Its College of Art (日芸 — Nichigei), located right next to Ekoda train station in Tokyo's Nerima ward, is well-known for producing many artists who represent Japan in photography, theater, and cinema.

[22][23] Following a second arrest in October, it was reported that notes from an August meeting of university executives suggested ten or more members of the American football team may have used cannabis.

[26][27] A third-party investigation into how the matter was handled, led by lawyer Hideaki Kubori, suggested a culture of secrecy and xenophobia on the part of university officials.

[28] On November 29, 2021, the former chairman of the board of Nihon University, Hidetoshi Tanaka, was arrested for alleged tax evasion, and indicted by prosecutors on December 20.

Tanaka had allegedly received approximately 118 million yen in bribes from 2018 to 2020 paid by contractors in return for contracts being awarded for work at Nihon University.

By accepting his resignation rather than dismissing him, the board ensured that Tanaka would remain eligible for a retirement bonus of hundreds of millions of yen.