Founded in 1949, is located in Sanbanchō, near the Imperial Palace (

Kokyo The is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where va ...

) in the heart of Chiyoda, Tokyo. It began as a sewing school opened by Otsuma Kotaka (1884–1970) in 1908. From this grew the Otsuma Girls' High School (1935) and the Otsuma Women's Vocational School (1942). Otsuma Kotaka (大妻コタカ) was a pioneer of traditional women's education, emphasizing scientific training in homemaking skills. For almost twenty years the university specialized in

home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...

and became synonymous with the education of ‘

good wives and wise mothers "Good Wife, Wise Mother" is a phrase representing a traditional ideal womanhood, ideal for womanhood in East Asia, including Japan, China and Korea. First appearing in the late 1800s, the yojijukugo, four-character phrase "Good Wife, Wise Mother" ( ...

’ (良妻賢母, ''ryōsai-kenbo''). A two-year junior college was added in 1950. In 1967 the

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 ...

entered a period of diversification with the creation of a Faculty of Language & Literature and a second campus in Sayamadai, Saitama. Two hitherto independent girls' middle and high schools (Otsuma Nakano and Otsuma Ranzan) were also affiliated. In 1990 a third campus and a fourth affiliated high school were opened in

Tama, Tokyo is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 148,285 in 73,167 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city was . Geography Tama is located in the footh ...

. Like many other women's universities in Japan, Otsuma has faced the challenge of a rapidly changing job market for women. In the 70s and 80s the demand was for junior college graduates and for most of this period the Otsuma Junior College English Department was at the top of the national rankings. The subsequent shift to a demand for four-year graduates has resulted in the retrenchment of the junior college and the creation of several new faculties, including Social Information Studies and Comparative Cultures. On December 26, 1975, Popular girl group, The Candies performed their concert at that location.

External links

Otsuma Women's University

Otsuma Women's University Faculty of Language and LiteratureOtsuma Women's University School of Social Information StudiesOtsuma Women's University Faculty of Comparative Cultures
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Tokyo Private universities and colleges in Japan Women's universities and colleges in Japan Educational institutions established in 1949 1949 establishments in Japan Tama, Tokyo Chiyoda, Tokyo