University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo, or Todai, is generally regarded as the most prestigious university in Japan. The main campus is at Hongo in Bunkyo-ku, and the campus for first and second year students is located in Meguro-ku.

The stereotypical Todai student is a short introverted boy wearing glasses who has grown up being pushed into expensive schools by their parents for their entire life, for the sole purpose of entering Todai. In reality there are a few students like that, but there more who seem perfectly normal.

Todai is also probably the richest university in Japan, receiving a huge percentage of the Ministry of Education's budget for universities, probably because most of the elite of the Japanese government are graduates of Todai.

To get to the main campus, take the Namboku line to Todaimae station (near the Faculty of Agriculture), the Marunouchi line to Hongo 3-chome station (Faculty of Economics), or the Chiyoda line to Nezu station (Engineering and Science). The Komaba campus is on the Keio Inokashira line's Komaba Todaimae station.

Often incorrectly called Tokyo University.

東京大学 (東大)
Tokyo Daigaku (Todai)
University of Tokyo

Tokyo Daigaku, fondly refered to as Todai by the vast majority of the Japanese populous, is without a doubt the most celebrated school in the country. If you have the (mis)fortune of being a student, beware of letting any member of society discover the name of your university, as it will without a doubt cause massive gasps, arm-waving, and other embarrassing accolades to your assumed intelligence and superiority as a human being. In other words, it's a quick way to embarrass youself.

There really is a valid reason behind the prestigous reputation: Todai's entrance exams are famous for their impossibility, and many students have to retake the exams a few years in a row before finally passing. I have been witness to one suicide of a denied applicant in front of the 井の頭線駒場東大前駅 (Komaba Todai mae Inokashira Line Station), a place that has become notorious for such events.

Anyway, the university was established in 1874 as the first national university in Japan. It boasts 10 faculties (College of Arts and Sciences, Law, Medicine, Engineering, Letters, Science, Agriculture, Economics, Education, and Pharmaceutical Sciences), 12 graduate schools (Law and Politics, Medicine, Engineering, Humanities and Sociology, Science, Agricultural and Life Sciences, Economics, Arts and Sciences, Education, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences; Todai recently added Frontier Sciences, Interdisciplinary Information Studies, and Information Science and Technology), and 14 reserch institutes (Institute of Medical Science, Earthquake Research Institute, Institute of Oriental Culture, Institute of Social Science, Institute of Socio-Information and Communication Studies, Institute of Industrial Science, Historiographical Institute, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, Institute for Solid State Physics, Ocean Research Institute, plus some other shared facilities). Engineering and Law (both located at the main Hongo campus) are the two most popular areas of concentration, though they can't compete with the College of Arts and Sciences (located at the Komaba campus), which includes International Relations, Language Studies, Economics, and a wide variety of other majors.

There are roughly 28,000 students and 2,800 teaching personell in all, though you will rarely see most of them on campus at the same time. Most of the undergraduates prefer sleeping to attending their lectures, but that can be said of just about any student in any country. The professors don't seem to care if you use your desk as a pillow in most cases.

The main campus is in 本郷 (Hongo), where the famous Red Gates can be seen. 駒場 (Komaba) is where most undergraduate courses are held, which is much less impressive but beautiful in its own way. The newest addition is in 柏 (Kashiwa), home to all sorts of fancy scientific reserach centers and graduate programs.