Tokyo Kasei University (TKU) is a women’s university in Tokyo, with a focus on home economics, the humanities, nursing and child development, founded in 1949.
The university traces its roots back to 1881, with the founding of The School for Japanese and Western Seamstress Techniques. As well as sewing, it taught basic academic skills, including reading, writing and mathematics, at a time when many women did not attend school.
The university motto, chosen in 1951, translates to "Affection, Dilligence, and Intelligence" and the school continues to promote the autonomy of women in society.
The main campus is in Itabashi, Tokyo and includes a dormitory, a library and the main administration offices. Another campus, in Sayama, Saitama, mostly houses short-term courses designed for local communities, in-service courses for local teachers, various education programmes and several extra curriculum activities for students from the Itabashi campus.
The Itabashi campus includes the Tokyo Kasei University Museum, which collects cultural artefacts from Japanese history, as well as Guatemalan and Taiwanese costumes and Indonesian shadow puppets.
The International Studies Center organises study abroad programmes and supports international students at TKU. It has relationships with universities around the world, including in the US, Canada, the UK and New Zealand.
The Lifelong Study Center provides ongoing and adult education to members of the local community. There are over 80 courses, in fields such as language learning, healthcare and sports.
The library has over 440,000 books, mostly related to home economics and the humanities, including books in foreign languages, such as English.
