A goal-oriented guide to the Japanese fashion education landscape

Japan is home to many fashion vocational schools and universities, each with different strengths, characteristics, and paths toward becoming a professional.

To answer questions such as “Why is this school chosen?” and “What kind of professional can I become?”, this article introduces fashion schools in Japan by category, focusing on aspects such as technical training, international outlook, qualifications that can be obtained, and collaboration with industry.

Focus on garment making and technical skills

The origin of fashion lies in “making clothes”. At the two schools introduced below, students can acquire core skills such as pattern making, sewing, material research, and three-dimensional construction at a high level. Another common characteristic of these schools is that students can choose courses that fit their individual schedules.

Bunka Fashion College

One of Japan’s largest fashion vocational schools, located in Shinjuku, Tokyo. In 2015, it ranked second in the fashion school rankings of Business of Fashion, a UK-based industry news outlet. In addition to a fashion creation department specializing in garment-making, the school offers a wide range of courses related to making clothes, such as a fashion technology department where students learn planning and production, and a fashion craft department specializing in textiles and bag design.

Within the fashion creation program, there is a two-year Apparel Foundation Course and a one-year Advanced Fashion Creation Course, allowing students to learn comprehensively from the basics to applied garment-making. After that, they can choose to specialize in one of three tracks: design, technical, or haute couture, though it is also possible to complete only the foundational course. Every July, the school holds a free summer seminar event where participants can experience actual making firsthand.

ESMOD Tokyo

ESMOD Tokyo is a fashion vocational school originating from France, located in Ebisu, Tokyo, with 18 schools in 12 countries worldwide. A distinctive feature that sets it apart from other schools is that students can learn directly from instructors who are active professionals, and that design and pattern making are taught simultaneously. To help students choose the most suitable path, the open campus offers trial lessons that can be taken as part of the experience.

In addition to weekday daytime courses, the school offers Saturday-only and evening-only courses, as well as a two-year “Intensive Course” for students who already have knowledge of garment-making, allowing them to select programs that match their schedule and skill level. Students are also given opportunities to present their work in fashion shows starting from their first year.

ESMOD Japan is notable for its course lineup that leverages its international character. Programs include the “General Course,” where students learn the basics from design and production to sales in Japanese; the “English Course,” which covers the same content as the General Course but in English; and the “Paris Campus Study Abroad Course,” in which students not only learn the fundamentals of garment-making but can also study abroad in Paris in their third year, where courses not available at the Tokyo campus are offered.

There are several other schools in Japan that also offer robust study abroad programs and extensive international networks.

Focus on international outlook

Ueda College of Fashion

Ueda College of Fashion, located in Umeda, Osaka, is distinguished by its extensive overseas network. Students can choose a major that matches their interests from the Fashion Produce Department, International Creative Department, Fashion Creator Department, and Fashion Business Department.

In the Fashion Produce Department, students learn the entire flow from product planning to production and sales from a business perspective. Marketing and merchandising are incorporated into the curriculum. A European study tour is offered in the second year, and a New York study tour in the third year.

In the Fashion Creator Department, there is a Paris Study Abroad Course that includes a one-and-a-half-year stay in Paris, a Fashion Design Course where students learn design across different segments, a Pattern Course for those aiming to become pattern makers, as well as an Haute Couture Course, a Gothic & Lolita Course, and a Knit Design Course.

Osaka Bunka Fashion College (Votrale Fashion Academy)

Osaka Bunka Fashion College (planning to change its name to Votrale Fashion Academy from the 2026 academic year) is a vocational school located in Yodogawa Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. It offers study abroad and overseas training programs, including exchange and short-term study at Polimoda, a prestigious Italian fashion school, as well as both grant-type and loan-type scholarship schemes for overseas study. Students in the Stylist Department have the opportunity to participate in a styling training program in Korea, where they conduct photo shoots.

The school has also been awarded first place nationwide in the Fashion School Awards organized by Sen’i Shimbun (The Textile News). Many students have won grand prizes in domestic competitions, and the school has a system in place that enables them to compete not only in Japan but also in international contests.

The school offers a four-year Super Designer Department for students aiming to launch brands and work globally; a three-year Fashion Creator Department, where students learn garment-making focused on specialized fields such as design, pattern, knit, and 3D; and a four-year Producer Department for those who want to establish their own brand and work as producers. There is also a two-year Fashion Business Department for students aiming for careers in sales, planning, buying, or PR, as well as a two-year Stylist Department for those aspiring to be media-focused stylists.

Focus on practical experience

In today’s fashion industry, professionals who can move flexibly between creativity and commercial viability are in demand, and hands-on experience has become indispensable. The schools introduced here are characterized not only by their emphasis on creating collections and garments, but also by the fact that students can learn the ability to “actually drive fashion” through collaboration with companies in areas such as brand planning, sales, marketing, and promotion. These schools are recommended for those who want to develop skills directly linked to employment, those who hope to launch their own brand in the future, and those who want to be ready to contribute from day one.

Vantan Design Institute

A school with campuses in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Sapporo. It offers courses that span three areas—fashion design, fashion produce, and styling—and focuses on equipping students with skills that will be effective in real-world settings. It offers three-year courses with classes four days a week, as well as two-year courses with classes two days a week.

In the fashion design area, students learn the skills to create their own original works through design and product planning. They also gain practical experience in brand management by selling their work through physical stores and e-commerce sites.

The fashion produce area specializes in brand management, where students hone skills needed for PR roles, buyer positions, planning original brands, and launching e-commerce sites. In the styling area, students learn the basics such as ironing, hemming, and creating styling sheets using graphic software, and also gain practical experience in styling and direction through actual photo shoots.

Mode Gakuen

Mode Gakuen is a vocational college with campuses in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. It covers four fields—design, technique, business, and stylist—and has three departments: Fashion Design, Fashion Business, and Stylist. At this school, students can obtain the “Advanced Diploma” (kōdo senmonshi) from a four-year program, which is equivalent to a university degree, or a qualification equivalent to a junior college graduation through its two- or three-year programs.

In the Fashion Design Department, students can choose from a wide range of majors directly linked to their desired career paths, including the Brand Designer Major aimed at success at fashion weeks around the world; the Stage & Costume Design Major, focusing on stage costumes; and majors tailored to kids’ fashion or game character design. The school also provides opportunities to attend lectures from world-leading companies such as LVMH, Coach, and Chanel in Japan, and actively promotes study abroad at its eight overseas sister schools.

In the Fashion Business Department, students learn product planning, promotion, and presentation in collaboration with top-tier companies. Majors include Digital Marketing, which focuses on online shop management; Fashion Coordinator; and Buyer & Shop Management. There is a three-year course designed for beginners (with a two-year option available only for the Fashion Coordinator Major) and a two-year course for intermediate-level students.

In the Stylist Department, students learn styling methods suited to various themes and situations—not only for media such as television, film, advertising, and magazines, but also for window displays and bridal coordination. The school also offers opportunities to acquire skills not limited to costumes, but also in makeup and hair styling. There are three-year and two-year courses for beginners, as well as a two-year course for intermediate-level students.

Four-year universities offering national and public qualifications

One of the unique strengths of universities is that while studying fashion systematically, students can also obtain public qualifications such as teaching licenses and curator certifications. In this category, we introduce universities where students can learn broadly—from academic approaches such as culture, history, and textile research, to foundational garment-making techniques, planning, and expression. This path is well suited to those who seek not only specialization but also to broaden their career options through earning a degree.

Sugino Fashion Colledge

Sugino Fashion College is a four-year private university with campuses in Meguro and Hino in Tokyo. Students can study disciplines related to fashion such as design, production, business, media, styling, and fashion culture. The university is organized into three departments: the Department of Fashion Design, the Department of Fashion Presentation, and the Department of Fashion Culture.

In the Department of Fashion Design, there are multiple courses where students learn sewing processes, pattern making, and textile design, as well as courses on how to sell fashion, such as the “Fashion Business Management Course” and the “Fashion Business Distribution Innovation Course.” Students in this department can obtain “First-Class Junior High School Teacher’s License (Home Economics)” and “First-Class High School Teacher’s License (Home Economics).” In addition, all departments offer the opportunity to acquire a curator qualification.

Meanwhile, the Department of Fashion Presentation focuses on expressive practices using clothing, such as styling and visual merchandising. For those who wish to learn sustainable garment-making through the lens of history and tradition, the Department of Fashion Culture is the most suitable choice.

Kyoto Seike University – Faculty of Design, Department of Product Design, Fashion Design Major

Kyoto Seika University is a private comprehensive university located in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. Over the four years of study, students can comprehensively learn methods of expression using fashion that go beyond sewing techniques, from garment-making to product planning and editorial fundamentals.

In the first year, students study the knowledge and skills that form the basis of design—two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and craft—and acquire fundamentals such as material handling, color, and drafting, while also engaging with traditional crafts unique to Kyoto. In the second year, they acquire a wide range of knowledge and skills that support expression, including sewing, pattern making, and fashion history, all of which are essential for garment-making. In the third year, through production, students identify their own interests and strengths and take on projects such as collection development and brand design, thereby enhancing their ability to communicate and express ideas. In the fourth year, as a graduation project, they present their own theme to society in the most fitting form for their personal interests, such as launching a brand or producing a magazine.

Students can obtain qualifications including First-Class High School Teacher’s License (Art and Crafts), First-Class Junior High School Teacher’s License (Art), eligibility to take the Second-Class Architect exam, eligibility to take the Wooden Architect exam, Librarian, and Museum Curator.

Schools where you can study fashion are remarkably diverse—from vocational schools with strong technical focus to universities that deal with a wide range of expressive practices, from internationally oriented schools that make it easy to take on overseas challenges to practice-oriented schools that sharpen on-the-ground capabilities. What matters most is understanding each institution’s educational philosophy and environment, and choosing the place that best aligns with the future you aim for. By comparing and examining these varied options, the learning environment best suited to each individual’s career development will gradually come into view.