Abroadly

Study Arts & Design in Japan 🇯🇵

Japan offers 99 Arts & Design programs across 41 universities. Tuition ranges from $536k–$1280k/yr, making it a competitive option for international students.

99 Programs
41 Universities
$536k–$1280k/yr Tuition
3% STEM
6% Scholarships

Why Japan for Arts & Design?

Living Cost

$12,000/yr

Full guide to studying in Japan →

By Degree Level

Bachelor (50) PhD (25) Master (24)

Top Universities for Arts & Design in Japan

The University of Tokyo

Tokyo · National rank #1 · QS #36

Arts and Sciences · PhD Letters · Bachelor
Waseda University

Tokyo · National rank #2 · QS #196

International Liberal Studies · Bachelor Culture, Media and Society · Bachelor Master of Arts in Japanese Language and Culture · Master
Kyoto University

Kyoto · National rank #2 · QS #57

Undergraduate Program in Letters · Bachelor
Nagoya University

Nagoya · National rank #3 · QS #164

Global 30 Undergraduate Program in Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies · Bachelor Global 30 International Programs - Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies · Bachelor PhD in Cultural Studies · PhD
Keio University

Tokyo · National rank #4 · QS #215

Graduate Program in Media and Governance · PhD Master's Program (Letters) · Master Doctoral Program (Letters) · PhD Graduate School of Letters · PhD Graduate School of Media Design · PhD
Kyushu University

Fukuoka · National rank #5 · QS #170

Undergraduate Program in Literature · Bachelor Master's Program in Humanities · Master PhD Program in Humanities · PhD
University of Tsukuba

Tsukuba · National rank #9 · QS #350

International Baccalaureate (IB) Admissions Program in Global Liberal Arts · Bachelor School of Humanities and Culture · Bachelor PhD Program in Art and Design · PhD Bachelor's Program in Art and Design · Bachelor
Niigata University

Niigata · National rank #10 · QS #1001

Faculty of Humanities · Bachelor
Yamaguchi University

Yamaguchi · National rank #11 · QS #1401

Humanities and Economic Sciences (Master's) · Master Humanities (General) · Bachelor Humanities (PhD) · PhD Humanities and Economic Sciences (PhD) · PhD Humanities (Master's) · Master
International Christian University

Tokyo · National rank #11 · QS #1201

Liberal Arts · Bachelor Doctoral Program in Arts and Sciences · PhD Media, Communication and Culture · Master Comparative Culture · Master Arts and Sciences · Bachelor
Osaka Metropolitan University

Osaka · National rank #11 · QS #901

Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Cultural Studies · Bachelor
Hiroshima University

Hiroshima · National rank #12 · QS #480

Bachelor of Arts in Humanities · Bachelor
Kobe University

Kobe · National rank #12 · QS #482

Graduate School of Humanities - Cultural Studies · Master Faculty of Letters - Humanities · Bachelor
Okayama University

Okayama · National rank #14 · QS #951

Faculty of Letters · Bachelor Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences - Cultural Studies · Master Faculty of Letters - Humanities · Bachelor
Chiba University

Chiba · National rank #15 · QS #791

Design Science · Bachelor Liberal Arts and Sciences · Bachelor Master of Arts in Global Cultures · Master
Sophia University

Tokyo · National rank #18 · QS #951

Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA) · Bachelor Doctoral Program in Humanities · PhD
Kanazawa University

Kanazawa · National rank #18 · QS #901

Fine Arts · Master Cultural Studies · Master
Kumamoto University

Kumamoto · National rank #19 · QS #951

PhD in Humanities · PhD
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Tokyo · National rank #25

Global Liberal Arts Program (GLAP) · Bachelor
Tokyo Metropolitan University

Tokyo · National rank #26 · QS #1001

Humanities · Bachelor Humanities and Social Sciences · Bachelor Master of Humanities and Social Sciences · Master

All Programs

Literature and Human Sciences

Osaka City University

PhD Aid

International Liberal Studies

Waseda University

Bachelor

Culture, Media and Society

Waseda University

Bachelor

Master of Arts in Japanese Language and Culture

Waseda University

Master

Faculty of Letters

Okayama University

Bachelor

Global 30 Undergraduate Program in Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies

Nagoya University

Bachelor

Global 30 International Programs - Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies

Nagoya University

Bachelor

Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences - Cultural Studies

Okayama University

Master

Faculty of Letters - Humanities

Okayama University

Bachelor

PhD in Cultural Studies

Nagoya University

PhD

Undergraduate Program in Literature

Kyushu University

Bachelor

Master's Program in Humanities

Kyushu University

Master

PhD Program in Humanities

Kyushu University

PhD

Graduate Program in Media and Governance

Keio University

PhD

Master's Program (Letters)

Keio University

Master

Doctoral Program (Letters)

Keio University

PhD

Graduate School of Letters

Keio University

PhD

Institute for the Liberal Arts (ILA)

Doshisha University

Bachelor Aid

Graduate School of Media Design

Keio University

PhD

Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA)

Sophia University

Bachelor

Doctoral Program in Humanities

Sophia University

PhD

Arts and Sciences

The University of Tokyo

PhD

Letters

The University of Tokyo

Bachelor

International Culture (English Language)

Meiji University

Bachelor

International Culture

Meiji University

Bachelor

History, Geography

Meiji University

PhD

Literary Arts and Media

Meiji University

Master

Drama and Theater Arts

Meiji University

Master

Visual and Performing Arts

Meiji University

Master

Liberal Arts

Meiji University

PhD

Global Liberal Arts Program (GLAP)

Rikkyo University

Bachelor

College of Global Liberal Arts

Rikkyo University

Bachelor

Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Hiroshima University

Bachelor

International Baccalaureate (IB) Admissions Program in Global Liberal Arts

University of Tsukuba

Bachelor

School of Humanities and Culture

University of Tsukuba

Bachelor

PhD Program in Art and Design

University of Tsukuba

PhD

Bachelor's Program in Art and Design

University of Tsukuba

Bachelor

Humanities

Tokyo Metropolitan University

Bachelor

Humanities and Social Sciences

Tokyo Metropolitan University

Bachelor

Master of Humanities and Social Sciences

Tokyo Metropolitan University

Master

Bachelor of Humanities

Musashi University

Bachelor

Media Technology

Ritsumeikan University

Bachelor STEM

Literature and Culture

Ritsumeikan University

Bachelor

Graduate School of Humanities - Cultural Studies

Kobe University

Master

Faculty of Letters - Humanities

Kobe University

Bachelor

Art

Temple University Japan Campus

Bachelor

Humanities and Economic Sciences (Master's)

Yamaguchi University

Master

Fine Arts

Saga University

Bachelor Aid

SPACE-ARITA (Art & Ceramics)

Saga University

Bachelor Aid

Humanities (General)

Yamaguchi University

Bachelor

Humanities (PhD)

Yamaguchi University

PhD

Humanities and Economic Sciences (PhD)

Yamaguchi University

PhD

Humanities (Master's)

Yamaguchi University

Master

Fine Arts

Kanazawa University

Master

Cultural Studies

Kanazawa University

Master

Faculty of Letters

Aichi University

Bachelor

Graduate School of Letters

Aichi University

Master

Graduate School of Letters (PhD)

Aichi University

PhD

Undergraduate Program in Letters

Kyoto University

Bachelor

Master's Program in Cultural Studies

Aoyama Gakuin University

Master

Department of Comparative Arts

Aoyama Gakuin University

Bachelor

Doctoral Program in Comparative Arts

Aoyama Gakuin University

PhD

Department of Cultural Studies

Aoyama Gakuin University

Bachelor

Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies

Aoyama Gakuin University

PhD

Master's Program in Comparative Arts

Aoyama Gakuin University

Master

Design Science

Chiba University

Bachelor STEM

Liberal Arts and Sciences

Chiba University

Bachelor

Master of Arts in Global Cultures

Chiba University

Master

Faculty of Law and Letters - Department of Letters

Ehime University

Bachelor

Global Liberal Arts Program (GLAP)

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Bachelor

Cultural Studies

Chuo University

Master

Human Sciences

Iwate University

Bachelor

International Cultural Studies

Iwate University

Bachelor

Master of Human Sciences

Iwate University

Master

Faculty of Humanities

Niigata University

Bachelor

Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences - Cultural Studies

Saitama University

PhD

College of Liberal Arts

Saitama University

Bachelor Aid

Humanities

Senshu University

PhD

Liberal Arts

International Christian University

Bachelor STEM

Doctoral Program in Arts and Sciences

International Christian University

PhD

Media, Communication and Culture

International Christian University

Master

Comparative Culture

International Christian University

Master

Arts and Sciences

International Christian University

Bachelor

Faculty of Arts and Sciences - Department of Humanities

Tamagawa University

Bachelor

Faculty of Arts and Sciences - Department of Art and Design

Tamagawa University

Bachelor

Faculty of Letters

Kansai University

Bachelor

Graduate School of Letters

Kansai University

Master

PhD in Humanities

Kumamoto University

PhD

Global Media Studies

Komazawa University

Bachelor

Humanities

Kwansei Gakuin University

PhD Aid

School of Humanities

Kwansei Gakuin University

Bachelor

Graduate School of Humanities

Kwansei Gakuin University

Master

Doctoral Program in Humanities

Kwansei Gakuin University

PhD

Faculty of Global Liberal Arts - Department of Global Liberal Arts

Nanzan University

Bachelor

Graduate School of Humanities (Master's Program)

Nanzan University

Master

Graduate School of Humanities (Doctoral Program)

Nanzan University

PhD

Faculty of Global Liberal Arts

Nanzan University

Bachelor

Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Cultural Studies

Osaka Metropolitan University

Bachelor

Humanities and Social Sciences

Shizuoka University

PhD

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to study Arts & Design in Japan?
Tuition for Arts & Design programs in Japan ranges from $536k–$1280k/yr. 6% of programs offer scholarships or financial aid. Annual living costs (accommodation, food, transport) are approximately $12k.
What are the English language requirements for Arts & Design in Japan?
English-taught Arts & Design programs in Japan typically require:. Requirements vary by university and program level — always check the specific program page.
How many Arts & Design programs are in Japan?
Abroadly lists 99 Arts & Design programs at 41 universities across Japan. Programs are available at Bachelor, Master, and PhD level.
Are Arts & Design programs in Japan STEM-designated?
3% of Arts & Design programs in Japan carry STEM designation. STEM classification can be important for visa purposes in countries like the US and UK after graduation.
Is Japan a good country for Arts & Design students?
Japan is a strong choice for Arts & Design with 41 universities offering these programs. The primary language is Japanese, though many programs are taught in English.
What degree levels are available for Arts & Design in Japan?
In Japan, Arts & Design programs are offered at: PhD (25 programs), Bachelor (50 programs), Master (24 programs). This gives students flexibility whether they're seeking an undergraduate degree, postgraduate specialization, or doctoral research.