Nakamura Gakuen University

Nakamura Gakuen University

About

Message from the Chairman and the President

NAKAMURA Kosuke
Chairman of Nakamura Gakuen

Nakamura Gakuen was established in 1954 with the aim of developing nurturing people who combine expertise in nutrition with skill in the preparation of traditional Japanese and other cuisines. For over half a century, the school has sent many graduates into society, nurturing specialists in Japanese foods as well as promising talent in the fields of secondary education and early childhood education.

Interest in Japanese food, which was registered with UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2013, is increasing around the world. One reason for this interest is the excellent nutritional balance of the “one soup and three dishes” style of cuisine, which Nakamura Gakuen provides in the cafeterias of our schools. Our cafeteria foodservice is independently operated, and also provides meals under contract to companies and elsewhere outside the school as a business. Management of this foodservice, a unique program within Japan, connects everyday research into food education with the foodservice business. In exchanges with countries overseas, we discuss global issues on the theme of food and engage in exchanges through food culture. In our university, we develop high-level international food specialists through a double degree program with overseas affiliated schools, among other wide-ranging initiatives.

As a school with roots in food, we will continue advancing research into the functionality of ingredients while preserving traditional Japanese food culture, and will work toward a healthier world with the aim of achieving the SDGs. From this foundation in food, an item so vital to humans, we will enhance other areas of the school's expertise, including education and business, and will continue to deepen cooperation with partners overseas as we strive to develop human resources capable of contributing to the development of the world.

KUBO Chiharu
President of Nakamura Gakuen University

Nakamura Gakuen began life as Fukuoka High School of Nutrition Studies, founded in 1954 by Professor NAKAMURA Haru, who established this educational institution under the following three principles: 1. Never forget your origins, maintain and respect your own beliefs, be grateful at all times and work diligently; 2. Your physical appearance is an expression of your soul; 3. Education and research which unites academia and daily life. We use these principles to combine human, social, cultural, and specialist education into a broad range of comprehensive student-centered educational programs.

Over 30,000 students have graduated from our junior college and 10,000 from our university, all of whom have been instilled with this spirit from our founding days. Our graduates have gone on to contribute to society in numerous ways, including as nutritionists, elementary school and kindergarten teachers, childcare workers, civil servants, and bank employees, working in a variety of commercial fields, such as trading, distribution, and foodstuffs. Nakamura Gakuen has gained a solid reputation in Japan for its high employment rate.

At Nakamura Gakuen, we take a different stance to traditional universities, which merely provide intellectual information and workers to society. Our University, Junior College, Graduate School and Research Institutes make concerted efforts to contribute to the region, collaborate with industry and government, and engage in international exchanges, with the ultimate goal of nurturing leaders at both the local and global levels.