Press Room

Managed by International Public Relations, Hokkaido University Press Room provides resources for all media-related inquiries. Reporters who wish to interview our faculty members or inquire about the university are invited to contact pr[at]oia.hokudai.ac.jp.

The latest news can be found on our front page or on our news page. Our other publications could be found here. Please also check out our FAQ.

About Our University

Founded in 1876 as Sapporo Agricultural College, Hokkaido University is one of the oldest, largest, and most prestigious universities in Japan. The university attracts prospective students from all around the globe with the diverse degree programs offered and the year-round scenic beauty. The campuses are located in the cities of Sapporo and Hakodate of Hokkaido, and 21 facilities are spread throughout Hokkaido and mainland Japan.

The following information can also be downloaded as a PDF file.

▼ In numbers

(Data as of 2024)

Established in	1876
Students	17,920*
Faculty and Staff	3,937
Undergraduate Schools	12
Graduate Schools	21
Overseas Office	1
Alumni	247,058
International Academic Exchanges Agreements	763**

*Including 2,042 international students from 99 countries/regions

**With partners located in 73 countries/regions

More information is available from In Numbers page.

▼ Rankings

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Impact Rankings 2024

72^nd in the world, 1^st in Japan.

Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2024

79^th in Asia.

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024

351-400^th in the world.

QS World University Rankings 2025

173^rd in the world, 8^th in Japan.

Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2024

201-300^th in the world, 5-9^th in Japan.

Nature Index Top Academic Institutions 2021

114^th in the world, 7^th in Japan.

Reuters Asia Pacific Most Innovative Universities 2019

28^th in Asia-Pacific region.

More information is available from In Numbers page.

▼ Key facts

One of the first two higher education institutions in Japan to offer Bachelor’s degrees.
The largest university in Japan both by the number of schools, with 12 undergraduate and 21 graduate schools; and by area, covering a total of 660 km2.
Alumni include Inazo Nitobe, known internationally as the author of the book Bushido: The Soul of Japan (1900) and one of the first Under-Secretaries General of the League of Nations; Professor Emeritus Akira Suzuki, who was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; as well as Mamoru Mohri, the first Japanese astronaut.
The campus is known for its seasonal beauty and was selected as Japan’s most beautiful campus (Asahi Shimbun, 2009).
Graduates of the University are considered the most impressive by Japanese employers (Nikkei HR and Nikkei Inc., 2020 and 2021).
Known for its motto “Be ambitious,” taken from the words of the first Vice President of the college, William S. Clark, a renowned educator from Massachusetts, USA.
Offers a wide variety of degree and non-degree programs for international students, including the Hokkaido Summer Institute (HSI) consisting of 150+ short courses during summer.
The only member of the University of the Arctic (UArctic) from Japan, a global network of over 200 institutions concerned with education and research in and about the North.
Has a number of ties with Russia: hosts the central offices for the Human Resource Development Platform (HaRP) for Japan-Russia Economic Cooperation and Personnel Exchange, as well as the East Russia-Japan Expert Education (RJE3) program.

▼ More features

Hokkaido University is a leading research institution. Historically renowned for research in agriculture, it is now also a leader in the field of chemistry, engineering, material science, environmental earth science, and zoonotic disease control, among others. Its International Institute for Zoonosis Control (IIZC) has strong historical ties with the University of Zambia, and has contributed to disease control and public health in African nations. The IIZC also plays key roles as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Zoonoses Control as well as an OIE/FAO Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza.
Uniquely in Japan, the university provides a comprehensive liberal arts education for one year before students choose their major. It offers diverse and comprehensive degree programs taught in English such as the Modern Japanese Studies Program (MJSP), Integrated Science Program (ISP) and the English Engineering Education Program (e3) attracting prospective students from all around the globe. The university maintains 11 overseas offices and liaison offices to facilitate student exchanges and inter-university partnerships.
Hokkaido University is situated near the center of Sapporo, the fifth most populous city in Japan, and has historical ties with the city itself. There is also a second campus dedicated to Fishery Sciences in the coastal city of Hakodate, as well as 21 facilities and field science centers across Japan. The university is thus the largest in Japan by area, covering a total of 660 km2. The Sapporo campus was voted Japan’s most beautiful university campus by Asahi Shimbun in 2009, and won the Traveller’s Choice Award from TripAdvisor in 2020.

▼ Locations

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Picture Archive

We provide pictures of the university for the use by media personnel as exemplified below. Please contact the team at pr[at]oia.hokudai.ac.jp to inquire about the terms and conditions.