2 Osaka universities evacuated after bomb threat over new school name

University of Osaka is an absurd name given that this is synonymous with Osaka University in English.

The bomb threat no doubt came from an inadequate right-winger, and not the staff at Osaka University.

Last Friday, the operator said the two universities will merge in fiscal 2022 and the new school will be named the University of Osaka.

However, the decision came under criticism from Osaka University, a national university in the same prefecture, saying the new name is "confusing."

I suggest renaming "Osaka Metropolitan University" an equivalent to Tokyo Metropolitan Univ. It also corresponds well to the ongoing local administrative reform, according to which the Osaka city and prefecture would be integrated into an Osaka Metropolis.

Let me suggest the name "The Osaka School of Hard Knocks" as it is currently getting kicked around and, if the current name persists, will continue getting knocked around until it considers a name change.

What will the Japanese name be? I've found people are 'confused' with, for example, the University of Washington in Seattle being Washington Daigaku and Washington University in St. Louis also being, in Japanese, Washington Daigaku. Is there a Daigaku no Osaka?

But more 'confusing', someone was upset over this name enough to send in a bomb threat?

Would they have preferred “happy smile University”?

Osaka University sounds cheap though it may not be, however "University of Osaka" sounds more prestigious and classy. As a hiring official IMO I would look for the candidates with "University of Osaka" to have higher standards vs just ordinary Osaka University. First impressions still count and the name of a University just might be the clincher for the job.

I hope they find the person responsible for these threats and put him/her in the police cells for a few days. If they make fun of the perp while locking the cell, so much the better.

Osaka University asked the operator, the prefecture and the city of Osaka to reconsider the name but Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said the new name will not cause confusion and they would not consider changing it.

This is the crux of the matter. The name is not confusing because Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura says so. What English speakers or anyone else think is irrelevant.

Among national unis, there is only one "The University of", and that's the University of Tokyo. Everything else is the XX University, so let's see how will this work out. Osaka Shiritsu and Osaka Furitsu was always very confusing and nobody knew which is which so it is a good thing they got together, but what will be the name in Japanese? Osaka Daigaku is already taken

A bomb threat over a name.

Some people really are too crazy.

This will cause confusion and if I were a student atOsaka University, I’d be pissed too (not enough to justify a bomb threat of course, but still). Osaka University is ranked 8th in Japan, Osaka Prefecture University is 57th.

Nobody in Japan is likely to mistake the two, but overseas they might.

Incredible. Are they deliberately trying to push out a competitor or just unimaginative??

and a bomb scare!?! Would never have read about it without it. Omoroi.

'The University of Osaka' is just plain wrong for some new up-and-coming 'other' body to take. Too similar. Sorry.

'The' university of Osaka is Osaka University, so the name is already taken, in spirit, if not in law.

There are other good possibilities, as some have suggested above, such as:

Osaka Metropolitan University

Osaka City & Prefecture University

Osaka Urban University

And so on.

I did a search of the local news, and the name in Japanese is 大阪公立大学, Osaka Koritsu Daigaku. Directly translated into English would be Osaka Metropolitan University

@timeon. Although 公立 Koritsu means public, as opposed to 私立 Shiritsu private.

PS The Nagasaki justification given towards the end of the article seems pretty weak as I am sure they get plenty of confusion on a constant basis.

The bomb threat no doubt came from an inadequate right-winger, and not the staff at Osaka University.

or some sick puppy unrelated to any of the schools. It has happened many times.

University names matter!

So what are their names in Japanese?

Let's hope it will not come to be known as University of Chaosaka (from chaos).

Wait, both universities were evacuated due to bomb threat, see they were confused as to where the bomb was, name is so confusing!

Last Friday, the operator said the two universities will merge in fiscal 2022 and the new school will be named the University of Osaka.

However, the decision came under criticism from Osaka University, a national university in the same prefecture, saying the new name is "confusing."

Then just call it Osaka State University (OSU ) vs. University of Osaka (UO)

lostrune2

I think that’s what people are saying, Osaka Prefectural University (OPU) vs Osaka University (OU). I go for Happy Smile Cupcake University (HSCU) myself. No confusion possible. Except with the Happy Smile Cupcake shop down the street.

Then just call it Osaka State University (OSU ) vs. University of Osaka (UO)

The Oklahoma State and University of Oklahoma might get mad.

How about they call it JR Osaka University? And Hankyu Umeda University? Wait, this isn't Japanese baseball......

Screw it, just call it Acme Looniversity and call it a day.

Why not Osaka College?