Campus Design Division

Campus Design Division

The Campus Design Division carries out: (a) planning for the effective use of campus buildings, facilities, structures, and land on campus, (b) planning for the Campus Master Plan and other related policies, and (c) coordinating facility development planning.

Recent Topics and Updates

Revised Framework Plan for Barrier-free Design and Sign System (AY2026)

The Framework Plan for Barrier-free Design and Sign System has been revised. For details, please refer to the link below.

(Link: Framework Plan for Barrier-free Design and Sign System )

Visit by National Taiwan Normal University (AY2025)

A delegation led by the Vice President of National Taiwan Normal University visited UOsaka. We presented our initiatives for sustainable campus development and hosted a tour of the Minoh Campus for the delegation.

(November 2025 Article)

Revised the University of Osaka Campus Master Plan (AY2024)

The University of Osaka Campus Master Plan has been revised. For details, please refer to the link below.

(Link: The University of Osaka Campus Master Plan )

UOsaka Campus Image Survey conducted (AY2024)

UOsaka Campus Image Survey has been conducted. For details, please refer to the link below.

(Link: UOsaka Campus Image Survey )

Key Activities

Development of the University of Osaka Campus Master Plan and related frameworks

The Campus Design Division has formulated the Campus Master Plan and related frameworks, namely the Framework Plan for Barrier-free Design and Sign System and the Framework Plan for Greenery Design and Maintenance and has revised them in response to changes in UOsaka policies and social circumstances. For details, please refer to the links below.

(Link: The University of Osaka Campus Master Plan )

In connection with the Campus Master Plan, regional plans covering the entire Suita Campus were officially adopted as an urban planning measure by the cities of Suita and Ibaraki in FY2018. Under these plans, green conservation areas were designated to preserve rich greenery. Through the maintenance and management of the green network linking Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Senri Ryokuchi Park, Senri Kita Park, and the Nishihozumi Hills, as well as the satoyama woodlands located in the center of the district, these valuable spatial and natural resources will be preserved and nurtured as assets for the local communities.

(Link: Regional Plan for the UOsaka Area, Suita City ) (link in Japanese only)
(Link: Regional Plan for the UOsaka Area, Ibaraki City ) (link in Japanese only)

Considerations regarding objectives for welfare facilities

As several years have passed since the plan was formulated in AY2017 and various campus development initiatives have been implemented, it is now an appropriate time to review the plan in light of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent social conditions. The Campus Design Division participates in the Welfare Facilities Committee, established in AY2024, as well as in two working groups under the Committee: the Future Planning Working Group and the Research Working Group. In AY2025, a university-wide survey on welfare facilities was conducted, with a long-term development plan to be finalized in AY2026.

Reviewing the use of real estate

In response to amendments to the National University Corporation Act and other developments, the Campus Design Division aims to maximize the effective use of campus land and buildings, including attracting private-sector companies, to further enhance its education and research activities by incorporating a wide range of perspectives from across the university. Preparations are currently underway to establish the necessary framework, and detailed planning and evaluation are currently underway.

Oversight of campus development plans

The Campus Design Division provides oversight throughout the entire process of campus development plans, from initial planning and concept development to design and construction, ensuring alignment with the Campus Master Plan and related guidelines. For major examples of completed projects, please refer to “the Examples of maintenance based on the Campus Master Plan” section below.

UOsaka Campus Image Survey

Campus Design Division conducts regular surveys and analyses on perceptions of the Toyonaka, Suita, and Minoh campuses, including their scenery, accessibility, and recent improvements and developments to major common spaces. For further details, please refer to the link below.

(Link: UOsaka Campus Image Survey)

Take no Kai

Since 2011, bamboo grove thinning and cleanup activities have been organized on the campus five times a year on an ongoing basis, in collaboration with students and faculty members, primarily involving residents of Shibaharacho, located adjacent to the eastern side of Toyonaka Campus. Thanks to these ongoing efforts, healthy bamboo shoots can now be harvested each spring, and the activities attract as many as 150 participants. Some of the bamboo collected through the thinning activities is used by local community centers and elementary schools, while the rest is utilized for university events, education, and research. For further information, please see the link below.

(Link: UOsaka x SDGs) (link in Japanese only)

Examples of maintenance based on the Campus Master Plan

UOsaka's new Minoh Campus, Research and Education Hub (AY2020)

(Steel reinforced concrete, 10 stories, building area: approx. 4,500㎡, total are approx. 25,000㎡)

UOsaka's new Minoh Campus, with its Research and Education Hub and dormitories, has opened as a part of the redevelopment project for the station plaza at Minoh-semba handai-mae Station (opened in 2023).

Construction started in January 2019, was completed in December 2020, and the campus opened in April 2021.

Within the same block, a public library, a lifelong learning center, large and small performance halls, and a pedestrian deck that connects them are being developed. These facilities are expected to create synergies in the fields of academia, culture, and the arts. The public library also functions as the university’s International Studies Library. UOsaka is the first national university in Japan to manage both a library and a lifelong learning center.

Part of the deck and plaza are incorporated into the university campus and designed to accommodate the university’s long-standing student summer festival, embodying the concept of an “campus open to the public.”

In planning this campus, under the concept of “a university functioning as a living laboratory,” we discussed joint research with corporations and collaborations with Minoh City with landowners in the project area and the Minoh Semba Urban Development Committee.

Furthermore, under the globally recognized LEED rating system, the campus earned LEED-ND Gold certification for its environmentally sustainable neighborhood development, while Research and Education Hub itself received LEED-NC Gold certification. This is the first university campus in Japan to obtain ND certification, and NC Gold certification has been awarded to only one other university facility in the country, making this the second such case in Japan.

(Link: LEED )

Improvement of the landscape in the Senri-mon Gate area (AY2020)

At the end of March 2021, the corner of the Senri-mon Gate intersection was redesigned to embrace the natural terrain to create a setting that serves as a defining feature of the campus. The plan is designed to create opportunities for future retail and other commercial uses. The areas not addressed in this phase are also planned for future development.

Renovation of the Cherry Blossom Loop Street, Suita Campus (AY2020)

Renovation work was carried out on Cherry Blossom Loop Street to improve pedestrian circulation and enhance the landscape along the boulevard leading from Senri-mon Gate.

The project improved the growing environment for existing vegetation and established a greenery-focused landscape, while also ensuring adequate sidewalk width to enhance the comfort of the pedestrian space. While preserving the tree-lined character created by the zelkova and cherry trees, low shrubs along the roadway that obstructed visibility were cut and replaced with groundcover plants and block paving, creating a more open and aesthetically appealing space.

Renovation of the pedestrian walkway from Senri-mon Gate to West Gate, Suita Campus (AY2019)

The sidewalk along Yamadakami-Onohara Route between Senri-mon Gate and West Gate on the Suita Campus is used daily by students, faculty, staff, and local residents. However, its narrow width made it difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to pass one another safely, while gutter lids along the walkway created slippery and potentially hazardous conditions. To address these issues, we took the lead in widening the sidewalk by providing university property for use as a walking path. The project was completed in June 2019, creating a safer and more comfortable route.

Surveys, research, and activities, etc.

Visit by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (AY2023)

A delegation of campus development officials from Shanghai Jiao Tong University visited UOsaka on August 22, 2023.
We exchanged views on campus development and management, and the visitors toured the CoMIT Building on Suita Campus as well as the new e Integrated Medical Care Building at the University of Osaka Hospital, which was under development at the time.

Minoh Campus Relocation Project receives ISCN Excellence Award (AY2023)

On May 31, 2023, the Minoh Campus Relocation Project received the 2023 ISCN Excellence Award in the Partnerships for Progress category. For further details, please refer to the link below.
(May 2023 Article)

(Link: Minoh Campus Relocation Project receives Partnerships for Progress Award at the 2023 ISCN Excellence Awards)

Campus-wide opinion exchange meeting on the revision of the Campus Master Plan (AY2023)

We held an opinion exchange meeting on the revision of the Campus Master Plan.
This academic year, UOsaka is undertaking a revision of its Campus Master Plan. As part of this effort, campus-wide opinion exchange meeting was held on May 15 for the Suita and Minoh campuses and on May 18 for the Toyonaka Campus. We received a wide range of valuable comments and suggestions from various departments and members of the university community. The feedback received will be carefully considered and incorporated into the revised Campus Master Plan.
(May 2023 Article)

CAS-Net JAPAN Annual Conference 2021 and Symposium held (AY2021)

The 2021 Annual Conference of the Campus Sustainability Network in Japan was held at Minoh Campus on December 4, 2021, followed by the symposium "The Future of Community University Relationships: Development of the Minoh Semba Area" on December 5. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated.
(December 2021 Article)

CAS-Net JAPAN pamphlet (PDF in Japanese only)
“The Future of University-Community Engagement: Development of the Minoh-Semba Area” pamphlet (PDF in Japanese only)
Symposium record (PDF in Japanese only)

Sustainable Campus Office Activity Report 2021 (AY2021)

As a supplementary volume to the University of Osaka Environmental Report 2021, Activity Report of Campus Sustainability Office 2021 was published.
(December 2021 Article)

(Link: Environmental Report )

Minoh Campus special preview for local community (AY2021)

A special preview for local community was held on April 4, 2021. The event attracted 131 participants and received highly positive feedback. The material provided by the Minoh Semba Urban Development Committee below, also demonstrates the high level of expectations that local community members have for the campus.

(April 2021 Article)

Minoh Semba Machishirube, a newsletter published by the Minoh Semba Community Development Council (PDF in Japanese only)

Receives the Sustainable Campus Award 2020 (AY2020)

The Social Solution Initiative (SSI) Cooperation Project “Biodiversity Conservation via University-Community Co-creation” received the Sustainable Campus Award, sponsored by the CAS-Net JAPAN (Campus Sustainability Network in Japan), for university management and regional partnership. This project aims to create networks and systems for promoting sustainable development of local communities by recruiting fellows through research and education activities by university community members and local individuals and groups. Through these collaborative activities, participants will understand biodiversity and be willing to protect and foster it. This project is also related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Primary members of the project:

• NAKAJIMA Hiroaki (student, doctoral program in the Graduate School of Science)
• FURUYA Hidetaka (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science)
• MATSUMOTO Kaoru (Visiting Fellow of the doctoral program in the Graduate School of Science/teacher, Toneyama High School)
• KURIHARA Sachiko (Osaka University Press)
• OHKUBO Noriko (Professor, Graduate School of Law and Politics)
• ITOH Takeshi (Professor, Social Solution Initiatives)
• YOSHIOKA Satoshi (Associate Professor, Sustainable Campus Office)
• IKEUCHI Hiromi (Assistant Professor, Sustainable Campus Office)

Members of this project received the award at the annual CAS-Net Japan Conference on November 14, 2020 with NAKAJIMA Hiroaki delivering the acceptance speech.

(November 2020 Article)

Project overview (PDF in Japanese only)
(Link: SSI Joint Project ) (link in Japanese)

Shares the writing of a book named “Design for Campus Revitalization – Creating a Campus Like a Town, while Using the Town Like a Campus” (written in Japanese) (AY2019)

The Campus Design Office participates in a campus-related research group “Campus Living Laboratory Subcommittee” under the Urban Planning Committee of the Architectural Institute of Japan. As part of this group's publishing initiative, we have published the following books. From the Campus Design Division, YOSHIOKA Satoshi and IKEUCHI Hiromi authored several sections of the book, while YOSHIOKA also served as the overall coordinating editor.

The theme of the book, “Creating a Campus Like a Town, while Using the Town Like a Campus,” encapsulates the concepts derived from the four perspectives on campus design presented in this book. It symbolically expresses a new direction for campus revitalization and utilization by highlighting the complementary relationship between cities and campuses. (Excerpt from the book's preface)

Edited and authored by the Campus Living Laboratory Subcommittee, Urban Planning Committee, Architectural Institute of Japan
Published in February 2020
B5-size paperback, 171 pages, ¥3,300 plus tax

Chapter 1: The Evolution of Campus Design: Integrating the Campus and the Town
Chapter 2: Design Concepts for Campus Revitalization
Chapter 3: Design Strategies for Campus Revitalization
Chapter 4: Management for Campus Revitalization

<World Examples of Campuses and Towns>

1. Louvain-la-Neuve (LLN)
2. Goldsmiths, University of London (LU)
3. Aalto University
4. RMIT University
5. Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London
6. Faculty of Architecture Building, Delft University of Technology
7. Portland State University

(June 2020 Article)

Receives Sustainable Campus Award 2019 (AY2019)

On November 23, 2019, we received the Sustainable Campus Award 2019 Encouragement Prize in the Campus Sustainability-Considered Student Activity Division at the 2019 Campus Sustainability Network in Japan (CAS-Net Japan) Conference held at Nagoya University. The installation of a bathroom and powder room at the Center for Education in Liberal Arts and Sciences through a cooperative workshop with students was highly evaluated in our selection to receive this prize.

(November 2019 Article)

Collaboration with Minoh Semba Urban Development Committee (AY2019)

Local people in the Minoh Semba area, especially the "Minoh Semba Urban Development Committee " derived from a joint residents’ association in the area, in addition to anticipation of the influence on city planning in the area, place more expectations on the relocation of the new campus. Currently, the Campus Design Division is in the process of improving the system to make full use of the university and promote collaboration between the university and the local community from the perspective of society-university co-creation. The May 1st pamphlets (Japanese only) describing the 5th Forum of the Minoh Semba Urban Development Committee (held in March 2019) and its particulars were distributed to some 5,500 local households.

(July 2019 Article)

Minoh Semba Urban Development Committee pamphlet (PDF in Japanese only)

International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) 2018 participation report (AY2018)

The Campus Design Office compiled the ISCN 2018 Participation Report to describe the ISCN annual meeting held in June 2018 and recent trends of university campus sustainability.

(July 2019 Article)

International Sustainable Campus Network 2018 participation report (PDF mostly in Japanese)

Nagashi-somen @ Handai Slope (AY2018)

Using bamboo collected in the Bamboo Forest Thinning, students from the School of Economics hold a Nagashi-somen (flowing somen noodles) event on Handai Slope on the Toyonaka Campus in cooperation with the Ishibashi Shopping Street. In Nagashi-somen, somen noodles are put in water flowing along a long bamboo gutter. Individuals catch the noodles with chopsticks to eat. UOsaka, which welcomes new students to lectures and seminars every year, holds this event in collaboration with residents' associations and shopping streets deeply rooted in the region.

(July 2018 Article)

Campus Sustainability Office TOP | Environment and Energy Division | Campus Design Division