Established in October 1973, the University of Tsukuba was established as a comprehensive University in Japan to be established under a country-wide university reform plan.
Although the University of Tsukuba is a new university of about a 40 year history, it has inherited the history and tradition from its predecessor, the Normal School, which was established first in Japan in 1872.

The University of Tsukuba positions itself as a « Mirai Koso Daigaku (a university that creates a future) ». It has been aiming to be an open university in every sense and to meet new challenges to be and interdisciplinary and international university since its establishment. It is, in the truest sense, a « university » aiming to develop human resources who that will be turn into global leaders, and to explore various academic issues such as sciencesranging from the sciences and humanities, sports science, and the arts. As the center of Tsukuba, which is a cutting-edge research base, the University will proceed toward the realization of a world where all human beings live in coexistence and co-prosperity.