TOKYO University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) is one of Japan's top-ranking institutions for the study of languages and linguistics, as well as related fields in the humanities and social sciences. The university, which turns 150 years old this year, has grown from its humble beginnings as a foreign language school in the early years of Japan's modernization. It is now a leading institution for language research not just in Japan but also in the world. Students can study 81 languages and specialize in 28 languages toward earning a degree.