| April 1, 1982 |
OPUA preparatory office formed |
| April 1, 1983 |
Office reorganized as OPUA preparatory secretariat |
| July 22, 1983 |
OPUA Preparatory committee established |
| July 31, 1985 |
Groundbreaking ceremony held |
| December 25, 1985 |
Establishment of OPUA authorized by the Minister of Education |
| February 7, 1986 |
Teacher-training course at OPUA authorized by the Minister of Education |
| April 1, 1986 |
OPUA opened
President Masao Yamamoto took office |
| April 15, 1986 |
First entrance ceremony |
| May 15, 1986 |
OPUA opening ceremony |
| November 2-3, 1987 |
First OPUA festival |
| November 4, 1987 |
Establishment of OPUA Arts Promotion Foundation authorized |
| October 7, 1988 |
Climbing kiln completed (Crafts Major) |
| March 26, 1989 |
Gymnasium completed |
| December 22, 1989 |
Department of Music authorized |
| March 26, 1990 |
First commencement ceremony |
| May 8, 1990 |
Music building completed |
| May 15, 1990 |
Fifth anniversary of OPUA and opening ceremony of Music Department |
| March 28, 1992 |
Hikizome Dyeing studio completed |
| March 16, 1993 |
Establishment of graduate school authorized (Formative Arts program) |
| March 19, 1993 |
Graduate school curriculum authorized |
| March 16, 1994 |
Establishment of graduate school authorized (Music Arts program) |
| April 1, 1994 |
MA program in Music Arts established |
| July 31, 1994 |
University library and arts museum completed |
| November 25, 1994 |
Establishment of Art Studies major in Department of Fine Arts authorized |
| March 31, 1995 |
Music Hall completed |
| April 1, 1995 |
Art Studies major in Department of Fine Arts established |
| December 22, 1995 |
Establishment of Graduate School of Cultural Arts Studies (PhD program) authorized |
| April 1, 1996 |
Graduate School of Cultural Arts Studies (PhD program) established |
| October 15, 1996 |
President Kimimasa Abe took office |
| March 31, 1997 |
Welfare building completed |
| March 31, 1998 |
Research Institute building completed |
| January 31, 2002 |
Aizome Dyeing studio completed |
| October 15, 2002 |
President Jissei Omine took office |
| July 10, 2003 |
President Koji Asaoka took office |
| April 1, 2004 |
Japanese Music Major renamed Ryukyuan Performing Arts Major in Department of Music |
| April 1, 2004 |
Japanese Music Specialization renamed Ryukyuan Classical Music Course, and Music Drama Specialization renamed Ryukyuan Dance and Kumiodori Course in Theater Art Studies Major of Graduate School of Music Arts |
| July 18, 2006 |
President Tokumasa Miyagi took office |
| October 1, 2006 |
Art festival at Peace Memorial Park commemorating 20th anniversary of OPUA |
| November 25-26, 2006 |
Opera performances commemorating 20th anniversary of OPUA |
| December 21, 2006 |
Junji Nishime Award for undergraduate student and Masao Yamamoto Award for graduate student established |
| May 15, 2007 |
“Tumui Kejyo Concert” held to commemorate university anniversary |
| May 15, 2009 |
“Consider Current University Situations” meeting held to commemorate university’s anniversary |
| June 16, 2009 |
Students of Ryukyuan Performing Arts major gave a Ryukyuan Classical Music Concert to commemorate 100th anniversary of Okinawa Prefectural Assembly |
| November 28-29, 2009 |
First OPUA off-campus classes offered in Taketomi town to share results of faculty research with the community |
| July 18, 2010 |
President Tsuguo Sakumoto took office |
| October 13, 2010 |
First symposium, “Role of Public Universities Specializing in Arts,” co-hosted with the Japan Association of Public Universities |
| March 31, 2011 |
Design Central Building, Crafts Building and Sculpture Building completed |
| October 1, 2011 |
Opening ceremony of Shuri-Sakiyama Campus |
| April 1, 2012 |
New crafts concentration in Urushi lacquering established |
| April 1, 2012 |
A new research and advanced skills-development program for artists and performers seeking a Ph.D., established within the Graduate School of Art and Cultural Studies |
| July 18, 2014 |
President Yasuharu Higa took office |
| April 1, 2016 |
Department of Music reorganized as Performance and Composition Major, Music Culture Studies Major and Ryukyuan Performing Arts Major |
| April 1, 2016 |
Okinawan Culture and Arts Management Course established within Music Culture Studies Major |
| April 1, 2020 |
President Izumi Hatano took office |
| April 1, 2021 |
Establishment of OPUA as a public university corporation |