TOKYO is a student association that brings together the students of Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture as well as its former students, the alumni. TOKYO supports the goals of the students by taking an active role in public discourse in and out of Aalto University. The association carries on the traditions of the former Student Union TOKYO which was founded to serve the same purpose in 1961. Both organizations have and continue to organize all kinds of events and parties as well as tirelessly supporting ARTS students and advocating for their best interests. Although TOKYO is no longer formally a student union (that role being filled by AYY), we still maintain a key role in the ARTS community. TOKYO’s history is as colourful as the students running it. Up to 2010, TOKYO was the Student Union of the University of Art and Design. After the creation of Aalto University, TOKYO continued to operate as an association, as a university can only have one student union. The association’s official name is the TOKYO, Students of Art, Design and Architecture in Aalto University, and it uses the abbreviation TOKYO of its name. The former Institute of Industrial Arts and its predecessors had a long history of student activism also before TOKYO. The earliest known group of students was in 1913, the Toverikunta (“Comrade Community”), which published its own magazine with the same name. More information on TOKYO’s history can be found on our website. Also, check out our FAQ if you have any nagging questions.
