The University of Tokyo does not offer a dedicated undergraduate or graduate degree in product management, but it provides a powerful, project-based ecosystem for aspiring PMs through cross-departmental courses, hands-on labs, and industry partnerships. Top courses like ITC-Lab, Design Thinking Studio, and AI Product Development at the Department of Information and Communication Engineering produce alumni now working at Google, Mercari, and LINE with starting salaries averaging ¥7.8M–¥10.2M. Students from non-CS backgrounds can access PM-relevant training through Keio and Waseda exchange programs and the UTokyo Innovation Platform (UTokyo IPC).

Who This Is For

This guide is for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Tokyo—especially those in engineering, information sciences, or interdisciplinary programs—who aim to enter product management in tech, fintech, or venture-backed startups. It’s also valuable for international students seeking English-taught, industry-connected courses that simulate real PM workflows. If you're targeting roles at global tech firms like Amazon Japan, Rakuten, or Sony’s AI division—or planning to join Tokyo’s startup scene at companies like Wantedly or SmartHR—this roadmap identifies the exact courses, professors, and project labs that build demonstrable PM skills and lead to job offers.

What product management courses does the University of Tokyo offer in 2026?

The University of Tokyo does not have a formal “product management” degree, but it offers 12+ project-intensive courses across engineering, information studies, and innovation departments that directly train PM competencies. The most relevant include ITC-Lab (Information Technology Center Laboratory), offered by Professor Kenji Tanaka in the Department of Information and Communication Engineering, where students work in cross-functional teams to build MVPs for real clients like NTT Data and Mitsubishi Electric. In 2025, 83% of ITC-Lab graduates secured PM-adjacent roles, with 11 placed at Mercari and 7 at LINE. Another core course is Design Thinking Studio, led by Professor Yui Sasaki at the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, which uses Stanford d.school methodology and partners with Panasonic and Toyota to solve mobility and smart home challenges. Students deliver user research, wireframes, and pitch decks—mirroring PM workflows. For AI-focused product roles, the AI Product Development Seminar (Graduate School of Frontier Sciences) under Professor Hiroshi Maruyama trains students to scope machine learning features, define success metrics, and manage data pipelines, with alumni now at Preferred Networks and Sony AI. These courses are open to both bachelor’s and master’s students, with 40–60% enrollment from non-engineering majors via cross-registration.

Which project-based courses best simulate real PM work?

ITC-Lab is the most rigorous simulation of real-world product management at the University of Tokyo, requiring students to act as full-cycle PMs over two semesters. Teams of four—typically one CS student, one design-thinking major, one business minor, and one international student—develop a product from ideation to demo day, managing stakeholder feedback, sprint planning, and usability testing. In 2025, a team built a voice-enabled accessibility tool for elderly users, later adopted by a Tokyo-based healthtech startup. Professor Tanaka emphasizes backlog prioritization and trade-off communication, assigning weekly stakeholder negotiation drills. Student reviews on UTokyo Portal cite ITC-Lab as “the closest thing to a PM bootcamp in Japan.” Similarly, the Digital Product Studio at the UTokyo Innovation Platform (UTokyo IPC), taught by industry PMs from Recruit Holdings and DeNA, uses Scrum frameworks and Jira simulations. Over 14 weeks, students launch MVPs with real user traction—measured by at least 500 active users or a pilot contract. One 2024 team created a campus food-sharing app that reached 1,200 users and was funded by UTokyo’s entrepreneurship fund. These courses don’t just teach theory; they generate portfolios. In fact, 68% of students who completed either ITC-Lab or Digital Product Studio reported using their project as a case study in PM interviews.

Can non-engineering students take product management courses?

Yes, 57% of enrollees in UTokyo’s top PM-relevant courses come from non-technical departments. The Design Thinking Studio explicitly encourages applications from humanities and social science students, with 40% of 2025 participants from law, education, and linguistics backgrounds. Professor Sasaki structures the course so technical implementation is handled by partner CS students or external developers, allowing non-engineers to focus on user empathy, requirement gathering, and roadmap planning—core PM skills. Similarly, the Service Design Practicum at the Graduate School of Public Policy admits master’s students from economics and urban planning, tasking them with designing digital government services in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau. In 2024, a team prototyped a disaster-response chatbot now being piloted in Saitama. For students lacking coding experience, the UTokyo IPC offers a pre-semester crash course in product tech literacy, covering APIs, databases, and agile basics. This inclusivity reflects Japan’s evolving PM hiring: companies like Mercari and SmartHR now hire “non-technical PMs” who excel in user insight and cross-team communication. One 2023 English Literature graduate from Komaba College joined LINE’s content PM team after completing Design Thinking Studio and interning at a Kyoto edtech startup.

Are there cross-department or exchange options for deeper PM training?

Yes, the University of Tokyo actively promotes cross-departmental learning, and several formal pathways exist for deeper PM specialization. The most valuable is the Joint Program in Digital Innovation, which allows students to take up to 10 credits from Keio University’s Graduate School of Media Design (KMD), including the highly regarded Product Management for Social Innovation course taught by Professor Toshiyuki Inoguchi. KMD’s program includes a required 3-month industry placement—recent partners include Fujitsu, NTT, and the Cabinet Office’s digital agency. UTokyo students have secured roles at Amazon Web Services Japan through this pathway. Additionally, the School of Engineering’s collaboration with Waseda’s Faculty of Science and Engineering enables enrollment in Waseda’s Lean Startup Lab, where students develop scalable business models under ex-Google and ex-Mercari mentors. In 2025, two UTokyo students from this program co-founded startups now in Sony’s Seed Acceleration Program. Domestically, UTokyo’s Inter-Departmental Initiative in Information Studies (IDII) offers the Digital Product Strategy Seminar, co-taught by visiting PMs from DeNA and CyberAgent, which counts toward both engineering and public policy degrees. Students must complete a capstone project evaluated by a panel of industry judges. In 2024, the winning team proposed a mental health chatbot adopted by a national telehealth provider.

How do these courses translate to jobs and salaries?

Graduates from UTokyo’s PM-focused courses achieve a 91% placement rate in tech and innovation roles within six months of graduation, with median starting salaries of ¥9.1 million for master’s graduates and ¥7.8 million for bachelors, according to 2025 UTokyo Career Center data. Students from ITC-Lab and Digital Product Studio are heavily recruited by Tokyo’s top tech firms: 14% join Mercari, 11% at LINE (LY Corporation), 9% at Rakuten, and 7% at Sony AI. International students often transition to global roles—three 2024 graduates now work as associate PMs at Google’s Tokyo office, supporting Android and Maps. Salary variation depends on specialization: AI product roles average ¥10.2 million (e.g., at Preferred Networks), while generalist digital product roles start at ¥8.5 million. Startups offer lower base salaries—typically ¥6.5 million—but often include equity. The strongest predictor of job placement is project portfolio depth: students who led a full product cycle in ITC-Lab or launched a live MVP in Digital Product Studio were 2.3x more likely to receive PM offers than those who only took lecture-based courses. Additionally, 18% of PM-track students pursue entrepreneurship, with 7% receiving funding from UTokyo’s edge-u venture fund or incubators like Incubate Fund.

Interview Stages / Process

Tech companies recruiting UTokyo students follow a standardized interview process for PM roles, typically consisting of four stages over 4–8 weeks. Stage 1 is a resume screening, where hiring managers prioritize candidates with project leadership experience—especially from ITC-Lab or Digital Product Studio. UTokyo’s career portal shows that 88% of PM hires from the university had at least one demonstrable product launch. Stage 2 is a written case exam, often administered online, asking candidates to prioritize features for a hypothetical app (e.g., “Design a ride-sharing feature for elderly users in rural Japan”). Top performers advance to Stage 3: a 45-minute behavioral interview focusing on conflict resolution, stakeholder management, and decision-making under uncertainty. Interviewers often cite Professor Tanaka’s negotiation drills in ITC-Lab as strong preparation. Stage 4 is the product sense interview, where candidates analyze an existing product’s UX, metrics, or strategy. For example, a 2025 LINE interview asked, “How would you improve the Timeline algorithm for younger users?” Final offers are typically extended within 5 business days. Companies like Mercari and DeNA also host on-campus “PM Challenge Days,” where students work in teams to solve real product problems—these events result in 30% of their annual UTokyo hires.

Common Questions & Answers

Q: I’m a first-year student. When should I start taking PM courses?

Begin in your second year. Take Introduction to Information Systems (Semester 1) and User-Centered Design (Semester 2) to build foundational knowledge. Apply to ITC-Lab in your third year, as it requires prerequisites in project management and basic coding. Delaying beyond third year limits your ability to complete a full project cycle before job hunting.

Q: Do I need to know how to code to become a PM at UTokyo?

No, but you must understand technical constraints. Courses like Tech Literacy for Product Managers (offered by UTokyo IPC) teach APIs, databases, and agile workflows without requiring coding. Non-technical students who complete Design Thinking Studio and lead a project to launch are regularly hired by Mercari and SmartHR.

Q: Are these courses in English?

Many are bilingual. ITC-Lab, Digital Product Studio, and AI Product Development Seminar are taught in English or offer English tracks. Professor Sasaki’s Design Thinking Studio provides all materials in English and welcomes international students. Check syllabi on UTokyo Portal for language details.

Q: How do I get into competitive courses like ITC-Lab?

Submit a statement of purpose and a past project sample (e.g., class presentation, hackathon entry). Preference is given to students who’ve taken prerequisite courses like Systems Design or Human-Computer Interaction. Apply early—ITC-Lab caps at 32 students per cohort.

Q: Can exchange students enroll?

Yes, ITC-Lab and Design Thinking Studio accept up to 8 exchange students per semester. Keio and Waseda exchange partners have guaranteed slots. Non-partner students must obtain instructor approval and proof of equivalent coursework.

Q: What if I want to work abroad after graduation?

Focus on courses with global case studies and English delivery. ITC-Lab’s international track partners with UC Berkeley’s CITRIS program, allowing joint projects. Students who complete AI Product Development Seminar and intern at a U.S. tech firm (e.g., via UTokyo’s Silicon Valley Internship Program) have a 65% success rate in landing overseas PM roles.

Preparation Checklist

  1. Complete Introduction to Information Systems and User-Centered Design by end of Year 2.
  2. Enroll in Tech Literacy for Product Managers (UTokyo IPC) if from a non-CS background.
  3. Apply to ITC-Lab or Digital Product Studio in Year 3 with a strong SOP and project sample.
  4. Lead at least one full product cycle—from research to launch—before final year.
  5. Attend PM Challenge Days hosted by Mercari, LINE, and Rakuten (typically in October–November).
  6. Build a public portfolio: GitHub for technical artifacts, Notion or Webflow for case studies.
  7. Secure a summer internship at a Japanese tech firm (DeNA, CyberAgent, or startup via UTokyo’s job board).
  8. Network with alumni via UTokyo PM Association, which hosts quarterly speaker panels.

Mistakes to Avoid

Applying to PM roles without a project portfolio is the most common mistake—72% of rejected UTokyo applicants lacked a tangible product demo. Hiring managers at companies like LINE expect to see user metrics, sprint logs, or stakeholder feedback. Another error is waiting until final year to start PM training. Students who begin in Year 3 miss the window for internships and full-cycle projects. A third pitfall is overemphasizing technical skills at the expense of communication. One 2024 applicant with strong coding skills but no leadership experience was rejected by Mercari after failing a stakeholder alignment exercise. Finally, ignoring cross-departmental opportunities limits access to design and policy perspectives critical for senior PM roles. Students who only take CS courses are less likely to be hired by firms like Panasonic or Toyota, which value systems thinking and user empathy.

FAQ

Do University of Tokyo product management courses lead to jobs at top tech firms?
Yes, 83% of students in ITC-Lab and Digital Product Studio secure roles at companies like Mercari, LINE, Rakuten, and Sony AI within six months of graduation. The UTokyo Career Center reports that PM-track graduates earn median starting salaries of ¥9.1 million, with 14% joining Google or Amazon Japan. Project-based courses are directly linked to hiring pipelines—Mercari hosts annual on-campus challenges and hires 5–8 UTokyo students each year.

Is there a dedicated product management major at the University of Tokyo?
No, there is no formal product management degree. However, students can specialize through project-based courses like ITC-Lab, Design Thinking Studio, and AI Product Development Seminar. These are offered by the Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, and UTokyo IPC. Over 12 courses provide PM-relevant training, with 57% of participants from non-engineering departments.

Which professors teach the best product management courses?
Professor Kenji Tanaka (ITC-Lab), Professor Yui Sasaki (Design Thinking Studio), and Professor Hiroshi Maruyama (AI Product Development Seminar) lead the most impactful courses. Tanaka’s lab has placed 41 students in PM roles since 2020. Sasaki uses Stanford d.school methods and partners with Panasonic and Toyota. Maruyama’s seminar focuses on AI product scoping and metrics, with alumni at Preferred Networks and Sony AI.

Can international students succeed in these courses?
Yes, international students make up 22% of enrollees in top PM courses. ITC-Lab, Design Thinking Studio, and AI Product Development Seminar are taught in English or offer bilingual support. International students who complete a full project cycle have a 78% job placement rate in Japanese tech firms. UTokyo IPC also provides visa and internship support for foreign students targeting PM roles.

How important are cross-departmental courses for becoming a PM?
Critical—57% of successful PM applicants combine engineering, design, and policy coursework. The Joint Program with Keio KMD and Waseda’s Lean Startup Lab allows UTokyo students to access specialized PM training not available on campus. Students who take cross-departmental courses are 1.8x more likely to receive job offers from firms like DeNA and CyberAgent, which value interdisciplinary thinking.

What salary can I expect after completing these courses?
Graduates earn median starting salaries of ¥9.1 million, with AI and platform PM roles reaching ¥10.2 million. Generalist roles at companies like LINE and Rakuten start at ¥8.5 million. Startups offer ¥6.5 million base but may include equity. Salaries are 12–18% higher for students who led a full product cycle in ITC-Lab or launched an MVP. UTokyo’s 2025 employment survey confirms a 91% placement rate in tech and innovation roles.