Hokuriku is a small private university in the coastal city of Kanazawa, Japan. The institution has 2,300 students attending its four faculties, with 200 professors and lecturers on staff.
The university began life as a pharmaceutical sciences faculty in 1975. It has always taught a mixture of Western and traditional Chinese medicine and recently added lessons in alternative medicine to the curriculum. Hokuriku has been a sister school of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine since 1986.
As well as pharmaceutical sciences, Hokuriku now also has faculties of health and medical sciences, international communication, and economics and management.
Kanazawa is as a castle town, originally built in the 16th century by the followers of a Buddhist sect that overthrew the earlier governors of the region. The area controlled by this group was known as the Peasant’s Kingdom.
The city now has a population of around 450,000, with several universities and colleges in operation there. In addition to the restored castle, Kanazawa has many other historical attractions such as its well-preserved Geisha houses, where visitors can take in traditional dance performances.
All students are offered a chance to spend a few weeks or a month visiting one of Hokuriku University’s partner institutions. Exchanges that last either six months or a year are also possible. Potential destinations include the University of Ohio in the United States and the University of Wollongong in Australia.
Since 1994, Hokuriku University has run a Japanese language school catering to both current students and non-degree students, such as those wishing to get their speaking levels to the level required to study in Japan.
