Nippon Medical School – Programs, Hospitals, Tuition in, Student Life & Exchanges

Thinking about studying medicine in Japan? Nippon Medical School (NMS) in Tokyo is one of the country’s oldest private medical universities and a compelling choice for hands‑on clinical training, English‑friendly research opportunities, and access to Japan’s largest healthcare market. This guide gives you a quick snapshot—campus vibe, costs, climate, student life—then dives into distinctive features such as affiliated hospitals, overseas electives, and support for international visitors. You’ll also find fresh data points (tuition, student stats, safety, cost of living) and official references so you can double‑check everything and plan smart.

Quick Facts

At-a-glance numbers for Nippon Medical School (Tokyo). Sources include the university’s official site and Times Higher Education. Tuition is listed in Japanese Yen (¥).

Type	Private university (non-profit)
Total Students	≈ 950 (THE key stats)
Campuses	Sendagi (Main) (Official campus page)
Faculties/Schools	School of Medicine (Undergraduate), Graduate School of Medicine (PhD), Affiliated Hospitals network (Medical School intro) / (Graduate admissions)
学费	Year 1: ¥4,500,000; Years 2–6: ¥3,500,000 per year; 6-year total: ¥22,000,000 (Official fee page)
Gender Ratio	38% female : 62% male (THE)
Intl‑Student %	0% (degree-seeking, THE); note: NMS welcomes many short‑term visitors & researchers via IEC (IEC overview)
Students per Staff	0.9 (THE)

Note: THE’s “International student %” focuses on degree-seeking cohorts. NMS’s International Exchange Center hosts a steady flow of international visitors (students, trainees, researchers) each year. See IEC overview.

Campus Maps

Sendagi Campus (Main, Bunkyo City, Tokyo)

Address: 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan

Tip: Click the marker to open the place card with rating and review count. For the full review list, use the link below.

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Musashisakai Campus (Musashino City, Tokyo)

Address: 1-7-1 Kyonancho, Musashino City, Tokyo 180-0023, Japan

Tip: Click the marker to view rating and reviews in the place card.

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Mission, History & Founding Story

Founded in 1876, Nippon Medical School (NMS) grew out of Tokyo’s late‑19th‑century push to modernize healthcare training and meet urban health needs. Today, the university emphasizes compassionate care, clinical excellence, and a strong ethical foundation—themes that run through its official statement of values, “Our Founding Spirits”. The curriculum threads together scientific rigor with bedside skills and teamwork, reflecting the idea that great physicians blend sharp clinical judgment with human warmth.

Historically, NMS has punched above its weight in clinical training and public health. It built one of Tokyo’s notable university hospitals in Bunkyō ward, serving a dense, diverse population. Over the decades, the school’s clinicians and researchers have contributed to fields ranging from molecular imaging to medical English education, and the affiliated hospital network has become a clinical training engine for undergraduates and residents alike. You’ll see this heritage in the way students rotate through high‑volume departments and learn in small, discussion‑oriented settings from year one onward—described on the Medical School introduction page.

The school’s identity is also shaped by its location. First‑year students study liberal arts and foundational sciences at Musashisakai (west Tokyo), then move to the Sendagi campus—near the main university hospital—for basic and clinical medicine from the second year onward. This rotation across neighborhoods gives students a feel for Tokyo’s varied communities and health challenges. Official campus info is here: Campuses.

NMS maintains a tradition of education reform and simulation‑based training. Highlights over the years include stronger medical English communication, early clinical exposure, and simulation labs—documented in the Journal of Nippon Medical School’s overview of unique programs (PubMed). The school’s narrative—its founding era, hospital expansion, and notable alumni such as Dr. Thomas Noguchi—appears in open reference sources as well (Wikipedia), but always start with official pages for the most reliable details: the Founding Spirits, Campuses和 International Exchange Center.

Key Strengths & Unique Features

Flagship Faculty: School of Medicine

NMS is laser‑focused on medicine. The undergraduate program builds a tight loop between basic science and clinical practice, described here: Introduction of Medical School. The Graduate School attracts researchers who want mentorship across translational fields; admission details are provided on the official graduate page (Admissions for Students from Overseas). Key student statistics (gender ratio, students per staff) are summarized on THE.

Four Affiliated Hospitals = Massive Clinical Exposure

The NMS network comprises four major affiliated hospitals, which translates into high case variety and strong bedside learning:

• Nippon Medical School Hospital (Sendagi) — advanced critical care center (877 beds), diverse specialty departments.
• Musashi Kosugi Hospital (Kawasaki) — Emergency & Critical Care designated; strong perinatal/ICU footprint.
• Tama Nagayama Hospital (Tama)
• Chiba Hokusoh Hospital (Inzai)

If you want a flavor of subspecialty depth, skim a department page such as the Department of Thoracic Surgery (NMS Hospital). The breadth of clinical services enriches 5th–6th year bedside learning and final‑year rotations.

Research‑Driven Education & Simulation Culture

NMS blends lab science with clinical reasoning through simulation and scenario‑based work. Historical snapshots of its distinctive education model—medical English, early clinical exposure, SP (simulated patient) encounters—are summarized in J Nippon Med Sch (open abstract): Unique medical education programs at NMS. As a quirky example of preparedness training, see the English write‑up of the university’s influenza “Pandemic Drill,” adapted with University of Pittsburgh inspiration (introduced to the curriculum in 2009).

International Pathways (Short‑Term, Graduate, & Visiting)

While THE lists 0% degree‑seeking international students, NMS actively hosts overseas visitors and trainees via the International Exchange Center (IEC). Start here: IEC overview (EN). For clinical electives and fees specific to short programs, see the Medical School’s Admissions for Students from Overseas (e.g., ¥50,000 per 4‑week program). For Japanese‑language detail on overseas electives (“海外選択CC”), IEC’s pages outline current partner sites and activity reports: Overseas Clinical Electives 和 Partner Institutions (list).

Student Life for Internationals

Clubs & Circles welcoming overseas students

NMS clubs range from sports to cultural activities. The Medical English Speaking Society and IFMSA‑linked exchanges are highlighted on IEC’s site: MESS & IFMSA at NMS (JA). IFMSA‑Japan’s public updates live here: @ifmsajapan.

Dedicated Support Offices (visa, housing, counselling)

For visitors, IEC is your first stop: English portal IEC (EN). For campus‑life services—advisor system, counseling—see the Medical School’s Student Life page. Housing information for short‑stay visitors is also summarized on the Medical School’s overseas admissions page (see “Housing”).

Language‑Exchange or Buddy Programs

Student circles like MESS often informally pair Japanese and international students, and IEC‑hosted events bring together visitors and locals. Keep an eye on IEC news (EN) and club pages above.

Partner Institutions & Exchange Options

NMS maintains exchange agreements with universities in the US and Asia—historically including George Washington University, University of Southern California, and University of Hawaii—plus Thai and Chinese partners. For the current list and recent activity reports, check the IEC pages: Partner Institutions / Overseas Clinical Electives. The Medical School’s English admission page for visitors (with program fee notes) is here: Admissions for Students from Overseas.

Local Climate & Lifestyle (Tokyo)

Weather: what to expect

Tokyo has warm, humid summers and cool, fairly dry winters. For monthly averages and recent years’ highs/lows, the official Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) table for Tokyo station (WMO 47662) is the best reference: JMA monthly climate stats. For a visual, year‑round overview, see WeatherSpark: Tokyo. In short: peak summer daytime highs often reach the low 30s °C (≈ 86–93 °F), and winter mornings can dip near freezing in January–February.

Safety & Cost of Living

On urban safety benchmarks, Tokyo consistently ranks high. The latest complete edition of the Economist Impact Safe Cities Index (2021) details methodology and rankings (Tokyo near the top): Safe Cities Index 2021. For budgets, triangulate official guidance and crowd‑sourced indices: JASSO’s 留学日本 gives national tuition and fee benchmarks Academic Fees, while up‑to‑date consumer prices are tracked on Numbeo: Tokyo. A useful embassy summary (with JASSO data) is the U.S. Embassy’s study guide (PDF) showing average monthly costs by region: Study in Japan: Guide for U.S. Students (2023).

International Student Statistics

THE lists 0% degree‑seeking international students for NMS’s core cohort (see THE key stats). However, NMS’s IEC reports more than 1,500 international visitors in total since 1986 and about 50 international students (broadly defined) per year across short‑term and graduate categories: IEC overview. For elective destinations and annual slots, refer to the Japanese‑language elective page: Overseas Clinical Electives.

Career & Graduate Prospects

Clinical Career Paths (Japan & Abroad)

Most graduates pursue residency in Japan via NMS’s clinical network. Departmental pages offer a snapshot of typical specialty homes—e.g., Internal Medicine, Surgery, Thoracic/Cardiovascular, Radiology—within the four affiliated hospitals: NMS Hospital, Musashi Kosugi, Tama Nagayama, Chiba Hokusoh.

Alumni Notes

Among alumni, Dr. Thomas Noguchi—long‑time Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner—remains widely known; he graduated from NMS in 1951. Profiles and historical coverage: Wikipedia, TIME archive.

Research‑oriented Career Prep

If you’re eyeing academic medicine or international research, browse recent medical education and professionalism studies that cite/engage Japan’s training context: e.g., JMIR Medical Education (2023) 和 BMC Medical Education (2024).

How to Use This Guide (Fast Links)

• Campuses & access: Official campus page
• International Exchange Center: IEC (EN overview) / IEC (English site)
• Affiliated hospitals (clinical training): NMS Hospital, Musashi Kosugi, Tama Nagayama, Chiba Hokusoh
• Tuition & fees (Undergraduate): Official fee page