Tottori University Guide for International Students: Admissions, Tuition, Scholarships, and Student Life

Thinking about Japan for university or graduate school, but want a quieter, more affordable city and a campus with real research power? Tottori University might be your sweet spot. With two campuses on the Sea of Japan coast—Tottori City (main) and Yonago (medicine)—the university combines hands‑on, community‑rooted learning with globally recognized strengths in dryland science, agriculture, engineering, and medicine. Below you’ll find quick facts, what makes TU unique, how the Global Gateway programs send students abroad (yes, even to Mexico and Uganda), and what daily life looks like for international students. If you like nature, small‑city safety, and lab‑to‑field learning, keep reading.

Quick Facts

Figures below draw on Tottori University’s official “Key Facts” pages and the latest facts & figures (international students as of May 1, 2024). Sources linked after each item.

Campus Maps

Tottori University — Tottori (Koyama) Campus

Address: 4-101 Koyama-cho Minami, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture 680-8550, Japan

Tottori University — Yonago Campus (Faculty of Medicine)

Address: 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture 683-8503, Japan

Mission, History & Founding Story

Tottori University (TU) is a national university formed in 1949 by integrating several prewar institutions in Tottori Prefecture, including colleges in liberal arts, medicine, and agriculture. That post‑war consolidation created a research‑led, regional flagship with a practical learning ethos—bridging classroom theory with fieldwork, hospital rotations, and experiments rooted in local geography. Today, TU’s identity is tightly connected to its surroundings: the Sea of Japan coast, the Chūgoku Mountains, and—most famously—the Tottori Sand Dunes, which seeded a century‑long lineage of desert and dryland science. Overview (Wikipedia), Official site

TU’s medical roots sit on the Yonago Campus, where the Faculty of Medicine and the University Hospital anchor clinical education and community health. Meanwhile, the main Tottori (Koyama) Campus gathers the Faculty of Regional Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Agriculture—plus distinctive centers such as the Arid Land Research Center (ALRC). The university’s modern academic configuration covers undergraduate schools—Regional Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture—and graduate programs, including the Graduate School of Sustainability Science and the Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Academics, Buildings & Land, Faculty of Medicine (EN)

One thread runs across TU’s history: “knowledge into practice.” Engineering programs emerged in the 1960s to support regional industry and infrastructure; agriculture expanded with field stations and specialized centers; medicine deepened its partnership with municipalities via the teaching hospital. In the 1990s, the Sand Dune Research Institute evolved into the Arid Land Research Center, later designated by MEXT as a Joint Usage/Research Center—the national hub for dryland science, from water management to desertification countermeasures. This dryland expertise now forms a university‑wide platform (IPDRE) that orchestrates interdisciplinary projects linking agriculture, engineering, health, and social sciences. ALRC (About), IPDRE (EN)

From its founding to the present, TU has aimed to educate “practical professionals” who engage local communities and global challenges alike. That philosophy shows in project‑based courses, outbound field programs (from East Asia to Latin America and Africa), and research partnerships spanning county‑level agencies to international organizations. For students coming from overseas, the appeal is a compact, welcoming university where labs, farms, and hospital wards are all close at hand—and where you can build experience that translates directly into careers in healthcare, engineering, sustainable agriculture, or public service. Global Study hub

Key Strengths & Unique Features

Arid Land Science: A World‑Class Niche (and TU’s Signature)

Tottori University is Japan’s national hub for dryland science. The Arid Land Research Center (ALRC) has over a century of heritage (including its early sand‑dune experimental station) and now pursues global work on desertification, drought resilience, soil/water management, and dryland agriculture. ALRC is designated by MEXT as a Joint Usage/Research Center—meaning researchers nationwide use it as a core facility. For students, this translates into rare courses, labs, and fieldwork focused on sustainability in water‑scarce environments. TU’s International Platform for Dryland Research and Education (IPDRE) connects these strengths across all faculties, enabling interdisciplinary projects that tie agriculture, engineering, health science, and social systems to dryland issues in Asia and beyond. About ALRC / About IPDRE

Medicine & Community Healthcare (Yonago Campus)

At the Yonago Campus, the Faculty of Medicine and the Tottori University Hospital support clinical training from basic sciences to rotations and specialist pathways. The faculty comprises the School of Medicine, School of Life Science, and School of Health Science, plus the Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Beyond the wards, research centers—like the Chromosome Engineering Research Center—add bench‑to‑bedside opportunities. International and bilingual information is available on the English site of the faculty and the hospital. Faculty of Medicine (EN) / University Hospital

Engineering for a Changing World (Robotics, Aerospace, Informatics)

TU Engineering—established in 1965—is the largest faculty in the San‑in region and offers four undergraduate departments covering 14 programs: Mechanical & Physical Engineering (including Aerospace and Robotics), Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Chemistry & Biotechnology, and Social Systems & Civil Engineering. Graduate options include Master’s (Department of Engineering within the Graduate School of Sustainability Science) and a dedicated Doctoral Graduate School of Engineering. Affiliated centers (e.g., Innovation Center for Engineering Education; Cross‑Informatics Research Center) link curricula with industry, safety, and regional needs. Engineering (EN)

Agriculture & Veterinary Science with Real‑World Fieldwork

The Faculty of Agriculture combines the Department of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences and the Joint Department of Veterinary Medicine. Students access university farms, field science centers, and specialized institutes (e.g., the Fungus/Mushroom Resource and Research Center). The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences connects TU with partner universities for doctoral training—useful for students eyeing research or development careers. Faculty of Agriculture (EN) / Faculty & Graduate School page

Global Liberal Arts & Regional Sciences

The Faculty of Regional Sciences blends policy, culture, education, and data‑driven approaches to local and global issues—think population change, tourism, culture, and public administration. For international students, courses in this school can be a gateway to careers in local government, NGOs, or business in Japan’s regions. (Official English navigation for the faculty starts from the university’s Academics hub.) Academics

Student Life for Internationals

Clubs & Circles

Campus life centers around student‑run clubs (“circles”) for sports, culture, music, outdoors, and volunteering. International students are welcomed—try a sports circle, an outdoor or photography club, or music groups to meet Japanese classmates. Activities often gather in or around the Student Union facilities. Student Union on campus map

Support Offices (Visa, Housing, Counseling)

For pre‑arrival and on‑arrival help—visa procedures, tuition guidance, enrollment, healthcare, and city‑hall paperwork—start with the International Exchange Center’s “International Students” portal. It links to immigration guidance, dormitory options (International House), and daily‑life tips (bank accounts, National Health Insurance, pension, and more). TU also runs a Student Support Center that coordinates personal/academic support across faculties, including assistance for students with disabilities. International Students / Student Support Center

Language‑Exchange & Buddy Programs

TU promotes peer‑to‑peer exchange and Japanese practice via initiatives like “Partnership for the Japanese Language” and community activities listed on the Global Study site. Keep an eye out for language partners, cultural events, and volunteer chances. Global Study (program list)

Partner Institutions & Exchange Options (Outbound‑Focused)

Tottori University maintains inter‑university and inter‑faculty exchange agreements across Asia, North America, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa. Notable partners include University of Nevada, Reno and the University of California, Davis (USA); institutions in Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam; and partners in Italy, Poland, Uzbekistan, and beyond. The official agreement list (AY2023 results; updated to April 1, 2024) details destinations and mobility flows. Agreements on Academic Exchange (PDF)

If you prefer structured, short‑term learning abroad, TU’s Global Gateway Program sends students on faculty‑led programs—such as a six‑week Mexico module (with the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur and CIBNOR) focused on environmental issues like desertification and food security; and a practical education program in Uganda. There’s also an English program held at Ming Chuan University (Taiwan). These programs are taught in English and emphasize field surveys and problem‑solving. Global Gateway Program / Student Exchange (overview)

Local Climate & Lifestyle

Tottori is a smaller coastal prefecture on the Sea of Japan with four distinct seasons: mild spring (cherry blossoms along rivers and castle ruins), warm and humid summers moderated by sea breezes, crisp autumns with foliage in the Chūgoku Mountains, and winters that bring occasional snow (more in mountain areas and along the coast when cold fronts sweep in). The pace is easygoing; commutes are short; and outdoor options—from dunes and beaches to mountain trails—are within local‑bus or weekend‑trip range. Daily life costs are generally lower than in Tokyo/Osaka, and university housing plus co‑op services help students settle quickly. For transport and campus layout, see buildings/land and access via the university’s sites. Buildings & Land, International Students portal

International Student Statistics

As of May 1, 2024, Tottori University hosted 121 international students across undergraduate and graduate levels. The largest cohorts come from China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Korea, with additional students from Taiwan, Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, and countries in Africa (e.g., Egypt, Kenya, Sudan), the Middle East, and the Americas. The official breakdown table lists numbers by country/region and by faculty/graduate school (including ALRC/IPDRE affiliations). International Students 2024 (PDF)

Career & Graduate Prospects

Career support is coordinated through university and faculty offices, with advising, seminars, and links to regional employers. Medicine graduates train through the teaching hospital network on the Yonago side; engineering students connect with local industries (civil/transport, manufacturing, energy, informatics); agricultural graduates move into agribusiness, government, or research; and regional sciences alumni often enter public service, education, or community development roles. Public data snapshots (e.g., JPCUP and TU pages) show stable placement and further‑study pipelines; for example, TU’s medical track reports annual cohorts progressing to employment or advanced training in Japan. JPCUP: Faculty of Medicine (career support), Student Support Center

If you plan to study at TU and later work in Japan, combine two strategies early: (1) join research groups with external partners (labs linked to local governments or companies); and (2) use the Global Gateway or faculty exchange programs to add an overseas internship or short‑term study, which strengthens your bilingual resume and professional network. Global Gateway Program