Nara University

Nara is a place where one can breathe deeply the rich scents of nature and where the spirit of innovation intersects with the distant past. Deep in this heartland of ancient Japanese culture, on the southern border of the futuristic Kansai Science City stands Nara University. Making full use of this wonderful location and the stimulation of its environment, Nara University is continually leading the way with its unique, cutting-edge research. From the establishment of the Department of the Preservation of Cultural Properties, the first of its kind in Japan, to the introduction of its Geographical Information System, ranked as one of the top in Japan, Nara University is always in pursuit of a better research environment. Since first opening its doors in 1969, Nara University has constantly sought better means of education at the university level. Small class sizes provide a broad liberal arts education in tandem with a specialized education, incorporating both into the university curriculum.

With our eyes on the future, we at Nara University continue forward with more and more innovative changes. We hold on to the belief that genius takes effort, and that the only one who can bring your own wishes to fruition is you. Students who let these lights shine in themselves, and who are not afraid to use their own power will discover themselves, and will never lose sight of their ambitions. Those with full confidence and who do not tire in their efforts are the very image of a well-formed human being, and have the spirit that will lead us to the future.

With a total floorspace of 5,488 m2 spread out over three floors above ground and two floors underground, our Library is the repository for a great number of academic texts and journals. Our entire collection is fully searchable through the library's website. If a document is unavailable locally, you can search a nationwide database provided by the National Institute of Informatics (a national research and educational agency with approximately 1200 participating organizations) and request your document via the national interlibrary loan service.

The exhibition hall on the second floor of the library houses a variety of themed displays of important documents from around the world. The library also houses documents about Nara and cultural properties from all over Japan that concern investigative reports and the history of the prefectures.

Our Computer Center can respond to the needs of our advanced information society with its cutting-edge computer systems, and is fully equipped with the informational devices that can support our students. It is at the Computer Center that the information related classes for each of the academic departments are held, starting with "Information fundamentals and ethics" in the College of Liberal Arts. Any student in these classes will be able to search the Internet to look up research findings inside and outside of the university and exchange information. The center also allows students to set up email accounts and web-based email accounts to use when they are away from the campus. Students are allocated a maximum of 500MB of hard drive space to store their data. The Computer Center also has digital cameras to loan, which students can use in researching and completing their academic assignments. The friendly staff at the Computer Center is available to offer advice on how to use any of the Center's informational devices.

In addition to allowing the storage, examination, and research of the academic documents our institution possesses, the museum conducts exhibitions and symposiums, making the university's research findings widely and publicly available throughout the year, and is a place of lifelong learning that contributes a great deal to the region. For students who want to become museum curators, or for students involved in one of our correspondence courses, the museum is extensively used as a place of practical instruction.