towards the global development of art through a close collaboration with relevant organizations including the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, thereby allowing the university to maximize its capabilities and values.