University of Tsukuba reviews

I think it would be helpful to make some points for foreign students who want to study in the university, or Japanese universities in general. Tsukuba is supposed to be one of the best universities in Japan, but it doesn't seem to really show for foreign students unless they are actually capable of communicating in japanese. Most of foreign students who can't speak japanese fluently tend to attend only courses made for english speakers, which doesn't quite effectively give them special academic experiences(because of the less number of courses itself, and there's not so many professors who can actually speak and teach in english in proper ways). Altough the university itself provides quite good intellectual environment, in my opinion, I don't recommend this university to every students who just want to study in Japan.

There are serious concerns regarding the University of Tsukuba MBA Program in International Business (an English program that attracts international students), specifically issues connected to the overall academic and cultural environment and Professor Aki Tonami’s conduct . These problems directly influenced my decision to withdraw from the program after only one month and transfer to another institution with higher academic and professional standards.

1. Academic Standards and Personal Bias/Discriminatory Conduct

In a core required course by Professor Tonami, students were directed to read the professor’s personal Twitter account as assigned material. These posts included conspiracy theories about Russia and China, which do not meet academic standards of rigor. 

Professor Tonami openly declared in class that she dislikes China and Russia and does not wish to ever visit those countries.

Every year, she has faced complaints of harassment from students. The recurring pattern has involved (1) male students of any nationality, (2) Russian students, and (3) Chinese students. In my year, she consistently skipped over male students and denied them opportunities to participate in class discussions. She also made racially inappropriate remarks to an English-speaking student of Asian descent, saying she expected “Western” behavior but was disappointed to learn they were Chinese.

A Japanese male student in the previous cohort was prevented from graduating when Professor Tonami blocked his thesis approval. He was reportedly offered early graduation in exchange for dropping his official complaint.

In my year, in a research paper assignment in which students were required to read and review each others' papers, a group submitted a “report” that essentially read like a third rate magazine article, that contained China-bashing with no citations or data. Despite its clear failure to meet basic research standards by being devoid of any sources or citations, it received top marks from Tonami, doubtlessly because the China-bashing matched her own political views. Students, including Chinese international students, were forced to sit through this presentation under threat of grade penalties if they expressed discomfort or left the classroom.

2.  Legal and Institutional Conflicts

Tonami has a record of making disparaging comments about male faculty at other institutions. She had a lawsuit filed against her by a Japanese male professor who claimed she harassed him on Twitter. Dealing with this distracted her from being able to devote sufficient time and energy in supervising students who were writing thesis under her guidance. 

Prior to my enrollment, Professor Tonami sued the University of Tsukuba itself. She was supervising a school trip with students to an university in Canada. She had a son, around 10 years old, whom she wanted to take on the trip. She alleged discrimination against Tsukuba after the school said her son can go on the trip but that she'd have to fund his trip fares, alleging the school of not understanding the challenges a working mother faces and discriminating against women.

Her past lawsuits and ongoing complaints have created a climate of tension that students are acutely aware of. University staff themselves have commented on her reputation, mentioning that she has openly spoken poorly of students—even at official events such as entrance ceremonies.

3. Broader Institutional Concerns

The cumulative effect of these issues reflects not only individual misconduct but also a wider failure of oversight, accountability, and academic quality assurance in the MBA IB program. The absence of safeguards against personal prejudice, the tolerance of substandard academic work, and the lack of protection for international students—particularly male, Russian, and Chinese students—create a toxic environment. This undermines both the program’s reputation and the safety and development of its students.

Conclusion

International students - esp. anyone who is male or of Russian or Chinese ethnic descent - should take these matters seriously and realize these can negatively impact your experience. In fact, I'd advise anyone who fits those categories to not attend the Tsukuba MBA-IB. For an international program, it is especially important to uphold academic integrity, respect for diversity, and professional standards of conduct, which the MBA-IB program fails to do.