Waseda University (), abbreviated as or , is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...

Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by

Ōkuma Shigenobu Marquess was a Japanese statesman and a prominent member of the Meiji oligarchy. He served as Prime Minister of the Empire of Japan in 1898 and from 1914 to 1916. Ōkuma was also an early advocate of Western science and culture in Japan, and ...

, the fifth

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. Waseda is organized into 36 departments: 13 undergraduate schools and 23 graduate schools. As of 2023, there are 38,776 undergraduate students and 8,490 graduate students. In addition to a central campus in

(Waseda Campus and Nishiwaseda Campus), the university operates campuses in Chūō,

Nishitōkyō () is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 206,047, and a population density of 13,000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Nishitokyo is located at t ...

Tokorozawa is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 344,194 in 163,675 households and a population density of 4800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Tokorozawa is located in the ce ...

, Honjō, and

Kitakyūshū is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one of ...

. Waseda also operates 21 research institutes at its main Shinjuku campus. The university is selected as one of the Top Type (Type A) universities under

MEXT 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. ...

Top Global University Project is a funding project by the Japanese government that began in 2014. The project aims to enhance the globalization of the country's public and private universities so that graduates can "walk into positions of global leadership". The project is so ...

. Waseda University has the highest entrance examination difficulty level among private universities in Japan. Its alumni include eight prime ministers of Japan; three

prime ministers of Korea A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...

; a number of important figures of Japanese literature, including

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

;

founders Founder or Founders may refer to: Places *Founders Park, a stadium in South Carolina, formerly known as Carolina Stadium * Founders Park, a waterside park in Islamorada, Florida Arts, entertainment, and media * Founders (''Star Trek''), the ali ...

of leading Japanese and Korean companies such as

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

Ito En () is a Japanese multinational drinks company specializing in tea production, distribution, and sales. Ito En is the largest green tea distributor in Japan. The Ito En Group includes subsidiaries based in Japan, Indonesia, the United States, Aus ...

, Lotte,

CJ Group CJ Group () is a South Korean conglomerate holding company and one of the largest Chaebol headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous businesses in various industries of food and food service, pharmaceutics and biotechnology, enter ...

POSCO POSCO (formerly Pohang Iron and Steel Company) is a South Korean steel-making company headquartered in Pohang, South Korea. It had an output of of crude steel in 2015, making it the world's fourth-largest steelmaker by this measure. In 2010, i ...

; and many

CEOs Kea ( el, Κέα), also known as Tzia ( el, Τζια) and in antiquity Keos ( el, Κέως, la, Ceos), is a Greek island in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea. Kea is part of the Kea-Kythnos regional unit. Geography It is the island o ...

, including Japan's richest person,

Tadashi Yanai is a Japanese billionaire businessman, the founder and president of Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo ("unique clothing"). As of October 2021, he was the richest person in Japan, with an estimated net worth of US$26.5 billion & 40t ...

History

Waseda was founded as on 21 October 1882 by

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

scholar and Meiji-era politician and former prime minister

. Before the name 'Waseda' was selected, it was known variously as or after the location of the founder's villa in Waseda Village and the school's location in Totsuka Village, respectively. It was renamed on 2 September 1902, upon acquiring university status. It started as a college with three departments under the old Japanese system of higher education. In 1882, the university had the department of political science and economics, law, and physical science. Along with these departments, an English language course was established, where the students of all the departments could learn English. Three years later, the department of physical science was closed because it had too few applicants. The department of literature was established in 1890, the department of education in 1903, the department of commerce in 1904, and the department of science and engineering in 1908. Although Waseda formally adopted the term university in its title in 1902 it was not until 1920 that, along with other Japanese schools and colleges, it received formal government recognition as a university under the terms of the University Establishment Ordinance. Thus Waseda became, with

Keio University , mottoeng = The pen is mightier than the sword , type = Private research coeducational higher education institution , established = 1858 , founder = Yukichi Fukuzawa , endowmen ...

, the first private university in Japan. Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped)

Much of the campus was destroyed in the fire bombings of Tokyo during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, but the university was rebuilt and reopened by 1949. It has grown to become a comprehensive university with two senior high schools and school of art and architecture. On 12 June 1950, sixty police raided Waseda University and seized copies of a Communist-inspired open letter to General MacArthur. The open letter to MacArthur was once read at a Communist-sponsored rally a week earlier. The letter demanded a peace treaty for Japan that would include Russia and Communist China, withdrawal of occupation forces, and the release of eight Japanese sent to prison for assaulting five U.S. soldiers at a Communist rally. A police official said most Waseda meetings would be banned in the future because "political elements" might try to utilize them. Yuichi Eshima, Vice-chairman of the Students Autonomy Society, said the police action "stupefied" students and professors, and that "This is worse than the prewar peace preservation measures." In 1993,

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

visited Waseda University and mentioned that the university is a center of academic excellence and a training ground for Japan's distinguished leaders.

Academic cap

Ōkuma had long desired to create an academic cap so distinctive that someone wearing the cap would immediately be identified as a Waseda student. The chief tailor of

Takashimaya is a Japanese multinational corporation operating a department store chain carrying a wide array of products, ranging from wedding dresses and other apparel to electronics and flatware. It has more than 12 branches strategically located in 2 ...

, Yashichiro, was called upon to design a cap in three days. Each square cap was stamped on the inside with the student's name, his department, the school seal and the legend, "This certifies that the owner is a student of Waseda". Thus, the cap served as a form of identification, and effectively a status symbol. The cap, with its gold-braided badge, is registered as a trademark.

Anniversary

On 21 October 2007, Waseda University celebrated its 125th anniversary. Ōkuma often talked about the "125 years of life" theory: "The lifespan of a human being can be as long as 125 years. He will be able to live out his natural lifespan as long as he takes proper care of his health", because "physiologists say that every animal has the ability to live five times as long as its growth period. Since a man is said to require about 25 years to become fully mature, it follows that he can live up to 125 years of age." This theory propounded by Ōkuma was very popular and often referred to in the media of the time. In commemorative events relating to Waseda University and Ōkuma, the number 125 is accorded special significance, as it marks an important epoch. The tower of Ōkuma Auditorium, completed on the university's 45th anniversary, is 125 ''

shaku Shaku may refer to: * Shaku (unit) * Shaku (ritual baton) * Buddhist surname In East Asian Buddhism, monks and nuns usually adopt a Buddhist surname and a Dharma name, which are combined in the surname-first East-Asian naming order. Since the 4th c ...

'', or about 38 m high. In 1963, there were also events to mark the 125th anniversary of Ōkuma Shigenobu's birth. Ōkuma, who twice served as prime minister of Japan, organized his second cabinet when he was 77 and died when he was 83. He said, "I wish I had understood this '125 years of life' theory 30 years earlier". He did, however, lead a regular life, and lived fairly long compared to other Japanese at the time.

Campus

Waseda University's main campus is located in the Nishi-Waseda district of

. The nearest station is , although Waseda is generally associated with on the

Yamanote Line The Yamanote Line ( ja, 山手線, Yamanote-sen) is a loop service in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban ...

. Apart from the main campus in Shinjuku, there are other campuses around the country: * Waseda (Overall Main) Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo (formerly known as the Nishi-Waseda Campus) * Toyama Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo (Waseda Arena) * Nishi-Waseda (Science & Tech Main) Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo * Nihonbashi Campus: Chūō-ku, Tokyo * Higashifushimi Campus:

, Tokyo * Tokorozawa Campus:

Tokorozawa, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 344,194 in 163,675 households and a population density of 4800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Tokorozawa is located in the ce ...

* Honjō Campus: Honjō, Saitama * Kitakyūshū Campus:

Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuku ...

Organization

Undergraduate programs

* School of Political Science and Economics * School of Law * School of Culture, Media and Society * School of Humanities and Social Sciences * School of Education * School of Commerce * School of Creative Science and Engineering * School of Fundamental Science and Engineering * School of Advanced Science and Engineering * School of Social Sciences * School of Human Sciences ** e-School (Internet Degree Program), School of Human Sciences * School of Sports Sciences * School of International Liberal Studies

Graduate programs

* Graduate School of Political Science * Graduate School of Economics * Graduate School of Law * Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences * Graduate School of Commerce * Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering * Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering * Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering * Graduate School of Education * Graduate School of Human Sciences * Graduate School of Social Sciences *

Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies The , or GSAPS, is an independent graduate school focusing on social sciences and international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of i ...

* Graduate School of Global Information and Telecommunication Studies * Graduate School of Japanese Applied Linguistics * Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems * Graduate School of Sports Sciences * Business School * The Okuma School of Public Management * Law School * Graduate School of Finance, Accounting and Law * Graduate School of Accountancy * Graduate School of Environment and Energy Engineering * Graduate School of Journalism

Research institutes

* Kagami Memorial Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology * Institute for Comparative Law * The Institute for Research in Business Administration * Institute for Research in Contemporary Political and Economic Affairs * Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences * Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering * Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies * Global Information and Telecommunication Institute * Institute for Advanced Studies in Education * Center for Japanese Language * Media Network Center * Environmental Research Institute * Environmental Safety Center * Center for Finance Research * Human Service Center * Comprehensive Research Organization (Project Research Institute) * Institute for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology * Consolidated Research Institute for Advanced Science and Medical Care * Information Technology Research Organization * Organization for Asian Studies * Waseda Institute for Advanced Study (WIAS)

Facilities

Ōkuma Auditorium

The Ōkuma Auditorium is three-story main auditorium that seats 1,435, while the secondary auditorium, located underground, can accommodate 382 people. A seven-story high clock tower stands to the left of the auditorium. Important events and lectures hosted by Waseda University are often held in the Ōkuma Auditorium. Club-sponsored plays, lectures and events are held in the auditorium on days when it is not in use by the university. Many of Waseda University's undergraduate and graduate schools hold their entrance and graduation ceremonies at the Okuma Auditorium. The auditorium opened on 20 October 1927, about five years behind schedule, after the

1923 Great Kantō earthquake The struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58:44 JST (02:58:44 UTC) on Saturday, September 1, 1923. Varied accounts indicate the duration of the earthquake was between four and ten minutes. Extensive firestorms an ...

. A Memorial Hall, constructed in 1957, was used as the

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...

venue for the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...

. In April 1999, the auditorium along with the old library building were officially designated the first and second historical buildings under the newly passed Tokyo Metropolitan Landscape Regulations, which aim to preserve buildings representative of Tokyo's history and culture. The auditorium was designated as one of the

Important Cultural Properties of Japan An The term is often shortened into just is an item officially classified as Tangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs ( Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and judged to b ...

by the

Agency for Cultural Affairs The is a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). It was set up in 1968 to promote Japanese arts and culture. The agency's budget for FY 2018 rose to ¥107.7 billion. Overview The ag ...

in 2007.

Ōkuma Garden

Ōkuma Garden is a Japanese garden located in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It belongs to Waseda University. The garden covers an area of about 3,000 square metres. It was previously the residence of the Ii clan, Ii family and Matsudaira clan. In 1884, Ōkuma Shigenobu, ...

is located near Ōkuma Auditorium. It is a half-Japanese, half-Western garden of Edo period feudal lord Matsudaira Sanuki's former mansion, redesigned by Shigenobu Ōkuma. After his death, the garden was donated to Waseda University. Now it is a recreation place for students.

Libraries and museums

The

Waseda University Library The collections of Waseda University Library (早稲田大学図書館; ''Waseda Daigaku Toshokan'') form one of the largest libraries in Japan. Established in 1882, they currently hold some 5.6 million volumes and 46,000 serials. History The W ...

is collectively one of Japan's largest libraries and currently hold some 4.5 million volumes and 46,000 serials. The Waseda University Library, designed by Tachu Naitō, Kenji Imai and Kin'ichi Kiriyama, was completed in 1925. This five-story building, with a total area of , was used initially as the University Library. The reading room was housed in a separate two-story building, with a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

of 500. One of the prominent libraries established at the end of the Taishō period, it has been a symbol of Waseda University to this day, along with the Okuma Auditorium and the Theatre Museum. The Old Library and the administration building were expanded in 1934 and 1955, respectively. After the New Central Library, the Old Library stopped serving as a main library, located where the Abe Stadium used to be, was completed in 1990. It now houses Takata Sanae Memorial Research Library, the University Archives, and Aizu Yaichi Museum. Takata Sanae Memorial Research Library opened in 1994. It is named after former university president Takata Sanae. Historical and cultural materials on Waseda University are exhibited in the University Archives, and the materials related with Ōkuma Shigenobu are exhibited in the Ōkuma Memorial Room at the Archives. Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum opened in 1998. In the front hall, visitors are greeted by the masterpiece "Meian", which dates back to 1927. It is painted on the world's largest hand-made washi (Japanese paper), which is 4.45 meters in diameter and weighs about 12 kilograms. It was manufactured by Iwano Heisaburō, the founder of the Echizen paper works in Imadachi-cho, Fukui prefecture. The masterpiece was painted free of charge by

Yokoyama Taikan was the art-name of a major figure in pre-World War II Japanese painting. He is notable for helping create the Japanese painting technique of ''Nihonga''. Early life Yokoyama was born in Mito city, Ibaraki Prefecture, as the eldest son of S ...

and Shimomura Kanzan, two artists who represented the modern Japanese style of painting. President Takata Sanae asked them to paint a picture for the Library. The library possesses a unique collection which survived the

Bombing of Tokyo in World War II The was a series of firebombing air raids by the United States Army Air Force during the Pacific campaigns of World War II. Operation Meetinghouse, which was conducted on the night of 9–10 March 1945, is the single most destructive bombing ...

unlike many of its counterparts. The collection is an important resource for the study of pre-war Japanese history and literature. Other museums and libraries on Waseda campuses include: *

Waseda University Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University is a university museum devoted to the history of drama, with facilities used for cultural performances from all over the world. The museum was named for Tsubouchi Shōyō, a famous write ...

* Aizu Museum

Athletics

American football

Cheerleading

The Waseda University Cheerleading Club is the cheerleading club of Waseda University.

Baseball

Waseda's baseball team is known for their long history of success in

Tokyo Big6 Baseball League is an intercollegiate baseball league that features six prominent universities in the Tokyo area. Before the 1936 establishment of the Japanese Baseball League and subsequent growth (after 1950) of Nippon Professional Baseball, the Big6 League ...

. As of the end of the 2012 season, Waseda had won 43 championships along with the highest winning percentage. They are also known for their rivalry with

Keiō University , mottoeng = The pen is mightier than the sword , type = Private research coeducational higher education institution , established = 1858 , founder = Yukichi Fukuzawa , endowme ...

, highlighted by the Sōkeisen series. The series is held twice a year in the spring and autumn at

Meiji-Jingu Stadium The is a baseball stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1926 and holds 37,933 spectators. Property of the Meiji Shrine, it is the home field of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team. It also hosts college baseball, incl ...

, considered one of the most important matches of the year for students from both schools.

Football

Waseda University

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team won the

Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or also Japan FA Cup is a Japanese football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football match in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J.League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, J ...

, in 1964 and 1967.

Rugby union

Waseda University Rugby Football Club Waseda University R.F.C. was founded in 1918. It is one of the top rugby union clubs for students in Japan, together with Kanto Gakuin University RFC, Keio University RFC and Doshisha University RFC. It is the representative club of Waseda Univers ...

has reached the final of the

All-Japan University Rugby Championship The All-Japan University Rugby Football Championships (全国大学ラグビーフットボール選手権大会 – ''Zenkoku Daigaku Ragubi- Futtobo-ru Senshuken Taikai'') have been held annually since 1964 to determine the top University Rugby ...

31 times, and winning fifteen times, most recently in 2008. Its two traditional rivals are

Keio University , mottoeng = The pen is mightier than the sword , type = Private research coeducational higher education institution , established = 1858 , founder = Yukichi Fukuzawa , endowmen ...

and

Meiji University , abbreviated as Meiji (明治) or Meidai (明大'')'', is a private research university located in Chiyoda City, the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1881 as Meiji Law School (明治法律学校, ''Meiji Hōritsu Gakkō'') by three Meiji-er ...

Karate

The Waseda University

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

club is one of the oldest in Japan, formed in 1931 under the direction of

Gichin Funakoshi was a japanese martial artist who is regarded as the founder of Shotakan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is known as a "father of modern karate". Following the teachings of Anko Itosu and Anko Asato,Funakoshi, Gichi ...

. Funakoshi, Gichin (1973). "Karate-do Kyohan", Kodansha International Ltd, Tokyo. . Graduates of the karate club include

Shigeru Egami was a pioneering Japanese Grandmaster (martial arts), master of Shotokan karate who founded the Shōtōkai style. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, who is widely recognized as the founder of modern karate. Early life Egami was born on Decem ...

, leader of the Shotokai school,

Kazumi Tabata was an 8th degree Grand Master in Shotokan karate. Born in Japan in 1943, Master Tabata started karate at age 13 and received the rank of ''nidan'' in Shorinji as a freshman in high school. Master Tabata went to Waseda University and started s ...

, founder of the North American Karate-do Federation and

Tsutomu Ohshima is a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the organization Shotokan Karate of America (SKA).Shotokan Karate of America Shotokan Karate of America (米國松濤館; SKA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to teach traditional karate-do in the United States. It was founded by Tsutomu Ohshima, a direct student of Gichin Funakoshi, the father of Shotoka ...

, and Sadaharu Honda, founder fo Mumon Karate.

Fencing

Waseda's fencing club was established in 1946. In recent years it has achieved impressive intercollegiate and national results. In 2021, Waseda won the men's Épée team division. In 2022, Waseda further strengthened their achievements, claiming victory in all weapon types (Foil, Sabre, Épée) for both men and women's division.

Bending

In 2016, the first university

bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...

team in Japan was founded. With no field of regular size, they play

rink bandy Rink bandy is a variant of the larger sport of bandy. Unlike bandy which is played on a large bandy field, rink bandy is played on significantly smaller ice hockey sized ice rinks. While a bandy field is about the same size as a football pitch, ...

Rankings

General

The university ranked 2nd in 2015–2016 in

Toyo Keizai is a book and magazine publisher specializing in politics, economics and business, based in Tokyo, Japan. The company is famous for established in 1895, one of three Japanese leading business magazines ranked with published by Nikkei Business ...

's ranking. In another ranking, Japanese prep school Kawaijuku ranked Waseda as the 13th best university in Japan. In 2023, Waseda University ranked 199th overall, 118th in academic reputation, and 24th in employer reputation in the ''

QS World University Rankings ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...

''. By subject, Waseda University ranked 25th in Classics and Ancient History, 42nd in Modern Languages, 70th in Law and Legal Studies, 54th in Arts and Humanities, 50th in Politics, 77th in Social Science and Management, 40th in Sports Sciences, 51-100th in Business and Management, 128th in Economics and Econometrics, 101-150th in Engineering, 101-150th in Computer Science, and 115th in Mathematics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Research performance

Generally speaking, national universities in Japan have better research standards; however, Waseda is one of the few private universities which compete with top national universities. According to Weekly Diamond, Waseda has the 12th highest research standard in Japan in terms of research fundings per researchers in COE Program, and it is one of only two private universities within the top 15. On 16 February 2004, ''Nikkei Shimbun'' ran a survey about research standards in

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

studies based on Thomson Reuters, Grants in Aid for Scientific Research and questionnaires to heads of 93 leading Japanese Research Centers. Waseda ranked 5th overall, 7th in research planning, and 1st in business-academia collaboration. Waseda was the only private university ranked in the top 5. ''

Asahi Shimbun is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and ...

'' summarized the number of academic papers in Japanese major legal journals by university, and Waseda was ranked 3rd during 2005–2009.

Detailed

According to the Asia Top MBA Business Schools Ranking by

Asiaweek ''Asiaweek'' was an English-language news magazine focusing on Asia, published weekly by Asiaweek Limited, a subsidiary of Time Inc. Based in Hong Kong, it was established in 1975, and ceased publication with its 7 December 2001 issue due to a " ...

, Waseda Business School is ranked 2nd in Japan.

Eduniversal Eduniversal is a university ranking business by the French consulting company and rating agency ''SMBG'' specialized in Higher Education. Founded in 1994, one of the main goals of Eduniversal is to provide a tool, for students all around the world, ...

also ranked Japanese business schools and Waseda is 2nd in Japan (93rd in the world). In this ranking, Waseda is one of only 3 Japanese business schools categorized in "Universal Business schools with major international influence". Waseda University is one of the few universities in

to receive accreditation from the

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to ...

(AACSB) of the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. Waseda Law School is considered one of the top Japanese law schools, as Waseda's successful candidates for

bar examination A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associa ...

was 5th in 2009 and 2010 in Japan.

Alumni

According to the ''Weekly Diamond'' on 18 February 2006, Waseda got the highest score from the directors of human resource departments in

Greater Tokyo The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...

in its . Waseda was ranked 1st in Social Science and 2nd in Natural Science and Engineering among all Japanese universities. According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings and the

PRESIDENT President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

's article on 16 October 2006, graduates from Waseda have the 11th best employment rate in 400 major companies, and the alumni average salary is the 7th best in Japan. '' Mines ParisTech: Professional Ranking World Universities'' ranked Waseda University as 4th in the world in 2010 (8th in 2011) in terms of the number of alumni listed among CEOs in the 500 largest worldwide companies. The university is also ranked 2nd in Japan for the number of alumni holding the position of executive in the listed companies of Japan. The number of lawyers who graduated Waseda has been ranked 3rd in Japan since 1949. Furthermore, Waseda alumni have been the 2nd largest group in the

Japanese Parliament The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

."University rankings 2011" Asahi Shinbun

Selectivity

Waseda is one of the most selective and sought after universities in Japan. The number of applicants per place was 20.5 (115515/5630) in the 2011 undergraduate admissions. This number of applicants was 2nd largest in Japan. its entrance difficulty is usually considered top with Keio among 730 private universities.

Nikkei BP , commonly known as , is a book and magazine publisher based in Tokyo, Japan. The company was established as , a joint venture of Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and McGraw-Hill in 1969, and it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Nikkei in 1988. Nik ...

has been publishing a ranking system called the "

Brand rankings of Japanese universities The Brand rankings of Japanese universities (大学ブランドランキング ''Daigaku Burando Rankingu'') is a ranking of the Japanese universities by Nikkei Business Publications, released annually in November. It is a ranking system which eval ...

" every year, composed of various indicators relating to the power of brand, with Waseda achieving top place in 2010 and 3rd place in 2009 in the

Greater Tokyo Area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the ...

. As of 2020, Waseda University is securely ranked in 2nd place, directly behind the University of Tokyo.

Business

According to 2006 SurveyWeekly Diamond The ranking of the universities which produced the high ratio of the graduates who hold the position of "president and chief executive officer of listed company" to all the graduates of each university
/ref> by Weekly Diamond on the ranking of the universities which produced the high ratio of the graduates who hold the position of "president and chief executive officer of listed company" to all the graduates of each university, Waseda is ranked 10th out of all the 744 Japanese universities which existed as of 2006. According to 2010 SurveyIs it a story of the past that graduates from famous universities can easily move up the career ladder? / RECRUIT AGENT
/ref> by Weekly Economist on the ranking of universities according to the ratio of the number of the officers & managers produced by each university to the number of graduates, Waseda is ranked 35thout of all the 778 Japanese universities which existed as of 2010. According to 2020 Nikkei SurveyImage held by human resources personnel of companies of Japan / Yokohama National University ranked 1st in Kantō & Kōshin'etsu region / Valuation from the ex-students already employed / The Nikkei・Nikkei HR Survey　2020-06-04 17:27
/ref> to all listed (3,714
/ref>) and leading unlisted (1,100), totally 4,814 companies, Waseda is ranked 12th out of 781The number of universities in Japan is 781 as of April 1, 2020. About 80% are private universities.｜Ōbun Sha
/ref> Japanese universities as of 2020.

International relations

Its alumni include influential

Chinese government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...

figures such as

Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...

and

Li Dazhao Li Dazhao or Li Ta-chao (October 29, 1889 – April 28, 1927) was a Chinese intellectual and revolutionary who participated in the New Cultural Movement in the early years of the Republic of China, established in 1912. He co-founded the Chinese ...

Kim Seong-su Kim Seong-su (김성수, 金性洙; October 11, 1891 – February 18, 1955) was a Korean educator, independence activist, journalist, entrepreneur, politician and calligrapher, and the second vice president of South Korea from 1951–19 ...

, former

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, established

Korea University Korea University (KU, ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea, established in 1905. The university is included as one of the SKY universities, a popular acronym referring to Korea's three most prestigious universities. The ...

, one of the Korean peninsula's leading institutions. This connection led to a professional academic collaboration between Waseda and Korea University starting in 1973, culminating in a

dual degree A double degree program, sometimes called a dual degree, combined degree, conjoint degree, joint degree or double graduation program, involves a student's working for two university degrees in parallel—either at the same institution or at diffe ...

program at the

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...

and

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

levels. In 1982, Waseda University initiated an academic exchange agreement with

Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...

. Since 2005, this partnership has offered

double degree A double degree program, sometimes called a dual degree, combined degree, conjoint degree, joint degree or double graduation program, involves a student's working for two university degrees in parallel—either at the same institution or at diffe ...

programs at the

, and

doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

(

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

) levels, illustrating the university's dedication to international academic collaboration.

People

Alumni

There are currently more than 600,000 alumni members. According to Japanese media, there are over 3,100 famous individuals known nationwide in Japan who are alumni of Waseda University. Among the notable alumni of Waseda University have become leading politicians, businessmen, writers, architects, athletes, actors, musicians, scientists, and those that have gained both national and international fame. To develop alumni connections, the Waseda network consists of over 50 alumni groups, or "Tomonkai," on six continents. Among notable alumni are

Masaru Ibuka Masaru Ibuka (井深大 ''Ibuka Masaru''; April 11, 1908 – December 19, 1997) was a Japanese electronics industrialist and co-founder of Sony, along with Akio Morita.Kirkup, James"Obituary: Masaru Ibuka,"''Independent'' (London). December 22 ...

, co-founder of

;

Shuntaro Furukawa is a Japanese businessman and executive. He is the sixth and current president of the video game company Nintendo in Japan. He took over as company president in June 2018, succeeding Tatsumi Kimishima. Early life Furukawa was born in Tokyo, J ...

, president of

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

; world-renowned novelist

; Prime Ministers of Japan

Tanzan Ishibashi was a Japanese journalist, Nichiren Buddhist priest, and politician who was Prime Minister of Japan for two months from 1956 to 1957, before resigning due to illness. He simultaneously served as Director General of the Japan Defense Agency. Fr ...

Noboru Takeshita was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1987 to 1989 during the bubble economy. Takeshita led the largest faction at the time in the Liberal Democratic Party, which he inherited from Kakuei Tanaka, from the 1980s u ...

Toshiki Kaifu was a Japanese politician who served as the 77th Prime Minister of Japan from 1989 to 1991. Early life and education Kaifu was born on 2 January 1931, in Nagoya City, the eldest of six brothers. His family's business Nakamura Photo Studio wa ...

Keizō Obuchi was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1998 to 2000. Obuchi was elected to the House of Representatives in Gunma Prefecture in 1963, becoming the youngest legislator in Japanese history, and was re-elected to his ...

Yoshirō Mori is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between April 2000 and April 2001. He was unpopular in opinion polls during his time in office, and is known for making controversial statements, both during and after his ...

Yasuo Fukuda is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving in that role from 2000 to 2004 under Prime Ministers Yoshirō M ...

Yoshihiko Noda is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 2011 to 2012. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the House of Representatives (lower house) in the Diet (national legislature). He was named to succeed Naoto K ...

and

Fumio Kishida is a Japanese politician serving as Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. A member of the House of Representatives, he previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017 and ...

; pioneering video artist and experimental filmmaker

Kohei Ando Kohei Ando (born February 1, 1944) is a Japanese experimental filmmaker, videographer, director, cinematographer, screenwriter, executive producer, and Professor Emeritus of Cinema at Waseda University. He is credited as one of the earliest figures ...

; As mentioned above, notable global alumni of Waseda University include

Lee Byung-chul Lee Byung-chul (Korean: 이병철 12 February 1910 – 19 November 1987) was a South Korean businessman. He was the founder of the Samsung Group, which is South Korea's largest chaebol, and he is considered one of South Korea's most success ...

and

Lee Kun-hee Lee Kun-hee (, ; 9 January 194225 October 2020) was a South Korean business magnate who served as the chairman of Samsung Group from 1987 to 2008 and from 2010 to 2020, and is credited with the transformation of Samsung to one of the world's la ...

, Chairmen of

;

, former

and founder of

; Shin Kyuk-ho, founder of

Lotte Group Lotte Corporation (or Lotte Group) is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation, and the fifth-largest chaebol in South Korea. Lotte began its history on June 28, 1948, by Korean businessman Shin Kyuk-ho in Tokyo. Shin expan ...

and builder of one of the world's top five skyscrapers,

Lotte World Tower The Lotte World Tower () is a 123-story Megatall skyscraper located in Sincheon-dong, Songpa, Seoul, South Korea. It opened to the public on April 3, 2017, and is currently the tallest building in South Korea and the sixth tallest in the worl ...

Kim Young-sam Kim Young-sam (; or ; 20 December 1927 – 22 November 2015) was a Demographics of South Korea, South Korean politician and activist who served as the seventh president of South Korea from 1993 to 1998. From 1961, he spent almost 30 year ...

, former

President of South Korea The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (often abbreviated to POTROK or POSK; ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president leads the State Council, and is ...

who also served as an honorary doctorate and professor; and

Park Tae-joon Park Tae-joon (September 29, 1927 – December 13, 2011) was a South Korean business tycoon, war hero, political leader, and philanthropist. His most renowned accomplishment includes founding of POSCO and growing it into one of the world's larg ...

, former Chairman of

and

Prime Minister of South Korea The prime minister of the Republic of Korea (PMOTROK or PMOSK; ) is the deputy head of government and the second highest political office of South Korea who is appointed by the President of the Republic of Korea, with the National Assembly's app ...

Chen Duxiu Chen Duxiu ( zh, t=陳獨秀, w=Ch'en Tu-hsiu; 8 October 187927 May 1942) was a Chinese revolutionary socialist, educator, philosopher and author, who co-founded the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with Li Dazhao in 1921. From 1921 to 1927, he ser ...

co-founder of the

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...

; Palme d'Or winning director Shohei Imamura;

, founder and

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Fast Retailing is a public Japanese multinational retail holding company. In addition to its primary subsidiary Uniqlo, it owns several other brands, including J Brand, Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Princesse Tam-Tam, and Theory. History The company was f ...

and the richest man in Japan;

Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas, Lithuania. During the Second World War, Sugihara helped thousands of Jews flee Europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through Japan ...

, Japanese diplomat who rescued 5,558 Jews during the Holocaust;

Shizuka Arakawa is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 2006 Olympic champion and the 2004 World champion. Arakawa is the first Japanese skater to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating and the second Japanese skater to win any Olympic medal in fi ...

, 2006 Olympic Champion figure skater; famed ''

tanka is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature. Etymology Originally, in the time of the ''Man'yōshū'' (latter half of the eighth century AD), the term ''tanka'' was used to distinguish "short poem ...

'' poet

Hakushū Kitahara is the pen-name of , a Japanese ''tanka'' poet active during the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. He is regarded as one of the most popular and important poets in modern Japanese literature. Early life Kitahara was born in Yanagawa, Fukuok ...

;

Doppo Kunikida was a Japanese author of novels and romantic poetry during the Meiji period, noted as one of the inventors of Japanese naturalism. Early life and education Doppo Kunikida was born in Chōshi, Chiba as Tetsuo Kunikida. While some doubt exist ...

, Meiji-era novelist and poet noted as one of the inventors of Japanese naturalism; former mayor of

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

city

Tōru Hashimoto is a Japanese TV personality, politician and lawyer. He was the mayor of Osaka city and is a member of Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Osaka Restoration Association. He is one of Japan's leading right-wing conservative-populist politicians. Early ...

; accomplished

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player

Nori Aoki is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Toro ...

; and 2014, 2018 two-time Olympic Champion figure skater

Yuzuru Hanyu is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...

. File:Yasuo Fukuda 200709.jpg,

File:HarukiMurakami.png,

File:Arakawa 2009 Festa On Ice.JPG,

File:1930 Li Dazhao Chinese comintern.jpg,

File:Yoshiro Mori 20000405.jpg,

File:Kitahara Hakushu.jpg,

File:Kunikida Doppo.jpg,

File:Hirokazu Kore-eda Cannes 2015.jpg,

Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including '' Nobody Knows'' (2004), '' Still Walking'' (2008), and '' After the Storm'' ( ...

File:Sugihara b.jpg,

File:Ibuka Masaru.jpg,

Ibuka Masaru Masaru Ibuka (井深大 ''Ibuka Masaru''; April 11, 1908 – December 19, 1997) was a Japanese electronics industrialist and co-founder of Sony, along with Akio Morita.Kirkup, James"Obituary: Masaru Ibuka,"''Independent'' (London). December 22 ...

File:Noboru Takeshita 19871106.jpg,

File:Shohei Imamura.jpg, Shohei Imamura File:Seikima-II 20100704 Japan Expo 60.jpg,

Demon Kakka , previously known as , is a Japanese musician, songwriter, entertainer, journalist, sumo commentator, actor and voice actor. He first gained fame in the 1980s as vocalist of the heavy metal band Seikima-II, before starting a solo career in ...

File:Norichika Aoki on April 26, 2014.jpg,

File:Yuzuru Hanyu-Sochi 2014.jpg,

File:Fumio Kishida 20211005.jpg,

File:Tadashi Yanai Portrait.png,

- The 100th and 101st Prime Minister, Faculty of Law. *

Yasushi Kaneko is a Japanese politician who served as Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications from October 2021 to August 2022. He is serving in the House of Representatives as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. Career A native of Kuma Distric ...

- Politician, Faculty of Commerce. *

Hiroshi Kawauchi is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and a member of the House of Representatives of Japan, House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan, Diet (national legislature). He studied at Waseda University. Refere ...

- The 76th and 77th Prime Minister of Japan, Faculty of Law *

Hirokazu Koreeda is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including '' Nobody Knows'' (2004), '' Still Walking'' (2008), and '' After the Storm'' ( ...

- Graduated from the Faculty of Literature, a world-renowned film director, and has been a professor at Waseda University since 2014. *

Yuji Kuroiwa Yuji or Yu Ji may refer to: * Yuji Naka, is a Japanese video game programmer, designer and producer * Yu Ji (painter), a Qing dynasty painter and calligrapher * Yūji, a common masculine Japanese given name * Consort Yu (Xiang Yu's wife) (虞姬; ...

- Politician. *

Hiroyuki Nagahama is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokyo and graduate of Waseda University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the ...

- Politician. *

Himeka Nakamoto is a Japanese mental health counselor, radio personality, author, and former idol. She was a first-generation member of the idol group Nogizaka46. Career In 2006, Nakamoto enrolled in Actor's School Hiroshima as part of the sixteenth batch, ...

- Faculty of Human Sciences. Former member of Nogizaka46. * Shogo Nakamura - Baseball player, Chiba Lotte Marines. * Kichiemon Nakamura - Renowned Kabuki actor. His elder brother, Hakuo Matsumoto, graduated from the Faculty of Drama. *

Fukushiro Nukaga is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1983 and represents Ibaraki's 2nd district.Akira Nishino - Former soccer player, led the Japanese team in the Russian World Cup, and currently coaches the Thailand national team. *

Miki Nonaka Miki may refer to: Places * Miki, Hyōgo, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan * Miki, Kagawa, a town in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan * Miki, Azerbaijan, a village in Astara Rayon, Azerbaijan People * Miki (given name) * Miki (surname) * Miki Núñez ...

- Member of Morning Musume. *

- The 95th Prime Minister, Faculty of Political Science and Economics. *

Makiko Tanaka is a Japanese politician. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and his official wife Hana. Early life Tanaka attended high school at Germantown Friends School in the United States and graduated from Waseda University. She s ...

- Politician. * Shuichi Takatori - Politician. *

Ryota Takeda is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications from September 2020 to October 2021. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he previously served as the Minister in Charge of Public Safety, Measures ...

- Politician. *

- The 74th Prime Minister, Faculty of Commerce. *

- Vocalist of Seikima-II, which originated from a Waseda University folk song club *

Jin Matsubara is a Japanese politician. He is a member of the House of Representatives of Japan, House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan, Diet (national legislature). He was appointed Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Minister of Stat ...

- Politician. * Yoshiro Mori - The 85th Prime Minister, Faculty of Commerce. * Takeshi Mori - Animation director. *

Tomomi Mochizuki , sometimes incorrectly romanized as Tomomichi Mochizuki, is a Japanese storyboard artist, screenwriter, and director, known for having collaborated with leading animation studios such as Studio Ghibli, Nippon Animation, Pierrot, and Sunrise. He so ...

- Animation director. * Katsuki Motodaka - Member of the idol group 7 MEN Samurai, Faculty of Creative Science and Engineering. *

Jun Murakami is a Japanese actor. He is not to be confused with Japanese stunt actor Jun Murakami. Career Murakami starred in Sho Miyake's ''Playback'' (2012). He co-starred in Sion Sono's '' The Land of Hope'' (2012) with Megumi Kagurazaka. He has also a ...

- Professional lyricist, affiliated with the highest level of the Japan Professional Mahjong League. *

- Graduated from the Faculty of Literature, a world-renowned novelist. * Shingo Miyake - Graduated from the Faculty of Political Science and Economics. * Marino Miyata - Winner of the 2009 Miss Japan contest. Gained attention as a high school student when she won Miss Japan. Later active in broadcasting, movies, magazines, and more. Entered Waseda University's Faculty of Political Science and Economics in April 2010, graduated in 2014, and joined the Bank of Japan. *

Satoshi Mitazono is a Japanese politician and journalist who is the former governor of Kagoshima Prefecture. He defeated the incumbent Yūichirō Itō at an election held on 10 July 2016. Early life and education Mitazono was born in Ibusuki, Kagoshima in 1958. I ...

- Graduated from the Faculty of Education. * - Gravure idol. Graduated from Faculty of Human Sciences in March 2023 with a certification in child-care.

Faculty

Professors who are also Waseda alumni are listed in ''italics''. * '' Yaichi Aizu'', poet, scholar of ancient Chinese and Japanese art, and namesake of Aizu Museum * Tameyuki Amano, economics scholar and educator *''

'', professor emeritus of

Cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking * ...

* ''Yasunobu Fujiwara'', scholar of

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

Lafcadio Hearn , born Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (; el, Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χέρν, Patríkios Lefkádios Chérn, Irish language, Irish: Pádraig Lafcadio O'hEarain), was an Irish people, Irish-Greeks, Greek-Japanese people, Japanese writer, t ...

, novelist, literary scholar, professor of

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

* ''Smimasa Idditti (Sumimasa Idichi )'', professor of English * '' Kenji Imai'', architect * ''Tokio Kimura'', historian * Kunitake Kume, historian * Tachu Naito, architect * ''Naoyoshi Nakamura'', historian * ''Haruo Nishihara'', law professor, former president * ''

Takayasu Okushima is a law professor, President of Hakuoh University, former President of Waseda University, the 10th and present Chief Scout of the Scout Association of Japan since April 1, 2010, and served as the Camp Chief of the 23rd World Scout Jamboree. In ...

'', law professor, former president * Hajime Ōnishi, philosopher * '' Ikuo Ōyama'', scholar of political science * ''Yaso Saijo'', poet * ''Masasada Shiozawa'', scholar of economics, former president * Sanae Takata, scholar of political science, former president * Ōdō Tanaka, philosopher * Shoyo Tsubouchi, playwright, critic,

translator Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

, educator, professor of English literature, and namesake of Tsubouchi Memorial Theater Museum * ''Sokichi Tsuda'', historian, recipient of the

Order of Culture The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature, science, technology, or anything related to culture in general; recipien ...

* Kazutami Ukita, scholar of political science * Shujiro Urata, economist * Yoshio Yamanouchi, translator, scholar of

French literature French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than Fr ...

* Akira Yonekura, law professor * ''

Takamasa Yoshizaka , family name also romanized as Yosizaka, was a Japanese architect and former president of the Architectural Institute of Japan and a keen mountaineer. After graduating from university, he worked at Le Corbusier's atelier in Paris for two years ...

'', architect * ''

Shigeaki Sugeta Shigeaki Sugeta (Yamaguchi-ken, Yamaguchi-Ken, born 2 June 1933) is a Japanese linguist. Emeritus professor of General, Romance and Italian Linguistics at the University of Waseda, and now advisor to the Institute of Italian Studies of the same u ...

'', linguist

Presidents

Principals, ''de facto'' presidents from 1907 to 1923

* Hidemaro Ōkuma, 1882–1886 * Hisoka Maejima, 1886–1890 *

Kazuo Hatoyama was the patriarchal head of the prominent Japanese Hatoyama political family which has been called "Japan's Kennedy family." Early life and education Hatoyama was born to a samurai family of the Katsuyama clan in present-day Minato, Tokyo. ...

, 1890–1907

''De facto'' presidents (1907–1923)

* Sanae Takata, 1907–1915 * Tameyuki Amano, 1915–1917 * Yoshiro Hiranuma, 1918–1921 * Masasada Shiozawa, 1921–1923

Presidents

* Shigenobu Ōkuma, 1907–1922 * Masasada Shiozawa, 1923 * Sanae Takata, 1923–1931 * Hozumi Tanaka (public finance scholar, Doctor of Laws, 1876–1944), 1931–1944 * Tomio Nakano, 1944–1946 * Koichi Shimada, 1946–1954 * Nobumoto Ōhama, 1954–1966 * Kenichi Abe, 1966–1968 * Tsunesaburo Tokikoyama, 1968–1970 * Sukenaga Murai, 1970–1978 * Tsukasa Shimizu, 1978–1982 * Haruo Nishihara, 1982–1990 * Chūmaru Koyama, 1990–1994 * Takayasu Okushima, 1994–2002 * Katsuhiko Shirai, 2002–2010 * Kaoru Kamata, 2010–2018 * Aiji Tanaka, 2018–present

Trustees

* Ryuhoku Narushima, poet, journalist, and one of the first trustees of Waseda * Azusa Ono (1852–1886), law scholar and one of the first trustees of Waseda

Benefactors

Waseda University has had numerous benefactors, including: *

Eiichi Shibusawa was a Japanese industrialist widely known today as the "father of Japanese capitalism". He spearheaded the introduction of Western capitalism to Japan after the Meiji Restoration. He introduced many economic reforms including use of double- ...

, businessman and philanthropist * Ichizaemon Morimura, businessman * Koichiro Kagami, businessman * Kenkichi Kodera, presenter of over thirty-six thousand foreign books to the

Library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

* Kisaku Maekawa, businessman and philanthropist *

, after whom Masaru Ibuka Auditorium (Hall)Masaru Ibuka Auditorium (Hall) is in the International Conference Center. is named. * Robert J. Shillman, founder & CEO of

Cognex Corporation Cognex Corporation is an American manufacturer of machine vision systems, software and sensors used in automated manufacturing to inspect and identify parts, detect defects, verify product assembly, and guide assembly robots. Cognex is headquart ...

, the namesake of Robert Shillman Hall

Notes

References

* Kimura, Tokio. ''Waga Waseda: Ōkuma Shigenobu to sono kengaku seishin'', Tokyo, Kobunsha, 1997. * Okushima, Takayasu.; and Nakamura, Naoyoshi., eds. ''Tōmonno gunzo'', Tokyo, Waseda University Press, 1992.

External links

* * * {{Coord, 35.709203, N, 139.719333, E, format=dms, region:JP-13_type:edu, display=title 1882 establishments in Japan Venues of the 1964 Summer Olympics Universities and colleges established in 1882 Super Global Universities Olympic fencing venues Olympic modern pentathlon venues Private universities and colleges in Japan American football in Japan Kantoh Collegiate American Football Association Top 8 university Universities and colleges in Tokyo

History

Academic cap

Anniversary

Campus

Organization

Undergraduate programs

Graduate programs

Research institutes

Facilities

Ōkuma Auditorium

Ōkuma Garden

Libraries and museums

Athletics

American football

Cheerleading

Baseball

Football

Rugby union

Karate

Fencing

Bending

Rankings

General

Research performance

Detailed

Alumni

Selectivity

Business

International relations

People

Alumni

Faculty

Presidents

Principals, ''de facto'' presidents from 1907 to 1923

''De facto'' presidents (1907–1923)

Presidents

Trustees

Benefactors

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links