OpenFieldUniversity of Marketing and Distribution Sciences (Ryūtsū Kagaku Daigaku) is a premier private university in Kobe, Japan, founded by Daiei retail founder Isao Nakauchi as Japan’s first institution dedicated to distribution and marketing sciences.
Located in Kobe Research Park in Nishi-ku, UMDS offers specialized undergraduate and graduate programs across the Faculty of Commerce, Faculty of Economics, and Faculty of Human Societies, recognized nationally for retailing logistics, service marketing, and Asian trade.
Undergraduate admissions evaluate high school graduation and entrance examinations. International applicant track requires EJU (Japanese as a Foreign Language score >= 220) or JLPT N2+, written essay, and interview. Graduate admissions evaluate research proposals and oral thesis defense.
Four-year specialized degree examining global supply chain optimization, automated warehouse robotics, omni-channel retailing, and consumer demand forecasting in Kobe.
Curriculum studying international hotel management, regional ecotourism, Kansai inbound tourism marketing, and airline passenger services.
Two-year research master’s degree analyzing Asian distribution networks, maritime freight logistics, econometric pricing models, and trade policy.
Substantial tuition reduction scholarship granting 30% to 50% tuition reduction for admitted international undergraduate and graduate students.
Hands-on corporate practicum embedded with Kobe port container terminals, cold-chain logistics hubs, and international customs brokerage firms.
Empirical fieldwork grant supporting student research teams surveying convenience store retail robotics, QR-code payment adoption, and food waste reduction.
Professor of Logistics Management and Supply Chain Optimization · Faculty of Commerce
Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Katayama investigates carbon emissions reduction in cold-chain logistics networks and automated warehousing robotics across the Kansai region.
View research profile ↗Professor of Marketing and Consumer Psychology · Faculty of Human Societies
Prof. Dr. Kazuo Shimizu explores sensory branding and cognitive purchase decision heuristics in omni-channel retail environments.
View research profile ↗Associate Professor of Tourism Economics and Regional Promotion · Department of Tourism Management
Assoc. Prof. Yoko Fujimoto evaluates economic multipliers of foreign tourist spending and sustainable cultural heritage promotion in historic port cities.
View research profile ↗University profile compiled from official University of Marketing and Distribution Sciences academic bulletins and institutional directories reviewed on 2026-10-16. OpenField is an independent research guide.