, mottoeng = Independence of scholarship , established = 21 October 1882 , type =

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 ...

, endowment = , president = Aiji Tanaka , city =

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 ...

, state =

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

, country = Japan , students = 47,959 , undergrad = 39,382 , postgrad = 8,577 , faculty = 2,218 full-time
3,243 part-time , administrative_staff = 1,257 full-time
119 part-time , campus = Urban , former_names = Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō , colors = Maroon , free_label = Athletics , free = 43 varsity teams , affiliations = Universitas 21

APRU APRU (the Association of Pacific Rim Universities) is a consortium of 61 leading research universities in 19 economies of the Pacific Rim. Formed in 1997,

URA
AALAU , mascot = Waseda Bear , website = , footnotes = , address = , logo = , module = , abbreviated as , 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 kn ...

. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' 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, ...

, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. The university has numerous notable alumni, including nine prime ministers of Japan, 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 ...

, and many CEOs, including

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 & 40th ...

, the CEO of UNIQLO, Nobuyuki Idei, the former CEO of

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 ...

Takeo Fukui is the former president and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. He is from Tokyo, Japan, though his mother gave birth to him in Hiroshima to escape intensifying air raids during World War II. He graduated from Waseda University with a bachelor's degr ...

, the former president and CEO of

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

, Norio Sasaki, the former CEO of

Toshiba , commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, ...

, Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of Samsung Group, Mikio Sasaki, the former chairman of

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...

, and Hiroshi Yamauchi and Shuntaro Furukawa, former and current presidents of

Nintendo is a Japanese 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 produced handmade playing cards ...

respectively. Waseda was ranked 26th and 48th globally in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2017 and Times Higher Education Alma Mater Index 2017, respectively. Waseda is regarded as one of the most selective and prestigious universities in Japanese university rankings, particularly for its humanities and social sciences education. It is often ranked alongside

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

, its rival, as the best private university in Japan. In 2020–2021, Waseda University ranked 189th 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 th ...

''. Waseda 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 communi ...

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 s ...

. The university is also a member of RU11 and

APRU APRU (the Association of Pacific Rim Universities) is a consortium of 61 leading research universities in 19 economies of the Pacific Rim. Formed in 1997,

. Waseda is organized into thirty-six departments: thirteen undergraduate schools and twenty-three graduate schools. As of May 2016, there were 42,860 undergraduate students and 8,269 graduate students. In addition to a central campus in Shinjuku, 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, 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 o ...

. Waseda also operates twenty-one research institutes at its main Shinjuku campus. The Waseda University Library is collectively one of Japan's largest libraries and currently hold some 4.5 million volumes and 46,000 serials.

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 ...

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, in common 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 , endowment ...

, 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, 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."

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, 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.

125th 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 ...

'', 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

Campus Station

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 c ...

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

, Tokyo * Tokorozawa Campus: Tokorozawa, Saitama * Honjō Campus: Honjō, Saitama * Kitakyūshū Campus:

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...

Organization

Undergraduate programs

Waseda's undergraduate schools have a total entrance capacity of 8,800 students. Individual entrance capacities are denoted below. * School of Political Science and Economics – 900 * School of Law – 740 * School of Culture, Media and Society – 860 * School of Humanities and Social Sciences – 660 * School of Education – 960 * School of Commerce – 900 * School of Fundamental Science and Engineering – 535 * School of Creative Science and Engineering – 595 * School of Advanced Science and Engineering – 540 * School of Social Sciences – 630 * School of Human Sciences – 560 * School of Sports Sciences – 400 *

School of International Liberal Studies Waseda University School of International Liberal Studies (SILS, ) is the 10th department established in 2004 under the Faculty of International Research and Education. The School of International Liberal Studies conducts all classes in English ...

– 600

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 Fundamental Science and Engineering * Graduate School of Creative 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. GSAPS was established in April 1998 on the Waseda Campus of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. GSAPS students, faculty, and alumni come ...

* 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, ...

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 h ...

. 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 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 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, 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 tha ...

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 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 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 Library * Waseda University Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum * 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. 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, highlighted by the Sōkeisen series. The series is held twice a year in the spring and autumn at Meiji-Jingu Stadium, 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 ...

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 has reached the final of the All-Japan University Rugby Championship 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 , endowment ...

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 ...

. * University championship rugby

Karate

The Waseda University

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

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 Karate, 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, ...

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

, founder of the

North American Karate-do Federation 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 st ...

and Tsutomu Ohshima, founder of Shotokan Karate of America.

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 Epee team division. In 2022, Waseda further strengthened their achievements, claiming victory in all weapon types (Foil, Sabre, Epee) for both men and women's division.

Bandy

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.

Academic rankings

Waseda University is considered one of the most selective and prestigious universities in Japan. The university seeks to promote student and faculty exchange as well as collaborative research through memorandums of agreement signed with 432 partnership institutions in 79 countries. Waseda University has the highest entrance examination difficulty level among private universities in Japan, along with Keio University.

General rankings

The university ranked 2nd in 2015–2016 in Toyo Keizai's ranking. In another ranking, Japanese prep school Kawaijuku ranked Waseda as the 13th best university in Japan. According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2016–2017, Waseda University ranked 601–800th worldwide and 121-130th in Asia. In addition, according to 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 th ...

in 2016–2017, Waseda University was ranked 201st in the world and 41st in Asia. Waseda Business School and Waseda Graduate School of Economics obtained the highest rank – five PALMS – in a Universal Business Ranking in 2013. In 2014, The Center for World University Rankings ranked Waseda University 40th (world). Waseda University was also ranked 20th in the world in the Times Higher Education Alma Mater Index: Global Executives 2013 top 100.

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 principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

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 a ...

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

Graduate school rankings

According to the Asia Top MBA Business Schools Ranking by Asiaweek, 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 Law School Waseda Law School (）is the law school of Waseda University. It is among the top seven law schools that constituted the Leading Law School (, LL7) along with the law schools of University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Hitotsubashi University, Keio Un ...

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 associ ...

was 5th in 2009 and 2010 in Japan.

Alumni rankings

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

'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."University rankings 2011" Asahi Shinbun

Popularity and 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 has been publishing a ranking system called "

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 by the various indications related to the power of brand, and Waseda was top in 2010 and 3rd in 2009 in

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 ...

Evaluation from Business World

Alumni

There are currently more than 600,000 alumni members. 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, co-founder of

; Shuntaro Furukawa, president of

; 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. ...

, Noboru Takeshita,

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 w ...

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,

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 ...

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 an ...

; pioneering video artist and experimental filmmaker Kohei Ando; Li Dazhao, co-founder of the

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

; 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 w ...

and the richest man in Japan; Chiune Sugihara, Japanese diplomat who rescued 5,558 Jews during the Holocaust; Shizuka Arakawa, 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 ...

'' 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, Fu ...

; Doppo Kunikida, 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 ...

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 (A ...

player Nori Aoki; and 2014, 2018 two-time Olympic Champion figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu. File:Yasuo Fukuda - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2008 cropped.JPG, Yasuo Fukuda File:HarukiMurakami.png,

File:Arakawa 2009 Festa On Ice.JPG, Shizuka Arakawa File:1930 Li Dazhao Chinese comintern.jpg, Li Dazhao File:Yoshiro Mori cropped 4 Tim Hitchens and Yoshiro Mori 20150623.jpg,

File:Kitahara Hakushu.jpg,

File:Kunikida Doppo.jpg, Doppo Kunikida File:Hirokazu Kore-eda Cannes 2015.jpg, Hirokazu Kore-eda File:Sugihara b.jpg, Chiune Sugihara File:Ibuka Masaru.jpg, Ibuka Masaru File:Takeshita.jpg, Noboru Takeshita 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 1 ...

File:Norichika Aoki on April 26, 2014.jpg, Nori Aoki File:Yuzuru Hanyu-Sochi 2014.jpg, Yuzuru Hanyu File:Fumio Kishida 20211005.jpg,

Faculty and presidents

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 *'' Kohei Ando'', Professor Emeritus of Cinema * ''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 ...

Lafcadio Hearn , born Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (; el, Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χέρν, Patríkios Lefkádios Chérn, Irish: Pádraig Lafcadio O'hEarain), was an Irish- Greek- Japanese writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture a ...

, 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 , headquarters = Hongō, Bunkyō, Tokyo , country = Japan , f-date = 1922 , m ...

'', 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 of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...

, educator, professor of English literature, and namesake of Tsubouchi Memorial Theater Museum * ''Sokichi Tsuda'', historian, recipient of the Order of Culture * Kazutami Ukita, scholar of political science * Shujiro Urata, economist * Yoshio Yamanouchi, translator, scholar of French literature * Akira Yonekura, law professor * '' Takamasa Yoshizaka'', architect * '' Shigeaki Sugeta'', linguist

Principals, ''de facto'' presidents (1907–1923), and presidents

Principals

* 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-e ...

, 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 vi ...

* Kisaku Maekawa, businessman and philanthropist * Masaru Ibuka, 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, 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 Educational institutions 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

125th 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

Bandy

Academic rankings

General rankings

Research performance

Graduate school rankings

Alumni rankings

Popularity and selectivity

Evaluation from Business World

Alumni

Faculty and presidents

Faculty

Principals, ''de facto'' presidents (1907–1923), and presidents

Principals

''De facto'' presidents (1907–1923)

Presidents

Trustees

Benefactors

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links