More than 200 distinguished guests gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Temple University, Japan Campus Kyoto (TUJ Kyoto) on January 24, 2025. This important occasion marked a significant milestone in TUJ’s 43-year history in Japan and set the stage for an exciting new chapter.

TUJ Kyoto, a new multi-building satellite in southern Kyoto City’s Fushimi district, celebrated its grand opening with a distinguished guest list. Attendees included Kyoto Prefecture Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki, Kyoto City Mayor Koji Matsui, U.S. Consul General at the Osaka-Kobe Consulate Jason Cubas, Nagasaki Prefecture Vice Governor Yuko Baba, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky.

Senior delegates from Osaka and Ehime prefectures, industry leaders, and a delegation from Temple University’s Main Campus in the U.S.—led by President John Fry and Senior Vice President and Provost Gregory Mandel—also joined the celebration.

The event featured campus tours, lectures, and a panel discussion on overtourism, hospitality management, global leadership and enhancing English education for Japanese students. Cultural highlights included a traditional tea ceremony and a live painting demonstration by an art major student. The festivities concluded with a ribbon-cutting, speeches, and a reception attended by local schools, universities, Kansai businesses, the U.S. Embassy, and the TUJ community.

The event attracted media coverages from Asahi Shimbun and Jiji Press. (Find the links to the articles below)

Take a glimpse at the photos below from the opening reception:

TUJ’s senior leadership team holds campus tour to guests of the opening ceremony.
Yaeko Kabe (left), TUJ adjunct assistant professor and Urasenke-certified instructor, performs a special tea ceremony at TUJ Kyoto.

Guests attend and watch the opening reception ceremony at TUJ Kyoto.

Temple University leaders and distinguished guests cut ribbon at the TUJ Kyoto Opening Reception. 

TUJ art major student Rin Sato, an award-winning artist recognized at the 107th Nika-ten exhibition, performs a live painting demonstration.


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