Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) is a national research university located in the Greater Tokyo Area, Japan. It was founded by the government of Japan as the Tokyo Vocational School in 1881, to catch-up to the West in training new modernized craftsmen and engineers. Today, Tokyo Tech is the largest institution for higher education in Japan dedicated to science and technology, and is generally considered to be one of the most prestigious and selective universities in Japan. It is also one of the top research institutions in natural sciences and technology in the country. It is ranked in the best 120 universities in the world by Times Higher Education and in the best 60 in the world by QS.