"Nihon-shoki", a history book established in the Nara period (710-794), mentions that Emperor Temmu had medicines produced in Mino Province, which is why Gifu is said to be the "birthplace of pharmaceuticals" in Japan.

The history of Gifu Pharmaceutical University began with the founding of its predecessor, Gifu College of Pharmacy, in April 1932. At that time, the world was in the midst of the Great Depression, and Japan was also in the midst of a serious recession.

Under these circumstances, Gifu Mayor Kunimatsu Matsuo was eager to establish a "vocational training institute that could be directly utilized in industry" and planned to promote education. Mayor Matsuo focused on pharmacy as a field of study that could contribute to the health of the people and the development of the chemical industry, and established the Gifu College of Pharmacy with the full donation of Mr. Jinkichi Watanabe, a local family with a long history of independence.

This was a pioneering effort as a municipal pharmacy school in Japan. The first school building was located in Kokonoe-cho 3-chome, Gifu City, and played a role in developing medical personnel in Japan during the turbulent early Showa period.