GK sat down with Mr. Tomoyuki Sugiyama, President of Digital Hollywood University, to discuss Japan’s unique educational strengths, DHU’s cross-disciplinary “knowledge drawer” model, and the school’s future vision to lead in AI-driven, next-gen content creation and entertainment. Read an excerpt from the interview below.
Japan is often ranked among the top countries for education. What makes it stand out?
Japan’s strength lies in its deep-rooted commitment to foundational education for all. Rather than mimicking Western models, Japan blends modern cultural elements into its higher education, offering a tech-friendly, globally attractive learning environment.
DHU’s “knowledge drawer” concept includes unconventional liberal arts courses. How else are you crafting unique learning experiences?
At Digital Hollywood University, we blend traditionally separate fields, like film, CG, animation, games, design, and business into a single department. With a compact, diverse student body of around 1,300, and faculty that includes everyone from drama directors to doctors, students collaborate across disciplines in ways that spark new ideas. Our location in Surugadai, near Akihabara and Tokyo’s cultural hubs, only enhances this creative energy.
What is DHU’s vision for the next 3–5 years?
As AI becomes more integrated into every industry, our goal is to help students harness it as a creative ally, enhancing their ideas rather than replacing them. We aim to lead the way in showing how AI and automation can elevate content creation. In the coming years, we want DHU to be known as the place where cutting-edge technology meets next-generation entertainment.
