The origin of Tokyo Metropolitan University was Prefectural Higher School, under the old system of education, established by Tokyo Prefecture in 1929 as the third public higher school. The School was modelled on Eton College, with three years of pre-university advanced course and four years of university regular course.
Since the jurisdiction control of Tokyo First Middle School and First Higher School were different, however, Tokyo First Middle School attempted to originally establish the prefectural higher school, whereas the other Middle Schools opposed to the said attempt. Prefectural Higher School was established in 1929 locating in the same site of Tokyo First Middle School, as a result of the opposition.
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In 1932, Prefectural Higher School was relocated to 1–1–1 Yakumo, Meguro and became known one of the best higher schools with First Higher School. As the reign of Tokyo Metropolis was enacted in 1943, Prefectural Higher School was renamed to Metropolitan Higher School.
After the reform of the educational system in 1949, Tokyo Metropolitan University was established as a research university consisting of three faculties, namely Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Technology; three years of advanced course was reorganised to Senior High School affiliated to Tokyo Metropolitan University, whereas four years of regular course was restructured into the university proper. Five Prefectural Colleges, namely Tokyo Prefectural College of Technology, Tokyo Prefectural College of Science, Tokyo Prefectural College of Machine Industry, Tokyo Prefectural College of Chemical Industry and Tokyo Prefectural College of Women were also merged with the Tokyo Metropolitan University. In 1957, Faculty of Law and Economics was separated from Faculty of Humanities, and then further divided into separate Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics in 1966.
As expanding its organisation, the university was relocated to 1–1–1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji in 1991.
The university signed the student exchange agreement with University of Vienna in 1997.
Tokyo Metropolitan University was reformed in 2005 by integrating three metropolitan universities and one junior college: Tokyo Metropolitan University (東京都立大学, Tōkyō Toritsu Daigaku), Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology (東京都立科学技術大学), Tokyo Metropolitan University of Health Sciences (東京都立保健科学大学), and Tokyo Metropolitan Junior College (東京都立短期大学) with subsequent change in its Japanese name, although its English name for the university has not changed since 1949.
The following history includes the former institution of Tokyo Metropolitan University.
1949 – Tokyo Metropolitan University was established with three faculties, namely Humanities, Science and Technology
1953 – Master's courses of Anthropology, Social Science, Natural Science and Technology were set up
1955 – Doctoral courses of Anthropology, Social Science, Natural Science and Technology were set up
1957 – Faculty of Law and Economics was set up
1966 – Faculty of Law and Economics was reorganised as Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics
1977 – Centre of Metropolitan Study was set up
1994 – Centre of Metropolitan Study was reorganised as Institute of Metropolitan Study
1996 – Master's course of Metropolitan Science was set up
1998 – Doctoral course of Metropolitan Science was set up
1991 – The campus was transferred from Meguro to Minami-Osawa
2003 – Institute of Social Science launched to provide MBA course (Business school)
2005 – Institute of Social Science launched to provide LLM course (Law school)
2005 – Tokyo Metropolitan University was reformed with integrating three metropolitan universities and one junior college, which consists of 4 faculties, 7 divisions with 21 courses as well as 6 graduate schools (the organisation took over the former one) with 36 majors
2006 – Faculty of System Design opened the course of industrial art, and institutes were reorganised
2008 – Faculty of Urban Environment Sciences launched the course of nature- and culture- based tourism, and Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences launched the major of tourism science
2009 – Faculty of Urban Liberal Arts launched the course of economics
2010 – Graduate School of System Design launched the major of industrial art
2011 – Tokyo Metropolitan University (former) was closed
2016 – Business School will be transferred from Shinjuku Satellite Campus to Marunouchi Satellite Campus with launching the course of Master of Finance
In later 1990s, Government and local municipalities facilitated to reform the administrative scheme and financial management in line with economic bubble burst and financial difficulties due to Japan's progressive low birthrate and longevity. As a part of the said administrative and financial reform, social interest grew on restructuring national and public universities to independent administrative agencies with consolidating them. Tokyo Metropolitan University was also planned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to be consolidated with aforementioned three metropolitan universities and one junior college.
Name plate of the university before renaming
As a result of Tokyo gubernatorial election in April 2003, Shintaro Ishihara was re-elected as Governor of Tokyo, holding up a promise "I will establish a revolutionary university", and consequently the original restructure plan was significantly and rapidly changed, in terms of the organisation of faculties, course structure, etc. During this process, a number of faculty members left the university as a sign of protest against the reform.
Lecturers of the university have been all highly regarded in their respective fields, and the standard of the research carried out by each of them has been considered as extremely high. In line with this, research groups that produce outstanding results and have the potential to become international research hubs, or those working in unique fields that are aligned with the university's mission, are designated as "research centres" and given support by the university.
Research Centre for Space Science (Director: Prof. Takaya Ohashi)
Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics (Director: Prof. Koichiro Tamura)
Research Centre for Artificial Photosynthesis (Director: Prof. Haruo Inoue)
Research Centre for Gold Chemistry (Director: Prof. Masatake Haruta)
Research Centre for Language, Brain and Genetics (Director: Prof. Hiroko Hagiwara)
Research Centre for Water System Engineering (Director: Prof. Akira Koizumi)
Research Centre for Community Centric Systems (Director: Prof .Toru Yamaguchi)
Research Centre for Child and Adolescent Poverty Overview (Director: Prof. Aya Abe)
The university has concluded agreements with overseas educational institutions with the aim of promoting international cooperation in education and research as well as student exchange.
Thailand
Malaysia
Indonesia
Hong Kong
South Korea
Vietnam
China
Taiwan
Turkey
Australia
Canada
United States of America
Finland
Sweden
Norway
Ireland
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Germany
France
Spain
Italy
Austria
Poland
Hungary
Bulgaria
Russia
Lithuania
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