Search the Community

As one of the best national comprehensive universities in northern Japan, Yamagata University fosters human resources to solve problems and innovate new technologies for local and global societies. Offering various courses, we are dedicated to creating high-quality environments that meet their learning needs and interests. Yamagata University has produced many distinguished graduates, carrying on the tradition treasured since back in the five predecessor schools. Yamagata University has four campuses spread throughout Yamagata Prefecture. By networking and enhancing collaboration among these campuses, YU offers educational programs and research projects, making full use of each region's characteristics. YU named its general education programs "Arts and Sciences Education" (Kuban Kyoiku in Japanese) in 2010. The purpose of Arts and Sciences Education at YU is to have students expand their views, think critically, make sound judgments in the rapidly changing society, and acquire the fundamental academic skills necessary for advanced study. Faculties at YU teach students the well-selected themes of their specialties, using the various teaching methods. Students can acquire the basic and necessary skills needed to succeed in their future careers through small-sized seminars, information-processing education, and practical language education. As a comprehensive university, YU proudly offers students a wide variety of Arts and Sciences Education curriculums to choose freely. Student evaluation for each class is conducted, and both faculties and students make continuous efforts to improve classes' quality. Yamagata is undoubtedly one of Japan's most incredible places to experience the beauty of four distinct seasons. Throughout the year, there are various fieldworks to join in the rich natural environment of Yamagata. Students enjoy their campus life every season: Seeing cherry blossoms and hiking in the fresh green of the mountains in spring, fishing and marine sports in the Sea of Japan in summer, beautiful foliage and delicious "Imoni-kai" (taro and beef stew party) in autumn, and skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports in winter. Yamagata University posits its mission and will play a crucial role as the regional society's driving force under sound university management. Regional Innovation Future Creation Multicultural Collaboration With a harmonious relationship between nature and humans as its theme, YU aims to grow as an institution with a shining presence by exerting full efforts for education, research, and social responsibility to accomplish its goals: The University aims to become an institution where students are willing to learn and are taken the best care. The University fosters profound humanity based on well-rounded knowledge acquired through sound critical thinking. It produces students who are skilled at identifying and solving problems using fundamental academic skills and high-level expertise. The University promotes progressive research to provide solutions to problems facing human beings. The University aims to become a world-leading institution while being based in a local community. Protection of natural resources and the environment is a significant consideration. The University continues to reform itself to attain the above goals by conducting constant review and assessment in a four-stage cyclical process, including planning, execution, assessment, and improvement. View full university

Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences (YPUHS) was initially founded in 1954 as Yamagata Prefectural Advanced Nursing School. In April 1997, the nursing school was reorganized to a 3-years system college for health professions, including registered nurses, public health nurses, midwives, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. The college was then expanded as a university of 4-years system consisting of the Department of Nursing, the Department of Physical Therapy, and the Department of Occupational Therapy in April 2000. A Graduate School of Health Sciences was also established in 2004. We will provide broad-based education, whole-hearted humanity, a high degree of expertise, and technical skill. We will return the results of our educational and clinical researches to the local region, as well as future foster leaders in the field of nursing, physical and occupational therapists who can participate and contribute to the health and welfare of the people of Yamagata, Japan, and the world. The educational program is designed to educate students with the professional knowledge and skills that will enable them to play a crucial part in the medical and social welfare systems. Based on the philosophy of education, we uphold the following six educational aims. To foster our students' moral understanding based on the dignity of life and society, and teach them to think and act flexibly, with comprehensive humanity. To foster the ability to morally act on the people by teaching professional knowledge and skills. To foster the ability to understand the role of professional health workers and respond with medical care through cooperation and collaboration with other specialists in health, medicine, and welfare. To foster the ability to develop health science through self-development and a willingness to do challenge unknown subjects. To foster the ability to understand our world's diversity, communicate with other cultures, and act with an internationalized field of vision. To foster the ability to understand local culture and develop the local region's standard of health and medical care practices. YPUHS aspires to foster diversification and sophistication to deal with complicated and advanced nursing care and rehabilitation, teaching a high level of knowledge and skill to offer the appropriate support towards safe and reliable care services and nurturing rich creativity real problem-solving qualities. Considerations have also been made to improve learning from others by having students of each field learn together to work together in the future, which is essential in today's interprofessional collaboration. We will be able to cultivate those basics to help students in one field understand the roles, health, and medical care issues in other fields to enhance cooperation in the real world of welfare. YPUHS is also concerned, as one of our educational objectives, to encourage students to perform on the international stage with a proper international perspective. Indeed, YPUHS has achieved academic and educational cooperation with both the University of Colorado (Nursing and Physical Therapy) and the Colorado State University (Occupational Therapy) in Colorado, the U.S.A, for over ten years. A beautiful grass lawn covers the park through which the clear waters of the Takase River flow that the salmon swim up to lay eggs in autumn. The university, built-in European style, lies to one side, while the Yamagata Prefectural Central Hospital, providing the majority of our practical training, borders the other side of this park. View full university