Top 10 Japanese Fashion Schools in 2024

Are you a lover of fashion? The proceeding paragraphs outline the top 10 Japanese Fashion Schools in 2023.

In all facets of fashion, Japan has established itself internationally.

It consistently shapes its fashion sense and the concepts essential to today’s trend, influencing the fashion-conscious young. 

Japan’s promising arts and fashion institutions may give birth to future designers.

The world knows Japan for its large variety of fashion items, which captures both a traditional and more contemporary side of the country. 

Its clothing spans from understated and refined outfits in neutral colors like white, beige, and nude to avant-garde outfits with frills and garish neon-colored clothing.

The Kimono always comes to mind when one thinks of traditional Japan. The Japanese kimono was a status symbol in pre-war Japan. 

Since the beginning of Japan, layering clothing and materials has been a popular fashion trend. Kimonos come in various patterns, from stunning ones in vivid colors to more subdued ones with more mature themes.

Western influence permeated every aspect of Japanese culture, including its sense of style, during the Meiji Restoration. 

Western clothing became the new status symbol of elite and sophistication, particularly after World War II. 

Western influences on Japanese fashion eventually led to hybrid styles exclusive to Japan.

Keep on reading to learn the 10 best fashion schools in Japan

Are There Japanese Fashion Schools?

There are a good number of fashion schools in Japan and including:

• Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo
• The Joshibi School of Art and Design
• Sugino Fashion College
• Ueda College of Fashion
• Kyoto Seika University
• Yokohama College of Fashion Design
• Tokyo University of Arts
• Mode Gakuen
• Bunka Fashion Graduate University
• Tokyo Designer Gakuin College

Also Read- 10 Best Fashion Schools In Washington

How Long Does it Take to Get a Degree in Fashion in Japan?

In Japan, earning a bachelor’s degree in a fashion normally takes four years, whether you study on-campus or online. 

Additionally, your program can call for internships or capstone courses. Additional elements that affect duration include prior education, professional experience, and full- or part-time attendance.

You will probably also finish an internship or receive on-the-job training regardless of whether you pursue a fashion bachelor’s degree online, hybrid coursework, or in-person teaching. 

Since the employment market is so competitive, networking opportunities and career training are crucial to your success.

How Much Do Fashion Schools in Japan Cost?

The average annual tuition for fashion schools in Japan is from 800,000 to 1.5 million yen. Other fees include an admission charge of 300,000 yen and an application fee of roughly 35,000 yen. 

The cost of tuition varies based on the course; for instance, rigorous courses in garment creation, jewelry design, footwear design, or bag design run about 1.3 million yen annually. 

Take into account Other living costs, such as monthly rent in the city, daily meals, transportation to and from the fashion school, and the price of personal materials for your usage.

Check Out- Best Fashion Schools in New York City

What Are The Requirements of Fashion Schools in Japan?

The fundamental skills needed for the fashion creator course are creating garments and artwork while being unique. 

One must be at least 18 years old and have finished 12 years of education.

The EJU test, administered by the Japan student services organization, requires applicants from outside Japan to receive a score of at least 200.

The Required documents include the following:

• Application form
• Application fee, non-refundable
• Curriculum Vitae
• Copy of your valid passport or identity card
• Copies of all relevant degrees, diplomas, certificates, and transcripts
• Letter of motivation stating your career objectives and program expectations
• Passport-size photograph

What Are The Top 10 Fashion Schools in Japan?

Below, we list and explain the top 10 fashion schools in Japan

1. Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo 

One of the first universities or colleges to open in Japan was Bunka. It was established in 1919 under Dressmaking School and approved in 1923. 

It has a total of about 3,000 alumni who have graduated successfully and are either working for their own clothing company or in some well-known company. 

The renowned fashion website “The Business of Fashion” and Geoworld magazine listed this location as having the second-best fashion school in the entire world in 2015. 

Additionally, it is regarded as Asia’s most esteemed fashion institute. Shinjuku is where Bunka is located in Tokyo. 

The many divisions available to a person are the fashion creator department, the fashion marketing, and distribution department, and the 1983-inaugurated fashion accessories and textile department. 

The renowned British designer Paul Smith visited the campus in 2017 and delivered a lecture. The Educational Foundation Bunka Gakuen is Bunka’s governing body. 

Bunka is recognized as the fashion school that has contributed significantly to the field and given it the best.

Visit School

2. Sugino Fashion College

The founder of Sugino Fashion College, Yoshiko Sugino, is a pioneer in the Japanese fashion sector. 

This college draws students passionate about cutting-edge fashion and design in addition to clothing. 

It is in Tokyo’s Shinagawa-Ku neighborhood. The two departments in question are the departments of attire and fashion expressions. 

The department of fashion expression and the faculty of fashion was introduced in 2018. The institution has several projects, including ones aimed at preventing harassment, enhancing educational standards, and self-evaluation. 

All inquiries about the school are answered by phone, email, or written documents.

Visit School

3. Ueda College of Fashion

The foundation for Ueda, located in Umeda close to an area in Osaka, was laid roughly 70 years ago. 

According to UEDA regulations, no course may have more than 30 students enrolled. Various courses, including those on fashion creation, top creators, and fashion production, are offered here. 

These programs provide unique advice, like the fashion product that prepares students for a future in human resources. 

This also encompasses a recent university effort that is a four-year college-equivalent advanced diploma. 

The top creator’s course, a three-year program that will improve your entrepreneurial, costume-making, and artistic abilities, aids in developing your creative potential. 

The fundamental skills needed for the fashion creator course are creating garments and artwork while being unique. 

One must be at least 18 years old and have finished 12 years of education to be admitted. 

Also, the EJU test, administered by the Japan student services organization, requires applicants from outside Japan to receive a score of at least 200.

Visit School

4. Kyoto Seika University

Anyone interested in studying fashion design in Japan can do so at Kyoto Seika University, which offers a thorough design curriculum. 

The first year begins with a base design course, such as developing clothing for one person, while the second year is spent learning the foundations of disseminating fashion. 

The third-year course emphasizes honing one’s fashion design aesthetic before concluding with graduation projects.

The structure of mass production and consumption needs to be reconsidered in the fashion industry today, and production and consumption patterns need to change to be more sustainable and healthy.

Students in the Fashion Course seek wearer-centered design to improve society via the power of clothing. 

Also, students deepen their understanding of fashion and the state of the industry, aiming to acquire the skills needed to deftly execute the work required of them and create and sustain new work independently. 

In addition to studying garment-making techniques, students learn how fashion can empower others while learning how to research and analyze market needs and promote products in magazines and online.

Visit School

5. Yokohama College of Fashion Design

The Yokohama College of Fashion Design offers fundamental design courses such as pattern making, sewing for fashion, styling, coordination, and even bridal.

The YDC was founded in 1948 as a school for dressmaking. Students can now take fashion design, manga, and visual design courses. 

The school has a well-established support network to assist international students with their Japanese language abilities and daily life in Japan due to the large number of international students who attend.

One of the top vocational schools for teaching designs is YDC, or Yokohama Design College, well-known in Japan for its top-notch Japanese education.

YDC is situated in Yokohama, only 30 minutes from the heart of Tokyo. It is a very practical location since it is only a minute’s walk from the closest station.

Japanese Language School, Design School, and High School are the three schools housed in YDC. 

Both international and domestic students use the same facilities and equipment, making it simple to make friends with people from other parts of Japan and engage in language and cultural exchange.

Yokohama is a bayside city with a fusion of many different cultures and unique worldviews. It has been functionally evolving yearly and is full of suitable environmental sites for study design. 

The Minatomirai neighborhood, Red Brick Park, and Yokohama Museum have all been used as locations for picture and video filming, drawing, and watching during the field trip lectures this institution has aggressively promoted.

There are 420 students enrolled at the moment, 180 in the department of the Japanese language, 170 in the department of design, and 70 in the department of high school.

There are around 25 different nations represented among the students in our department of Japanese Language.

Visit School

6. Tokyo University of Arts

In Japan, a variety of fashion design courses are also offered by the Tokyo University of Arts. For instance, design foundations are provided as a foundational course, followed by lifestyle and diet in the second year. 

The urban environment and design expression are the main topics of the third year, and the fashion design thesis concludes the program in the fourth year.

The Department of Design, established in 1896 at the university’s forerunner, the Tokyo Fine Arts School, served as the foundation for design instruction at Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku (founded in 1887). 

Since then, and despite numerous changes in social structures, cultural awareness, and production methods, the department has played a continual and significant role as a driving force behind the construction of culture and ways of living appropriate to the times.

Since its inception, the department has adhered to its educational philosophy, pursuing a comprehensive education, developing advanced design skills based on tradition, and cultivating a creative spirit to act as a creative force in our contemporary world. 

Based on this principle, the department has continued to graduate many highly skilled designers.

There is a need for fundamental questions and solutions addressing the roots of how we live now amid cultural diversity and developing information technology. 

However, the department intends to respond to these inquiries by reaffirming its teaching philosophy, which aims to respect tradition and innovation while achieving practicality and beauty in daily life.

Visit School

7. Mode Gakuen

The largest training facility in Japan, Mode Gakuen, with campuses in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. 

It has many different fashion departments, including those for CAD Patterns, Fashion Design, Fashion Technology, and Fashion Business.

A school where you may learn about cutting-edge innovation and business, from fashion to beauty.

In Nagoya, MODE GAKUEN was founded in 1966. The school buildings are currently three minute’s walk from each terminal station in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, making it one of the biggest vocational schools in Japan.

It is a university approved as a “Professional Post-secondary Course” for practical education by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.

Special lectures are delivered by experts at the forefront of the sector, starting with curriculum development that considers current needs. They offer a cutting-edge learning environment.

Approximately 4,700 students are currently enrolled in the fashion, design, business, stylist, interior, graphic, makeup, and hair stylist programs at MODE GAKUEN. 

Due to their practical knowledge and the career assistance they got based on the demands of human resources in each business, graduates are highly regarded.

At the “CREAPOLE” campus in Paris, they have also implemented a study abroad program, fostering an environment for cultivating artists who will become active globally.

Visit School.

8. Bunka Fashion Graduate University

The graduate school bridges the gap between untapped local talent and the global market by riding the oncoming wave of Japanese fashion.

Bunka Fashion Graduate University, Japan’s first and only professional fashion graduate school, offers two majors in fashion management and creation. 

Through cooperation with government organizations like the Niigata Prefecture Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Iwate Prefecture Government, and the Tourist Association of Shinjuku-ku Tokyo, the school actively participates in its community. 

By the end of the two-year program, the graduate curriculum focuses on preparing students to become leaders in the fashion industry. 

Students have finished previous projects, including partnerships with H&M and Japanese school uniform manufacturers, now in its 13th year since its founding. 

With alumni moving on to develop their brands and businesses, the faculty hopes to strengthen Japan’s position in the international market by training students with business sense. 

Additionally, it offers new hire training for firms like Comme des Garçons. University graduates work domestically and globally industry for influential people like Yusuke Takahashi, the creator of Issey Miyake Men.

Visit School

9. Tokyo Designer Gakuin College

Tokyo Designer Gakuin College is a school that provides courses in the fashion industry.

Each division keeps up with the most recent innovations and trends and cultivates close ties with leading corporations. 

Students will have the chance to practice in a real working setting while receiving instruction from professionals in the field.

Over 44,000 people have graduated from Tokyo Designer Gakuin College (TDG), a comprehensive design school with three facilities in the heart of Tokyo and a 50-year history. 

Each student at TDG will complete a curriculum recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Education over two years to become a design specialist. 

The Visual Design department at TDG uses SideFX Houdini to train students to become VFX experts.

10. Joshibi University of Art and Design

Joshibi College of Art and Design offers apparel instruction and passes dependable skills and practices to the following generation.

This University of Art and Design implements the social contributions of DCPs (Design Center Projects).

Other DCPs feature designs for uniforms for medical and educational institutions, and others still involve textile exchanges with communities abroad.

Students who study fashion and textiles gain the knowledge and abilities necessary to make and design the clothes and materials that society needs. 

They also use women’s particular perspectives to design and produce children’s clothing, toys, and personalities. 

They pursue art and design in fashion and textiles through the study of theory and experience in food, housing, space, sound, language and literature, heritage and high technology, medical science, philosophy, psychology, and ecology. 

They also collaborate with other fields and carry out projects from unique viewpoints.

In this area, numerous initiatives are being carried out. Through fashion and textiles, students participate in academic and extracurricular activities that are collaborative and cooperative with families and kids, local communities and society, businesses, and healthcare facilities from a female perspective.

Visit School

Also Check Out- The top 10 Best Fashion Design Schools in Canada

What Are The Fashion Schools In Tokyo?

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan. It has many fashion schools that offer different degrees in fashion courses.

These schools include:

• Bunka Fashion Graduate University
• Mode Gakuen
• Sugino Gakuen

What Are Fashion Design Schools In Japan?

Many colleges offer a course in fashion design because Japan is known as a center of the fashion industry. 

The fundamentals of fashion design, such as how to create clothing and accessories, as well as the various styles of fashion, including their history and cultures, are covered by these fashion schools. 

Japan requested more foreign fashion design students due to the demand for contemporary clothing. 

This is a fantastic chance for aspiring designers who desire to further their studies at one of the world’s fashion epicenters.

The following are some of the best fashion design colleges and institutions in Japan that you might want to look into:

• Bunka Fukusou Gakuin
• Sugino Fashion College
• Kyoto Seika University
• Yokohama College of Fashion Design

Don’t Fail To Read- 11 Best Cosmetology Schools in the World

Conclusion

Since Japan is the world’s third-largest importer of clothing after Europe, those who have studied fashion have access to a wide range of business prospects. 

The market is huge, and there is a huge need for clothing and fashion. Thus, there are countless work options for recent grads. 

Another benefit of attending a fashion school in Japan is that many of the institutions have excellent networks that can connect students to employment prospects.

Because it offers options ranging from refined and modest to wild and unorthodox, Japan is regarded as one of the world’s top fashion destinations. 

Therefore, for aspiring fashion designers who desire to study fashion in the heart of Japan, Japan offers top-notch education. For imaginative seekers out there, try studying in Japan!

Check out

Frequently Asked Questions

References

• ceoworld.biz/2021– Where To Study Fashion Designing In Japan, 2021
• we-xpats.com– New Class of Style Icons: Study Fashion Design in Japan
• bestcolleges.com– Bachelor’s in Fashion Program Guide
• free-apply.com– Tokyo – Bachelor programs in Fashion