Aichi Prefectural University was founded in 1966 but its roots can be traced back to 1947 when Aichi Prefectural Women’s Special College was established. The college was built in response to the end of the Second World War when citizens of the Aichi Prefecture region wanted to restore some sort of order and normality. In 1957 Aichi Prefectural Women’s College was founded, offering a four-year course to students. In 1966 the college was granted university status and became a co-educational institution.
The university is located in Aichi, one of Japan’s prefectures in central Honshu Island. The university boasts two campuses in the Aichi region. The Nagakute Campus houses the majority of the university’s schools and is located in the town of Kiso, in a hilly area overlooking Mount Ontake. The Moriyama Campus is home to the School of Nursing and is situated on Mount Tougoku, in the northeastern part of Nagoya City (the capital of Aichi Prefecture). Nearby the campus there is a fruit park, which is known for its cherry blossom trees.
When the university first opened it was organised into three schools (the School of Foreign Studies, the School of Foreign Studies II, and the School of Literature), and nine departments. It has expanded academically since then and now offers courses across five undergraduate schools and four graduate schools. Within each school are a number of departments for students to specialise in.
There are two types of programmes available at the university for international students. These include the International Exchange Student Programme, which can be either six months or a year, and the Summer Programme, which is typically four to eight weeks. These study abroad programmes provide students with the opportunity to improve their Japanese language skills and experience a different culture.
