A campaign for establishment of Imperial Universities was conducted in prefectures where both the cities are located, but the government budget for establishment of Imperial Universities was not approved due to Showa financial crisis (1927) and the Great Depression (1929) and the two universities were established with donations from local well-wishers to the national treasury.
両市のある府県では帝大設立運動が起きたが、昭和金融恐慌（1927年）、世界恐慌（1929年）のため帝大創設の政府予算は付かず、全額を地元が国庫に寄付するというかたちで両帝大は設立された。