Another predecessor of YCU was founded in 1874 as Juzen Hospital (十全醫院, Jūzen Iin).

Yochy, the mascot of YCU is a ginkgo leaf, from the trees found throughout the campus.

It includes the YCU School of Medicine, Hospital, and Advanced Medical Research Center.

The Maioka Campus in Totsuka-ku, Yokohama is home to Kihara Institute for Biological Research (KIBR).

The Tsurumi Campus in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama was established in 2001 as a graduate school partnership between YCU and RIKEN.

[19][20] RIKEN Yokohama researchers visit YCU as guest professors and provide guidance for students as part of a cooperative graduate school agreement.

[22] The YCU Hospital in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama has 654 beds, and in the 2012 fiscal year, treated 465,918 out-patients and 213,149 in-patients.

[25] Some graduate schools have engaged in joint research with the following African universities.