Campus Walk No. 42: The University of Tokyo New York Office
The University’s hub for academic exchange and industry-academia-government collaboration in North America
Keiko Matsuzaki
Office Coordinator
The University of Tokyo New York Office
A four-minute walk to Central Park, and only one minute by foot to Carnegie Hall – the University of Tokyo New York Office (“UTokyoNY”) is on the 21st floor of Nippon Club Tower, which is located in the center of Manhattan.
UTokyoNY was established in 2015 at the initiative of the University’s Institute of Medical Science and Institute of Industrial Science to facilitate research and education as well as the two institutes’ academic and social collaboration activities in the United States. In 2019, it was transformed into a university-wide facility operated largely by the Division for External Relations. In the summer of 2021, the Office was reopened after a major refurbishment to serve as a space for seminars, exhibitions, workshops and various other activities.
When you arrive at the top floor of the building, you will see shelving covering the wall from floor to ceiling. This shelving, called “Chi no Tana” (“shelves of wisdom”) is where we exhibit wooden materials donated by local governments that have some kind of relationship or association with UTokyo. The exhibits include wooden materials used in the construction of Tokyo Station and Kintai Bridge as well as old desks used by the First Higher School. Together they symbolize Japan’s incomparable wooden architectural skill. Associate Professor Yoshiyuki Kawazoe at the Institute of Industrial Science, who engaged in the design work for the refurbishment of the Office, hopes the shelves will inspire people working at the Office and facilitate dialogue with visitors.
The Office is equipped with cameras, microphones and a large monitor for the organization of hybrid events (events held both online and in person), which is a norm in these post-COVID times, and we expect that the Office will be widely utilized as a place of communication about UTokyo and its research activities.
In AY2022, a range of events was held at UTokyoNY across various fields and in multiple styles. These include a lecture given by Distinguished University Professor Makoto Fujita, the “Convergence of Peace Activities: Connecting and Integrating by Technologies” exhibition held under the leadership of Professor Hidenori Watanave, and the Japan Studio Symposium held at the initiative of University Professor Kengo Kuma and others. The Office also supported the organization of events held at other facilities located in the city of New York.
UTokyoNY is a nonprofit public charity established in the United States, and donations made to it are tax deductible. If you would like to support the Office, or support UTokyo’s research activities through the New York Office from the United States, I hope you will consider donating to UTokyoNY.
UTokyoNY’s space is available for events and is used mainly for those related to the University, including alumni events.
UTokyoNY has a lot of potential. With your support, all of us at the Office will work to boost the University’s presence in the United States.
