Yamagata University

Infobox University
name = Yamagata University
native_name = 山形大学


image_size = 240px
caption = The main Building of the Faculty of Engineering (ex- The Yonezawa Higher Technical School) built in 1910 is still in use as a University Museum.
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motto = "Act Globally, Base Locally"
established = 1878 (1949)
type = Public (National)
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endowment = US $ 320 million (FY2006)
debt =
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vice_chancellor =
president = Akio Yuki
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dean =
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staff = 1,834 (2007)
faculty = 777 (2007)
students = 9,748 (2007)
undergrad = 8,071 (2007)
postgrad = 1,333 (2007)
doctoral = 303 (2007)
divinity =
residents =
other = 41 (2007)
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city = Yamagata, Yonezawa, Tsuruoka
province = Yamagata
country = Japan
address = 1-4-12 Kojirakawa-machi, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan (Yamagata Campus)
2-2-2 Iida-nishi, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan (Iida Campus)
4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa 992-8510, Japan (Yonezawa Campus)
1-23 Wakaba-machi, Tsuruoka 997-8555, Japan (Tsuruoka Campus)
3-3-6-503 Shibaura, Minato, Tokyo 108-0023, Japan (Tokyo Center)
coordinates =
campus = 8.47 km² (2,094 acres)
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free =
sports =
colours = Green color box|#018321
nickname = YU, Yamadai
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fightsong =
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website = [http://www.yamagata-u.ac.jp/ www.yamagata-u.ac.jp]

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nihongo|Yamagata University|山形大学|Yamagata daigaku is a leading national university located in the Japanese cities of Yamagata, Yonezawa and Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture.

The university was established in 1949. The origin of Yamagata University is traced back to the nihongo|Yamagata Normal School|山形師範学校|Yamagata Shihan Gakko, a public teacher-training institution, founded in 1878 in Yamagata City. The university also have some roots: the nihongo|Yonezawa Higher Technical School|米沢高等工業学校|Yonezawa Koto Kogyo Gakko founded in 1910 in Yonezawa City, the nihongo|Yamagata Higher School|山形高等学校|Yamagata Koto Gakko founded in 1920 in Yamagata City, the nihongo|Yamagata Youth Normal School|山形青年師範学校|Yamagata Seinen Shihan Gakko founded in 1922 in Yamagata City, and the nihongo|Yamagata Prefectural Agricultural College|山形県立農林専門学校|Yamagata Kenritsu No Rin Senmon Gakko founded in 1947 in Tsuruoka City.

Yamagata University is the second-most largest university in the Tohoku Region. The university has six faculties and about 10,000 students in four campuses. It also has an additional sub-campus in which University K-9 schools are administered.

History

The Imperial Japan ("Meiji") Government decided to merge the "old" Yamagata, Okitama and Tsuruoka Prefectures into one "new" Yamagata Prefecture. And it was organized in August, 1876. Each of the former three prefectures had their own normal schools. However, the schools were closed with the discontinuance of administration bodies. The institutional direct history dates back to 1877 when the Congress of "new" Yamagata Prefecture authorized an establishment of a brand-new public teacher-training institution, Yamagata Prefectural Normal School. It was founded in September, 1878 in Hatago-machi, Yamagata City.

On the other hand, Yonezawa Higher Technical School, the first national school of higher education in the prefecture, was founded in 1910. The Yonezawa Higher Technical School was located in Yonezawa City. And the institute was the seventh National Higher Technical School in Japan following the establishment of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Kumamoto and Sendai Higher Technical Schools. The Yonezawa Higher Technical School was renamed the Yonezawa Engineering College under reformation of the law in 1944

Ten years after the establishment of the Yonezawa Higher Technical School, another national school of higher education was founded (1920) in Yamagata Prefecture. The Yamagata Higher School located in Yamagata City was the 14th National Higher School in Japan. During World War II, the United States' bombers burned away and destroyed the Komagome laboratories of Japanese RIKEN. RIKEN evacuated to the several local cities (Kanazawa, Osaka and Yamagata) as the situation of a battle grew worse. [ [http://www.riken.go.jp/r-world/info/release/riken88/text/no08.html "RIKEN History for 88 years"] "(in Japanese)"] One of the place of refuge was Yamagata Higher School.

The National Yonezawa Higher Technical School and Yamagata Higher School were prestigious schools in Japan at that time, and played a central role at the time when Yamagata University was established after World War II. Students of the two schools were academic excellence selected from all over Japan. The two schools produced a number of promising people, and the number of alumni were about 5,500 and 5,000, respectively.

To meet the vigorous needs of primary and secondary education, Yamagata Prefecture founded one more public teacher-training institution, Yamagata Prefectural Teacher's School for Vocational Supplementary Education in 1922. The school developed and renamed the Yamagata Youth Teachers School when she was transferred control to the Japanese nihongo|Ministry of Education|文部省|Monbushō in 1944. Yamagata Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry School was founded in 1947 in Tsuruoka City. These two schools was also the predecessors of current Yamagata University.

Yamagata University was established on 31 May 1949 following the "National School Establishment Law". By the enforcement of the law, five old institutions of higher education in Yamagata Prefecture were integrated to form the new University: Yamagata Normal School founded in 1878, Yonezawa Engineering College founded in 1910, Yamagata Higher School founded in 1920, Yamagata Youth Teachers School founded in 1922, and Yamagata Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry School founded in 1947. The new university had the Faculty of Literature and Sciences, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Engineering, and Faculty of Agriculture. It has contributed to the development of higher education in Japan offering various undergraduate and graduate courses.

Chronological List

Notable people and alumni

* Yasushi Akashi (1931-) - Yamagata Higher School (1950), Diplomat and United Nations administrator
* Takeo Doi (1904-1996) - Yamagata Higher School (1925), Aircraft Designer, He designed Kawasaki Ki-10, Ki-61, Ki-100 and NAMC YS-11.
* Michiro Endo (1950-) - Yamagata University (1973), Musician
* Shuhei Fujisawa (1927-1997) - Yamagata Normal School (1949), Author
* Itsuzo Hata (1880-1944) - Professor to the Yonezawa Higher Technical School, Founder of Teijin Limited
* Yataro Mishima (1867-1919) - Yamagata Prefectural Normal School (1882), 8th President of the Bank of Japan, Senator, House of Peers of the Japanese Imperial Diet
* Shichiro Murayama (1908-1995) - Yamagata Higher School (1929), Linguist
* Mikio Narita (1935-1990) - Faculty of Literature and Sciences (1959), Actor
* Yasuta Sato (1924-) - Yonezawa Higher Technical School (1945), Founder of Takara
* Yoshihiro Togashi (1966-) - Faculty of Education (1988), Manga artist
* Takaaki Yoshimoto (1924-) - Yonezawa Higher Technical School (1945), Poet , literary critic, and philosopher

Points of interest

* Main Building of Yonezawa Higher Technical School (one of the Japanese "Designated National Important Cultural Properties") [ [http://www.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/campus/juubun.html "Main Building of Yonezawa Higher Technical School"] "Faculty of Engineering, Yamagata University (in Japanese)"] :4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa 992-8510, Japan (Yonezawa Campus, Yamagata University)
* Education Museum of Yamagata Prefectural Museum (ex- Main Building of Yamagata Prefectural Normal School, one of the Japanese "Designated National Important Cultural Properties") [ [http://maskweb.jp/b_yama-shihan_1_0.html "Education Museum to Yamagata Prefectural Museum"] "Stroll searching for modern building (in Japanese)"] :2-2-8 Midori-cho, Yamagata 990-0041, Japan
* Auditorium of Yamagata Prefectural Yamagata North High School (ex- Music Hall of Yamagata Prefectural Normal School, one of the Prefectural "Designated Important Cultural Properties") [ [http://maskweb.jp/b_yama-koudo_1_0.html "Auditorium to Yamagata Prefectural Yamagata North High School"] "Stroll searching for modern building (in Japanese)"] :2-2-7 Midori-cho, Yamagata 990-0041, Japan

References

External links

* [http://www.yamagata-u.ac.jp/ Yamagata University Home Page]
* [http://www.tr.yamagata-u.ac.jp/english/outline.html Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University Home Page]
* [http://www.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/index-eng.html Faculty of Engineering, Yamagata University Home Page]
* [http://www.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp/eng.html Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University Home Page]