Starting in the 1991 academic year (April 1991 through March 1992), a number of leading national universities in Japan underwent major structural changes, led by the Law School at the University of Tokyo.

Previously, all university teachers belonged to their respective undergraduate departments and had incremental teaching jobs at the postgraduate level.

In the new system, they are affiliated with graduate schools and get the extra assignment of teaching undergraduate students. With this change, the universities receive larger budgets from the government than before to accommodate more postgraduate students.