Osaka Ohtani University

What Osaka Ohtani University does

Osaka Ohtani University (大阪大谷大学) is a private Japanese university operated by the Otani Gakuen Educational Corporation (学校法人大谷学園), headquartered at its main Tondabayashi campus in Osaka Prefecture with a secondary urban campus at Abeno Harukas in central Osaka. The university delivers higher education across four faculties and seven departments: Literature (Japanese Language and Literature, History and Culture), Education (Education Department, restructured in Reiwa 7/2025 with flexible post-enrollment specialization), Human Sciences (Human Societies, Psychology and Welfare, Sports and Health Sciences), and Pharmacy (a 6-year professional program with ¥540,000 in practical training fees). Graduate programs operate in Literature Research and Pharmacy Research (4-year doctoral). Revenue is generated primarily through recurring semester-based tuition, enrollment fees, and facility fees, with annual tuition ranging from approximately ¥1,284,000 for humanities programs to ¥2,224,000 plus practical training fees for pharmacy transfer students.

The university serves four customer segments: domestic Japanese high school students as the primary audience (primarily from Kansai prefectures), international students qualifying for tuition reduction programs, university transfer students (especially into pharmacy 2nd-4th year entry), and working adults pursuing professional credentials. Technology infrastructure includes Microsoft 365-integrated LMS for all enrolled students and the UCARO internet-based application platform for admissions processing. The university launched OTO& (オトンダ), an e-portfolio and student engagement platform, in September 2025. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: prospective students are recruited through open campus events, individual consultations, high school teacher briefings, and a multi-channel digital presence spanning official website, LINE, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

The university's competitive position rests on a dense distribution network of 20+ municipal boards of education partnerships (for teacher training pipelines), pharmacist association agreements (Nara Prefecture and Kashiwara City for community pharmacy initiatives), and high school partnership agreements. Research differentiation is demonstrated through the Pharmacy Faculty's protein crystal growth experiments aboard the ISS 'Kibo' module and competitive grant capture from JSPS and the Nippon Ham Food Future Foundation. Education and pharmacy programs report strong career placement outcomes. Leadership includes President 串田俊彦 (Toshihiko Kushida) and Chairman of the Board 左藤章 (Akira Sato), with faculty deans overseeing each of the four academic units.

Name

Osaka Ohtani University

Legal name

大阪大谷大学 (Osaka Ohtani University)

Website

https://osaka-ohtani.ac.jp

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Osaka Ohtani University is a private Japanese university operated by Otani Gakuen Educational Corporation, delivering undergraduate and graduate education across four faculties (Literature, Education, Human Sciences, Pharmacy) to primarily domestic high school students in the Kansai region, with revenue derived from recurring tuition and facility fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tondabayashi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: Primary revenue from student tuition fees, enrollment fees (入学金), and facility fees across undergraduate, graduate, and professional education programs. Tuition is charged on a semester basis with annual totals varying by faculty.
2. Practical Training Fees (Pharmacy): The pharmacy faculty charges practical training fees (実務実習費) totaling 540,000 yen across the 3rd to 5th years, representing a supplementary revenue stream tied to clinical placement programs.
3. International Student Fee Reductions/Scholarships: The university offers tuition reduction programs for private international students (私費外国人留学生), reducing enrollment fees and halving tuition and facility fees for qualifying recipients, funded partially through institutional budget allocations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Osaka Ohtani University is a private Japanese university that delivers undergraduate and graduate education across four faculties: Literature (Japanese Language and Literature, History and Culture), Education, Human Sociology (Human Societies, Psychology and Welfare, Sports and Health Sciences), and Pharmacy (6-year professional degree). It also offers graduate programs in Literature Research and Pharmacy Research, plus an Education Specialist Course for working professionals. Students are served through on-campus instruction at the Tondabayashi main campus and the Harukasu Campus in central Osaka, supported by a Microsoft 365-integrated LMS and the OTO& e-portfolio platform.

Product overview

Osaka Ohtani University is a private Japanese university with four faculties: Faculty of Literature (Department of Japanese Language and Literature, Department of History and Culture), Faculty of Education (Education Department), Faculty of Human Sciences (Department of Human Societies, Department of Psychology and Welfare, Department of Sports and Health Sciences), and Faculty of Pharmacy (Pharmacy Department). The university also offers graduate programs in Literature Research and Pharmacy Research. The institution's educational services include undergraduate admissions, transfer admissions, international student admissions, graduate school admissions, and professional education programs through its Education Specialist Course.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Pharmacy graduates achieve high licensure examination pass rates and employment at major hospitals and pharmacies.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Koyodai High School (向陽台高等学校)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 December 2025Osaka Ohtani University signed a high school partnership agreement (高大連携協定) with Koyodai High School on December 25, 2025, to facilitate student guidance, collaborative educational programs, and recruitment pathways between the two institutions.
• Tendozan High School (東大谷高校) - Pharmacist Training ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025The Pharmacy Faculty conducted a special seminar for the Tendozan High School Pharmacist Training Program (東大谷高校药师育成プログラム), aimed at high school students considering a career in pharmacy.
• Kashiwara City Pharmacists Association (柏原市药师会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2025The university signed a comprehensive agreement with the Kashiwara City Pharmacists Association on May 16, 2025, to promote academic exchange, joint research activities, and community health initiatives in the Kashiwara region.
• Nara Prefecture Pharmacists Association ((一社)奈良県药师会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2025Osaka Ohtani University signed a comprehensive academic exchange agreement (包括協定) with the Nara Prefecture Pharmacists Association on March 18, 2025, for joint research, community pharmacy initiatives, and regional healthcare collaboration.
• National Taitung University (国立臺東大学, Taiwan)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2025The Education Faculty conducted an academic exchange (学術交流) with National Taitung University in Taiwan on February 12, 2025, as part of internationalization efforts in teacher education.
• Osaka Minami Fire Department (大阪南消防局)minorOthersThe university registered as an AED facility under the Osaka Minami Fire Department's 'Machi-kado Kyukyū Station Project' (まちかど救急ステーション事業) in August 2025, demonstrating community engagement in emergency health response.
• 20+ Municipal Boards of Education (大阪府下自治体教育委员会)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Education Faculty maintains formal partnership agreements with 20+ municipal boards of education (河内長野市, 大阪市, 京都市, 大阪狭山市, 富田林市, 泉大津市, 羽曳野市, 高石市, 和泉市, 岸和田市, 貝塚市, 橋本市, 神戸市, 松原市, 藤井寺市, 堺市, 大阪府) and school organizations (大阪府私立幼稚園連盟, 大阪府立堺支援学校, 大阪府立八尾支援学校, 大阪府立富田林支援学校) for teacher training internships, school visits, and career development programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Doshisha University: Major private university in Kyoto with comprehensive faculties including letters, education, and social sciences. A larger, more established competitor in the same Kansai region with substantially stronger national brand recognition.
• Kwansei Gakuin University: Established private university in the Kansai region (Hyogo/Osaka) with comprehensive faculties including letters, education, and social sciences. Comparable multi-faculty private university competing in the same regional market.
• Ritsumeikan University: Large private university with campuses in Kyoto and Osaka (Ibaraki) offering humanities, education, and social sciences. Competes for the same Kansai high school students with greater scale and broader faculty offerings.

Direct peers

• Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University: Pharmacy-focused university in Osaka Takatsuki with 6-year pharmacy and graduate programs. Most directly comparable institution for the pharmacy faculty's clinical training model and pharmacist training pipeline.
• Tezukayama University: Private university in Nara with letters, education, and human sciences faculties. Similar size and Kansai-region positioning as Osaka Ohtani, with comparable faculty mix and target student demographics.
• Kobe Pharmaceutical University: Private pharmaceutical university in Kobe offering 6-year pharmacy and graduate research programs. Directly comparable to Osaka Ohtani's Pharmacy Faculty in program structure, clinical training, and graduate employment outcomes.
• Setsunan University: Private university in Neyagawa, Osaka with faculties including letters, human sciences, and pharmacy. Comparable in scale and scope to Osaka Ohtani, with similar positioning as a multi-faculty Kansai regional private university.
• Kansai University: Large private university in Osaka's Kansai region with multiple faculties including letters, education, and pharmacy-adjacent programs. Comparable as a multi-faculty private university competing for the same high school student pool in the same geography.
• Nara University: Private university in Misasagi, Nara with letters, education, and sociology faculties. Comparable mid-sized Kansai private university with similar faculty structure and overlapping student recruitment geography.

Regional players

• Kansai Gaidai University: Private university in Osaka's Hirakata with renowned international student programs. Comparable as a Kansai private university with strong international student recruitment infrastructure, though more specialized in foreign studies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPuBB8fuWmeeh6L7bgczCyw
• Instagraminstagram.com/osakaohtani_univ_ad
• TikToktiktok.com/@osaka_ohtani_univ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/%E5%A4%A7%E9%98%AA%E5%A4%A7%E8%B0%B7%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Osaka Ohtani University