Temple University’s Expansion in Tokyo Metro Area Leads to New Partnership with Kawasaki

TUJ President Matthew Wilson (left) and Kawasaki Mayor Norihiko Fukuda (right) sign an agreement at Kawasaki City Hall on October 7, 2026.

• TUJ partners with Kawasaki to advance international education and cultural exchange
• Ninth partnership strengthens collaboration with Japanese municipalities and institutions
• Partnership follows the opening of Hillside Center, TUJ’s second major Tokyo-area location

Temple University Japan (TUJ) has formalized a new partnership with Kawasaki City, further strengthening its commitment to advancing international education and promoting cultural and community exchange. The agreement comes as TUJ expands its presence in the Tokyo metropolitan area with the opening of Hillside Center, its second major location in the area, in Kawasaki.

TUJ President Matthew Wilson and Kawasaki Mayor Norihiko Fukuda met at Kawasaki City Hall on October 7 to formalize a collaboration and cooperation agreement aimed at sustainable community development and people-to-people exchanges through the mutual use of intellectual and physical resources.

The gown-to-town partnership includes initiatives to support English language education and promote international understanding. TUJ will provide support for English classes and facilitate intercultural learning activities at public elementary, junior high and high schools in Kawasaki. The university will also offer domestic study abroad programs for students in the city.

To further strengthen intercultural ties, the partnership will aim to provide internship opportunities for students through placements at Kawasaki City Hall, municipal offices, as well as research institutions and leading international businesses which base their headquarters or offices in the area.

Wilson said the university’s ninth partnership with a municipal government reflects “Temple University’s strategic goal to strengthen society and positively impact Japan.”  He said, “Temple has been committed to Japan for nearly 45 years, and our partnership with Kawasaki reflects our continued commitment to contributing to the communities where we live, work, and learn.”

“As a leading American university with an English-language campus in Japan, we are proud to connect students, educators, businesses, and communities across cultures and borders,” Wilson added.  “With the opening of Hillside Center in Mizonokuchi, thousands of students from Japan, the United States, and more than 100 countries now have the opportunity to study, live, and engage in the Kawasaki community. We look forward to working with Kawasaki City to create meaningful opportunities for international education, cultural exchange, and community engagement that benefit both our students and the people of Kawasaki.”

TUJ’s relationship with Kawasaki City began earlier this year, when the university decided to acquire its new Hillside Center. Mayor Fukuda and a delegation from Kawasaki City also attended the grand opening ceremony of Hillside Center on September 4. For the occasion, the mayor delivered a keynote congratulatory message warmly welcoming Temple’s opening of the new academic center and its entrance into the community.

“We hope students from around the world will deepen their learning through connections with our community, local businesses and one another, carrying new value and growing into global leaders,” the mayor’s message noted. “We look forward to strengthening the partnership between Kawasaki City and Temple University Japan to foster talent and contribute to the continued development of our community.”

The Hillside Center is a 7,000-square-meter academic facility located in Mizonokuchi, Kawasaki. The opening marks TUJ’s latest expansion in the Tokyo region, less than two years after the opening of TUJ Kyoto in January 2025. The Hillside Center is easily accessible from TUJ’s City Campus in Setagaya City, creating a closely connected network of facilities to serve Temple University’s growing student community.

At Hillside, Temple aims to provide students with an elevated first-year experience and greater access to General Education courses. These provide Temple students with a broad, interdisciplinary foundation in critical thinking, communication, quantitative reasoning, scientific inquiry, and global and cultural understanding.

Kawasaki is Temple’s fourth partnership with a city, following agreements with Kyoto in February 2025, Tokyo’s Setagaya in December 2022 and Minato in May 2006. At the prefectural level, Temple has established partnerships with Kyoto in February 2025, Ehime and Nagasaki in March 2024 and Yamanashi in December 2022. The university also has an active collaborative agreement with the Osaka Board of Education.

TUJ is a branch campus of Temple University, one of only 21 universities in the U.S. to hold both the highest research rating of Research-1 (R1) status and the Opportunity College and University designation in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications.

Established in 1982, TUJ is the oldest and largest foreign university branch campus in Japan and continues to grow and expand. In 2005, it became the first institution to receive official designation as a Foreign University, Japan Campus, from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

In fall 2026, TUJ’s degree-seeking student enrollment, including graduate school, exceeded 4,200 for the first time in the university’s history, with students representing more than 100 countries and regions. Admissions have also become increasingly competitive, while undergraduate enrollment has more than tripled over the past five years.

In addition to its degree programs, TUJ offers non-degree programs for learners of all ages, with a community focus on advancing English-language education from youth through adulthood.

• TUJ Deepens Partnership With India; President Wilson Highlights Four Intelligences for AI-Era Education (July 13, 2026)
• TUJ President Wilson Meets with Kanagawa Governor Ahead of Hillside Center Opening in Fall 2026 (May 21, 2026)
• Temple University to Open Second Major Location in Tokyo (March 2, 2026)