Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences

Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences was founded in 1880 as the Tokyo Pharmaceutists School, Japan's first private educational institution to train pharmacists. In over 130 years, the school has produced countless graduates who have helped advance pharmaceutical science, the pharmaceutical industry, and education in Japan. The School of Life Sciences was established in 1994, the first school of its kind in Japan, greatly expanding education and research in this field. A system was established for pursuing molecular and cellular level research in biotechnology and the life sciences that fully embodies the university's original pioneering spirit and philosophy of humanistic education. We aim to educate individuals to become rich in spirit, able to see the world with a broad-minded perspective, and contribute to the welfare of humanity and world peace through the fields of pharmacy and the life sciences.

The university's Latin motto is Flore Pharmacia! Flore Scientia Vitae! ("May Pharmacy and the Life Sciences Flourish!") Our basic educational philosophy is to enable students to develop the ability to think for themselves by carrying out a wide field of experiments and research. At the same time, we put great effort into training with an emphasis on well-grounded ethics to complement highly specialized knowledge and skills.

The educational philosophy of the School of Pharmacy is to provide knowledge and teach the skills needed to be a pharmacist working in the medical profession. We aim to foster broad-minded, compassionate individuals who are able to contribute to the welfare of humanity. Naturally, a pharmacist needs the correct pharmaceutical knowledge and appropriate skills. But to fulfill his or her responsibility as a medical professional the pharmacist must protect the health and life of the patient based on this foundation by providing the patient with respectful medical care. The School of Pharmacy offers practical training through a six-year curriculum that integrates courses in both Basic Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacy. In addition, the graduate school Master's Program and equivalent level graduation thesis research help students to develop problem-solving skills and expertise as medical professionals.

Established as Japan's first educational institution dedicated to training and research in the life sciences, the school has consistently been a pioneer in these areas. We take an interdisciplinary approach to unlocking the knowledge held in the fundamental mysteries of life. Studies in major scientific fields are pursued insofar as they relate to living organisms. The educational philosophy of the School of Life Sciences is to foster talent in individuals who develop a broad base of specialized knowledge and learn how to apply that knowledge with exceptional problem-solving skills. Students learn to utilize a wide range of knowledge related to living organisms in order to find solutions to various issues. Studies draw upon diverse subjects in biology, chemistry, and physics, and extend to applications in the fields of molecular biology, medical science, and the environment.

The university's campus is approximately 27 hectares (67 acres) in size. Surrounded by abundant greenery, the campus includes educational and research facilities, community facilities for students, sports facilities, and more—everything a student could need.

There are over 70 classrooms and lecture halls of varying sizes, for small classes to full school assemblies. Each is equipped with a projector and other equipment to enable their use for seminars, public talks, and symposia, in addition to regular classes. There are also lecture halls specifically for computer literacy education and laboratories for chemistry, biology, analysis, and pharmaceutical studies.

The university began offering a major in Clinical Pharmacy Studies in 1976, and set up the Master's Program in Clinical Pharmacy Studies in 1981, leading Japan as the first university in the country to offer clinical pharmacy studies at the graduate level. The School of Pharmacy has been providing high-level education for over 30 years, focusing on training clinical pharmacists. As part of this training, in the fourth year of the program, students participate in pre-clinical pharmacy practice and in the fifth year engage in clinical pharmacy practice. This program provides the opportunity for experiential learning prior to engaging in real-world clinical practice. The pre-clinical pharmacy practice facilities completed in September 2008 have a floor dedicated to practical training where students spend approximately one month training, engaging directly with patients, filling prescriptions, and learning aseptic dispensing methods. The facilities contain a model pharmacy, aseptic dispensary, mock hospital ward, and so on. These pre-clinical pharmacy practice facilities are exceptional in both quality and range.