Taisho University

What Taisho University does

Taisho University is a private Buddhist-affiliated university located in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, founded in 1926 and approaching its centennial in 2026. It is structurally distinctive within Japanese higher education as the only university jointly sponsored by five Buddhist denominations — Tendai, Shingon Buzan, Shingon Chisan, Jodo, and (since 2018) Jishu — which collectively anchor its student pipeline, faculty composition, and institutional identity. The university operates 7 faculties and 13 departments serving approximately 5,000 students, supported by roughly 192 staff and four research institutes covering Regional Design, Counseling, Information Science (established 2025), and Buddhist Studies.

Its core academic portfolio has historically centered on Buddhist studies, humanities, and social sciences, but the institution is undergoing a deliberate portfolio pivot. In 2026, Taisho is launching a new Faculty of Information Science with two departments — Green Digital Informatics and Digital Cultural Heritage Informatics — and is opening a Brooklyn, New York satellite campus, its first overseas facility. Supporting infrastructure includes a VR Theater and the recently established Information Science Research Institute. International partnerships with KMUTT (Thailand) and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, together with hosting the PAEE/ALE 2026 conference, signal an explicit strategy to reposition the university for international student recruitment and digitally oriented disciplines.

The business model is a tuition-dependent private non-profit: revenue is generated primarily from student tuition and fees across multiple faculties, supplemented by entrance exam fees, continuing education, research grants, auxiliary enterprises, and donor contributions from affiliated Buddhist institutions. The target customer base is individual undergraduate and graduate students, with a deliberate broadening toward international students via the Brooklyn campus and toward STEM/digital-oriented learners via the new Informatics Faculty. Athletic visibility is being built through a track-and-field program aimed at qualifying for the Hakone Ekiden.

Name

Taisho University

Legal name

学校法人大正大学

Website

https://tais.ac.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Taisho University is a private Buddhist-affiliated university in Tokyo, founded in 1926, serving about 5,000 students across 7 faculties. It is launching an Information Science Faculty and Brooklyn satellite campus in 2026 to broaden beyond traditional Buddhist studies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Buddhist Monastic Universities & Dharma Colleges (EDAHAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA), Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Buddhist university
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Liberal arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Toshima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from student tuition, with undergraduate and graduate programs. Tuition structured per semester with admission fees and examination fees as separate charges.
2. Examination and Admission Fees: Revenue from entrance examination fees and admission processing fees
3. Publication Sales: University publishing division sells books through T-Map including TU Selection series, Mandara Library series, research bulletins, and academic publications
4. Continuing Education Programs: Recurrent education programs for adult learners, lifetime learning courses, and professional development offerings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Taisho University is a private multi-denominational Buddhist university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across 7 faculties and 13 departments, including Buddhist Studies, Literature, Human Studies, Clinical Psychology, Expression, Regional Creation, and Information Science. The university delivers on-campus education at its Tokyo Sugamo campus with supplementary locations in Saitama and Brooklyn, New York, supported by student services such as career counseling, library access, recurrent education programs, and a publishing division.

Product overview

Taisho University operates as a comprehensive Buddhist-affiliated university offering a diverse portfolio of academic programs and student services. The university provides a unified platform of educational offerings through its 7 faculties and 13 departments, supported by core technology systems including the T-Po (Taisho Portal) student information system, DAC learning support organization, and the Career Center for employment services. The university has recently expanded into information science with the Information Science Faculty launching in 2026 and the Information Science Research Institute established in 2025. Additional services include the Library system with institutional repository, Brooklyn Satellite Campus for international programs, SDRTV recurrent education platform, and a publishing division producing academic books and journals. The university also operates community engagement programs through its regional innovation initiatives and various student support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 鴨台祭 (Ohdai Festival): The university's annual campus festival, one of the largest events in the Sugamo area
• 鴨台盆踊り (Ohdai Bon Odori)
• kokokara (ココカラ)
• T-Po (ティーポ)
• DAC (総合学修支援機構)
• SHODAIリカレントTV
• 大正大学スマートユニバーシティプロジェクト (U-Smart)
• すがも鴨台観音堂 (Sugamo Ohdai Kannon Hall)
• 南三陸復興ダコの会

Products and services

• T-Po (Taisho Portal)

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduate employment rate and career outcomes supported through dedicated career center with company partnerships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered standard, major and core.

• Stardust Kawaii (スターダスト河内)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026Osaka Hirakata traditional bon odori group collaborating on the 16th Ohdai Bon Odori festival, contributing to cultural programming and dance instruction.
• King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Thai university partnership including vice president delegation participating in PAEE/ALE 2026 conference; discussions on digital cultural heritage and micro-credential international collaboration.
• Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (ブルックリン商工会議所)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Collaborative partnership conducting Brooklyn Made popup stores and cultural exchange events between New York and Japan, aligned with the Brooklyn satellite campus operations.
• Jishu Buddhist Sect (時宗)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Joined as fifth founding denomination in 2018, expanding the multi-denominational Buddhist university structure.
• Peking University (北京大学)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Exchange agreement with China's premier university for academic and cultural exchange programs.
• Shanghai University (上海大学)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Academic exchange partnership with major Chinese university for student and faculty exchanges.
• Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (ミュンヘン大学)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Educational exchange agreement established in 1995 for German-Japanese academic collaboration.
• Henan University (河南大学)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Sister school relationship with Chinese university for international educational exchange.
• University of Hawaii (ハワイ大学)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980Sister school relationship established in 1980 for international academic exchange and student mobility programs.
• Dongguk University (東国大学校)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980Sister school relationship with South Korea's leading Buddhist university established in 1980 for academic exchange.
• Tendai Buddhist Sect (天台宗)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1926One of five founding Buddhist denominations jointly operating Taisho University since establishment in 1926. Provides religious education, temple networks, and Buddhist scholarship support.
• Shingon Buddhist Sect Buzanha (真言宗豊山派)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1926One of five founding Buddhist denominations. Contributes to Buddhist studies curriculum and temple succession training programs.
• Shingon Buddhist Sect Chisansha (真言宗智山派)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1926One of five founding Buddhist denominations supporting the university's Buddhist educational mission.
• Jodo Buddhist Sect (浄土宗)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1926One of five founding Buddhist denominations contributing to Buddhist scholarship and temple networks.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sophia University: Large Catholic-affiliated private comprehensive university in central Tokyo. Comparable as a faith-affiliated, internationally oriented Tokyo private university with humanities, social sciences, and information programs; broader scale and stronger international brand set the competitive ceiling for Taisho.
• Ritsumeikan University: Major private comprehensive university with strong international programs and a focus on Asia-Pacific exchange. Comparable as a broad private incumbent aggressively pursuing international partnerships and cross-border student flows, useful for benchmarking internationalization scale and tuition economics.
• Doshisha University: Major Christian-affiliated private comprehensive university in Kyoto with graduate programs across humanities, social sciences, law, and policy. Comparable as a faith-rooted private comprehensive university pursuing international partnerships and research diversification, though at significantly larger scale.
• Toyo University: Large secular private comprehensive university headquartered in Tokyo with broad humanities, social sciences, and emerging information programs. Relevant as a broader incumbent competing for the same Kanto applicant pool with greater scale and broader program diversity.

Direct peers

• Rissho University: Private Buddhist university affiliated with Nichiren Shoshu. Similar size and mission profile to Taisho — multi-faculty Buddhist comprehensive university with humanities, psychology, and sociology programs, providing a near-direct benchmark for enrollment, tuition economics, and denominational governance.
• Komazawa University: Private Buddhist university in Tokyo affiliated with the Soto Zen sect. Directly comparable as a Tokyo-based private Buddhist comprehensive university with overlapping humanities, Buddhist studies, and cultural heritage offerings; both compete for similar applicant pools in the Kanto region.
• Musashino University: Private Buddhist-affiliated comprehensive university in Tokyo. Comparable as a fellow Tokyo private university with Buddhist institutional roots, a similar faculty mix (humanities, welfare, psychology), and recent expansion into new disciplines — competing for the same prospective student segment.
• Soka University: Private Buddhist university affiliated with Soka Gakkai (Nichiren). Comparable Buddhist comprehensive university with a strong international exchange focus and graduate programs; serves as a benchmark for internationalization scale and Buddhist-affiliated tuition-driven economics.
• Kokugakuin University: Private Shinto-affiliated comprehensive university in Tokyo. Faith-affiliated peer with overlapping humanities, cultural studies, and Shinto/Buddhist heritage programs; useful benchmark for religious-affiliated branding and recruitment in Japan's private higher education sector.

Regional players

• Temple University Japan: American university's Tokyo campus offering undergraduate and graduate programs in arts, business, and education. Comparable as an English-medium international satellite operation in Tokyo; relevant benchmark for how Taisho's Brooklyn satellite and internationalization strategy could evolve.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TaishoUnv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCp6-9sw_nLmm_4GRmWHpucg
• Facebookfacebook.com/TaishoUniversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/taishouniversity
• TikToktiktok.com/@taisho_100
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/taisho-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Taisho University