is a public coeducational

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Asahikawa, Hokkaido is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a core city since April 1, 2000. The city is currently well known for the Asahiyama ...

, Japan. Established in 1898, it was chartered as a university in 1968. It is officially accredited/recognized by the

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community ...

. The university offers courses and programs leading to bachelor's and master's degrees in several areas of study. Asahikawa City University provides academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, sport facilities and/or activities, as well as administrative services.

History

The university's predecessor was founded as Asahikawa Sewing Vocational School in 1898 by Sawai Hyōjirō. In 1904, it was renamed Asahikawa Girls' Sewing School. In 1968, it was chartered as a university as Kitanihon Gakuin University and renamed Asahikawa University in 1970. The university's graduate school was established in 1999, with the establishment of the Graduate School of Economics.

Lawsuit

The university became known for being party to a

legal action In legal terminology, a complaint is any formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties (the plaintiff(s)) believes are sufficient to support a claim against the party ...

involving the dismissal of a non-Japanese "English as a Foreign Language" teacher. The teacher was dismissed because it was believed she had lost her "freshness" and was unable to teach foreign culture, as she had been employed by the university for an extended period and was married to a Japanese national. The case was subject to appeals by both sides and was finally found in favor of the university as the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

declined to hear the employee's final

appeal In law, an appeal is the process in which cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of clarifying and ...

References

External links

Asahikawa University website (''Japanese'')

''PALE news'', Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2005

Private universities and colleges in Japan Universities and colleges in Hokkaido Universities and colleges established in 1898 1898 establishments in Japan Universities and colleges established in 1968 1968 establishments in Japan {{hokkaidō-university-stub