, abbreviated to OUFS or , , or was a national university in

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. ...

, Japan. It was dedicated to area studies and the study of foreign languages and their related cultures. Osaka Univ of F S from Saito

History

Osaka University of Foreign Studies (OUFS) was one of Japan's only two

national universities A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. Some national universities are associated with national cultural or po ...

specialized in foreign studies. Initially OUFS offered foreign language education in 9 world languages. The number eventually increased to 25, in accordance with OUFS's development as Japan's major center for foreign language education and research. The history of OUFS dates back to 1921. The founding of the university was supported financially by Choko Hayashi (1873–1945) an Osaka businesswoman, who made a private donation of ¥1,000,000. Based on this donation the Japanese government established the "School of Foreign Affairs (SFS)" in Uehonmachi, Tennoji-ku,

with the aim of nurturing internationally minded personnel in Japan. However its characteristics of the education, specialized in the language and culture of certain society, was commonly understood as a training center of espionage 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 ...

, and therefore, the school was obliged to be renamed "Osaka College of Foreign Affairs" in April 1944. It moved to

Takatsuki, Osaka is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is located in northern Osaka's Hokusetsu region. As of 2020, the city had an estimated population of 347,944 and a population density of 3,300 persons per km². The total area is 105.31 km². The c ...

for a few years after the war and went back to its original site in Osaka city. In 1949, when the Law on the Establishment of National Schools came into effect, "Osaka University of Foreign Studies (OUFS)" was established based on the existing "Osaka College of Foreign Affairs". It was reformed to offer 12 modern languages as majors. In 1979 OUFS moved its campus to its present location in

Minoh is a city in northwestern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Its name is commonly romanized as "Minō" or "Minoo"; however, the city government officially uses the spelling Minoh in English. As of October 2016, the city has an estimated population of 134 ...

, Osaka for more extensive academic activities. It offered 25 modern languages as majors and 16 ancient and modern languages as minors. In October 2007, OUFS was consolidated with

Osaka University , abbreviated as , is a public research university located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan's former Imperial Universities and a Designated National University listed as a "Top Type" university in the Top Global University Project. ...

to become "Osaka University School of Foreign Studies (OUSFS)". The merger took several years to be realized because of the conflicts of interest among the academic staff members of OUFS and Osaka University, as well as with the Japanese Government officials aiming public sector reform. Because all academic staffs were public employees, some feared of decreased remuneration at their retirement, while others saw the possibility of losing their position (especially staffs of OUSFS because Osaka University already had similar/same departments and subjects). As a result of harsh negotiations among the three parties, most of the senior academics of OUFS obtained their academic positions at Osaka University, whereas the young professionals at both universities ended up leaving their respective universities regardless of individual academic performance. Since the 2008 academic year, students now apply for their entry through Osaka University.

Student life

OUFS held 2 multicultural festivals every year, which were renowned for ethnic food stalls selling various sorts of international cuisine. Each society at the university held performances or exhibitions. The summer festival's highlight was the

Bon Odori or just is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist–Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people retu ...

, and the November festival consisted of many plays in foreign languages.

Transportation

The OUFS campus is located in the northern suburb in Osaka prefecture. The time taken between Osaka University of Foreign Studies and Rail Terminals is around an hour, depending on the mode of transport used. The bus leaves from the Hankyuu shopping center towards Osaka-Gaidai mae, which stops right in front of the university. Other buses bound for Madani Jutaku 4 are also available which stop in the nearest residential area. Access between OUFS and Osaka University has improved due to the extension of the

Osaka Monorail The is a monorail system in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by . At long, it is the second longest monorail system in the world after the Chongqing Monorail and the longest monorail system in Japan. It links the three campuses o ...

. Owing to the recent extension of the Osaka Monorail to Saito-Nishi it takes 15 minutes by walk from the Osaka University of the Foreign Studies campus.

Notable alumni

* Ryotaro Shiba (author, alumni of Osaka School of Foreign Languages) *

Chin Shunshin (18 February 192421 January 2015) was a Taiwanese and Japanese novelist, translator and cultural critic. He is best known for his historical fictions and mystery novels based on Chinese and Asian history, including ''First Opium War'', ''Chin ...

/Chen Shunchen (author, alumni of Osaka School of Foreign Affairs)

External links

Osaka University of Foreign Studies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osaka University Of Foreign Studies Defunct universities and colleges in Japan Osaka University history 1921 establishments in Japan Educational institutions established in 1921 2007 disestablishments in Japan Educational institutions disestablished in 2007