Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University

The successor institution to the first private veterinary school in Japan, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University (NVLU) now has approximately 1,700 students enrolled

Nippon Veterinary and Life Sciences University (NVLU) is the successor institution to the first private veterinary school in Japan, which originally opened in 1881. Located in the city of Musahino, near to Tokyo, NVLU currently has 1,700 students enrolled. The institution became chartered as a private university in 1949, before merging with Nippon Medical School a few years later. The merger still stands, but both schools retain separate identities.

There are two schools at NVLU, veterinary medicine, and veterinary nursing and technology, as well as an applied life sciences faculty. Graduate courses are offered in all three of these disciplines.

NVLU has had several teaching hospitals during its history, but the latest was built in 2003. Around 10,000 dogs and cats pass through its doors for treatment each year. The teaching hospital employs 50 veterinarians and any students wishing to join the profession will certainly use the facilities as part of their degree course.

The university also operates a six-hectare research farm, near to Japan’s tallest peak, Mount Fuji. Animals in residence there include cattle, sheep, horses and goats. The farm has bed space, meaning any students wanting to conduct research there can stay overnight.

NVLU recently opened a new Wildlife Museum showcasing its research and educating the public about how animals interact with humans. Students at NVLU can undertake courses at the facility in curating and practical museum skills.

Musahino is a city in the west of the Tokyo metropolitan area, with a population of just under 150,000. The university is about 40 minutes away from central Tokyo by metro. The city was once the home to Japan’s most famous animation studio, Studio Ghibli. Attractions in the city include trendy shopping district Kichijoji and the lush Inokishara Park, in which a museum dedicated to Studio Ghibli is based.