Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike signed a pact with New York University on Tuesday to explore the possibility of establishing an NYU campus in Tokyo, as the city seeks to strengthen its profile as an international education and research hub.
The memorandum of understanding, signed during Koike¡¯s visit to New York, calls for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and NYU to begin formal discussions on creating a campus in Tokyo, according to the metropolitan government.
¡°The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and New York University share a global perspective,¡± Kyodo News quoted Koike as telling reporters in New York on Tuesday. ¡°I look forward to deepening our cooperation in the future.¡±
The Metropolitan Government will consider the city of Musashimurayama in western Tokyo as a potential location for the campus over the medium to long term, according to media reports. The city is set to benefit from a planned extension of the Tama Urban Monorail, which is expected to reach Musashimurayama in the mid-2030s.
The two sides will also discuss establishing a hub in Tokyo for NYU students taking part in study abroad programs.
Under the memorandum, Tokyo and NYU will hold regular exchanges on academic research, explore an expansion of the university¡¯s study abroad program and consider the development of a permanent campus.
They also plan to cooperate on issues facing both Tokyo and New York, including natural disasters, climate change, artificial intelligence and urban sustainability.
Founded in 1831 and based in Manhattan, NYU has about 60,000 students and operates degree-granting campuses in the cities of Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, and academic centers in 13 countries. It was ranked 31st in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. The University of Tokyo placed 26th.
NYU isn¡¯t the only U.S. university looking to expand their presence in Japan. The Japan Campus of Temple University¡¯s newest location is scheduled to start classes next month in Kawasaki.
Koike began her New York visit Tuesday and is scheduled to return Sunday. Before visiting NYU, she met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at U.N. headquarters.
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