Based on the founding principle of “leveraging and developing Akita’s traditions and culture”, the University has been developing local brands and promoting local industries in Akita Prefecture through practical projects. From the fiscal year 2019, we have conducted “ORAe Project”, aiming to build a new collaboration system between the University and industry that goes beyond individual projects. This Project is a collective of woodworking businesses scattered throughout Akita Prefecture. It aims to be a platform that contributes to the development of the woodworking industry and to the nurturing of its future leaders. This Project will connect veteran and young businesses that have had little interaction with each other, and promote […]

Akita University of Art started the 2020 school year with the genuine question of how to proceed with education and research during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: how to look at the pandemic beyond the purely negative light of the current moment, and view it from a more neutral perspective, as a phenomenon which has been repeating throughout history. How have humans behaved in the face of biological and environmental change? And what are the implications of Akita University of Art’s efforts? This may sound a bit dramatic, but what kind of ingenuity can be achieved by looking at the social situation we are facing now as a point on […]

Akita University of Art was established as an arts and crafts school by Akita City in 1952, and has since grown from a vocational school to a junior college, before becoming a four-year university in 2013. This year marks the eighth anniversary of the opening of the University, which has a long history of about 70 years, and has innovated its educational system in accordance with each era. With the advent of the information society, society’s structure continues to change at an accelerated pace, through activities that transcend various fields and domains. In order to break free from the stereotypes and ties of the past and adapt to the openness […]

At Akita University of Art, students take on the creation of new artistic fields unbound by preexisting concepts, in response to the needs of the modern world. We pursue the potential and commonality of art by taking advantage of the cultural resources of Akita, a land blessed by nature and rich traditions, to foster talented individuals who use their artistic sensibilities and creativity to make a difference in Japanese and global society. The entrance examination is comprehensive, not specialized according to desired major. Upon admission, students examine basic concepts of quality, perspective, ideas, research, thought processes and communication, creating a foundation for more specialized study under instructors who work on […]