TSUKUBA Japan_Cities_CITYPLUS 城市

Tsukuba: Japan’s Leading Science and Innovation City

Located in Ibaraki Prefecture, approximately 50 kilometers from Tokyo, Tsukuba offers both excellent connectivity and a high-quality living environment. The city is easily accessible from central Tokyo—about 45 minutes via the Tsukuba Express or around 65–75 minutes by high-speed bus.

Known as “Tsukuba Science City", it is Japan’s largest hub for research and development. It is home to 29 national research and educational institutions, along with numerous private research organizations, corporations, and startups. In total, the city hosts over 300 research-related entities, forming a highly concentrated and dynamic innovation ecosystem.

In 2011, Tsukuba was designated as an International Strategic Comprehensive Special Zone by the Japanese government. Building on its strong foundation in science and technology, the city continues to drive innovation with global impact. A key initiative, the “Tsukuba Super Science City", promotes the integration of advanced technologies such as AI and robotics to address societal challenges and enhance urban development.

Tsukuba is also a highly international city, attracting talent from around the world. As of December 2023, it is home to 12,663 foreign residents from 144 countries and regions. With a total population of approximately 263,000 (as of April 2026), the city includes around 20,000 researchers—among them roughly 8,000 PhD holders—alongside a continuous influx of visiting scholars and professionals.

Tsukuba Science Institutions Information

Tsukuba is a well-known science city in Japan, located in the southern part of lbarakiPrefecture, with the Tsukuba Science City as its core. It brings together around 30 nationalresearch institutes, as well as several higher education institutions such as the University ofTsukuba and Tsukuba University of Technology. The city is renowned for its advancedfacilities and strong research foundation.

The University of Tsukuba is a modern national comprehensive university and serves as thecity' s key talent hub. Within the urban area, the National Institute of Advanced IndustrialScience and Technology (AIST) is Japan' s largest industrial technology research base,while the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) is one of the world' sleading centers for high-energy physics research.

The core planned area of the city is approximately 27 square kilometers, of which about 15square kilometers are designated for research and education, and about 12 squarekilometers are allocated for residential and supporting facilities. In terms of spatial layout, thecentral area serves as a comprehensive service and commercial hub; the northern area isdedicated to education and research; the southern and eastern parts host major science andengineering research institutions; while the northwest and southwest zones are home toresearch facilities in architecture, biology, and agriculture. In addition to researchers,university students, and their families, the city also has a large number of commuters whotravel daily to Tokyo via the Tsukuba Express.

KEK

KEK, one of the world's leading laboratories for accelerator science, was founded in 1997.Its mission is to operate Japan's largest particle physics laboratory in Tsukuba, lbarakiPrefecture. The main function of KEK is to provide particle accelerators and otherinfrastructure for high energy physics, materials science, structural biology, radiation science,computational science, nuclear transmutation, etc. KEK has carried out a large number ofexperiments using these technologies. Makoto Kobayashi, KEK's Honorary Professor, wonthe 2008 Nobel Prize in physics.

Tsukuba Global Innovation Promotion Agency

Tsukuba Global Innovation Promotion Agency (TGl) was established in 2011 by lbarakiPrefecture, Tsukuba City, the University of Tsukuba, and other research institutions. It servesas a hub for promoting initiatives related to the "Tsukuba International StrategicComprehensive Special Zone," designated by the national government. Currently, TGlworks closely with governments, universities, research institutions, and companies to providea wide range of support activities and foster an innovation ecosystem in Tsukuba.

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