Showa Women's University
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is a women's private university in
Setagaya is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower is the fringed orchid, and its tree is the '' Ze ...
, Tokyo, Japan.


Programs

The university has undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs and five research institutes. It also contains affiliated schools that span from kindergarten to high school. Aside from the main campus in Setagaya, the university has two satellite campuses: Tomei Gakurin in
Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
, and Boshu Kaihin Gakuryo in Chiba. There is also an international campus in Boston, Massachusetts. The Setagaya campus is home to
The British School in Tokyo The British School in Tokyo, commonly known as BST, is an international private school in central Tokyo with over 1,300 students from over 65 nationalities. BST takes students aged 3–18 that have been rated in all eight areas examined by the ...
Showa Campus. The university is heavily inspired by the
Tolstoyan movement The Tolstoyan movement () is a social movement based on the philosophical and religious views of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910). Tolstoy's views were formed by rigorous study of the ministry of Jesus, particularly the Sermon on the ...
. The university was based on the principles of "love, compassion, and harmony" (Japanese: 清き気品, 篤き至誠, 高き識見) according teachings of
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
. The university's education system was inspired by Tolstoy's teaching style at his estate in
Yasnaya Polyana Yasnaya Polyana ( rus, Я́сная Поля́на, p=ˈjasnəjə pɐˈlʲanə, ) is a writer's house museum, the former home of the writer Leo Tolstoy.#Bartlett, Bartlett, p. 25 It is southwest of Tula, Russia, Tula, Russia, and from Moscow. ...
. Despite similar names, the university has no affiliation with
Showa University is a private comprehensive medical university in Japan with campuses in Tokyo, Yamanashi and Kanagawa Prefectures. It currently has four schools: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and nursing and rehabilitation sciences. What was to become today' ...
or
Showa Academia Musicae is a private university in Asao-ku, Kawasaki Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Despite similar names, the university has no affiliation with Showa University or Showa Women's University. History The predecessor of the school was founded in Shinjuku ...
.


History

The university's history can be traced back to the Association of Cultural Exchange (文化懇談会, ''bunka kōndan-kai''), an intelligentsia group founded by poet Enkichi Hitomi (人見圓吉, ''Hitomi Enkichi'', pseudonym: Tōmei Hitomi) that later evolved into Japanese Ladies' Society (日本婦人協会, ''Shin-fujin kyokai''). In September 1920, Enkichi Hitomi and his wife Midori (人見緑, ''Hitomi Midori'') established the Japan Women's School of Higher Education (日本女子高等学院, ''Nihon Joshi Kōtō Gakuin'') in Bunkyō Ward, Tokyo. The university aimed to create a new Japanese culture that supported the well-being of humanity by educating the next generation of women, who would lead the way towards progress. In his work ''Opening Remarks'' (開講の詞, ''Kaikō no kotoba)'', Hitomi encouraged students to "be a Light to the World," (世の光となろう, ''yo no hikari ni narou)','' which later became the university's official motto. The Showa Senior High School (日本女子高等学校, ''Nihon Joshi Kōtō Gakkō)'' was established soon after in 1922 as a five-year institution. The university's original buildings were destroyed in a bomb raid during World War II, and the university was moved to its current location in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, in 1945. The university was renamed to Showa Women's University in 1949. The kindergarten was opened in 1951, and the elementary school was opened in 1953. The International Campus Boston (Showa Boston Institute for Language and Culture) was created in 1988.


Influence of Leo Tolstoy

The founding of the university was based on the teachings of
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
, a famous Russian author and thinker. Tolstoy believed that education should be made up of culture, which is the sum of a person's surroundings. He opposed schools at the time as "exclud ngthe possibility of all progress" and focusing too much on rote memorization of knowledge. Tolstoyan education advocates for practical skills in a "free state," close interactions between the student and the teacher, and the universal right to free education. It also promotes balance between man and nature, and encourages learning within and fostering an appreciation of nature. Hitomi Midori had heavily pushed for an education system inspired by the
Tolstoyan movement The Tolstoyan movement () is a social movement based on the philosophical and religious views of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910). Tolstoy's views were formed by rigorous study of the ministry of Jesus, particularly the Sermon on the ...
, remarking that she wanted the university to be "a university of love as Tolstoy might have founded." In his work ''Memoirs from a Half-Century at the University'' (学園の半世紀, ''Gakuen no Hanseiki''), Hitomi Enkichi discussed his impressions of the Tolstoyan education and noted:
"How happy it would be if there were such a school that strived for the perfect balance between love and reason."
This "perfect balance between love and reason" later became the founding principles for the university's psyche. Today, Tolstoyan principles feature prominently at the university on the administrative and educational level. For example, the university administration is currently pursuing eco-friendly policies that preserve the environment on the local and global level and "reflect Tolstoy's teachings on the importance of balancing humans and nature." Additionally, the university teaches in seminars, a policy in place since its founding in 1920. This is based on the close-knit cohabitation of teachers and students found at Yasnaya Polyana. In terms of education style, the university actively encourages students' active interest and involvement, which is reflective of Tolstoy's belief that education should be meant to encourage critical thinking skills and self-reliance in students. The university also encourages students to cultivate real-world practical experience, which mirrors Tolstoy's emphasis on practical skills as a cornerstone of education. There is a statue of Tolstoy in front of the auditorium. For Tolstoy's 190th birthday, the University Museum held a special exhibition on artwork by Natalya Tolstaya, a descendant of Tolstoy. The exhibit ran from December 8 to December 17, 2018, and was jointly hosted by the university and the Museum of Yasnaya Polyana.


Organisation


Undergraduate programs

*Faculty of International Humanities *Faculty of Humanities and Culture *Faculty of Food and Health Sciences *Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences *Faculty of Global Business *Faculty of Environmental Science and Design


Graduate programs

*Letters *Human Life Sciences


Others

*Research Institutes **Institute of Modern Culture **Institute of Women's Culture **Institute of International Culture **Institute of Psychological Studies **Institute of Women's Health Sciences *Center for General Education *
Junior College A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...


Hitomi Memorial Hall

Completed in 1980, The
Hitomi Kinen Kōdō was built by Showa Women's University is a women's private university in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. Programs The university has undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs and five research institutes. It also contains affiliated school ...
on the university campus at Setagaya is famous for its great acoustics and has been used for many classical concerts with many famous conductors. Since the opening of
Suntory Hall The is a concert venue in the central Akasaka district of Tokyo, Japan. Part of the Ark Hills complex, it consists of a main concert hall, widely considered one of the finest in the world for its acoustics – Herbert von Karajan called it “ ...
at Akasaka in central Tokyo in October 1986, the number of such prominent concerts have decreased, but it is still sometimes used for concerts open to the public.


Primary and secondary schools on campus

University-affiliated *
Showa Women's University Junior-Senior High School is a girls' junior and senior high school operated by Showa Women's University. It is within two separate buildings on the campus in Setagaya, Tokyo. the principal is Tomoko Kaneko. 1922 was its year of establishment of a five-year institute to ...
( 昭和女子大学附属昭和中学校・高等学校) * Showa Women's University Primary School ( 昭和女子大学附属昭和小学校) * Showa Women's University Kindergarten ( 昭和女子大学附属昭和こども園)
British School in Tokyo The British School in Tokyo, commonly known as BST, is an international private school in central Tokyo with over 1,300 students from over 65 nationalities. BST takes students aged 3–18 that have been rated in all eight areas examined by the ...
Showa Campus was established in 2006 and is located in Building 5.Facilities and Location
."
British School in Tokyo The British School in Tokyo, commonly known as BST, is an international private school in central Tokyo with over 1,300 students from over 65 nationalities. BST takes students aged 3–18 that have been rated in all eight areas examined by the ...
. Retrieved on March 8, 2015. "BST Shibuya Campus – (Nursery to Year 3) Address: 1-21-18 Shibuya Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0002"
Map
) and "BST Showa Campus – (Year 4 to Year 13) Address: Showa Women’s University 5th Bldg. 1-7-57 Taishido Setagaya-ku Tokyo 154-8533"


Notable people

*
Mitsu Dan is the professional name of , a Japanese actress, gravure idol, and writer. She has played multiple lead roles in television and film, including Naoko in the 2013 erotic thriller ''Amai Muchi'', for which she received a Newcomer of the Year awa ...
– actress, model, and writer *
Keiko Fukuda was a Japanese-American martial artist. She was the highest-ranked female judoka in history, holding the rank of 9th '' dan'' from the Kodokan (2006), and 10th ''dan'' from USA Judo (July 2011) and from the United States Judo Federation (USJ ...
– highest-ranked female judoka in history *
Satoko Kitahara – later known as Elisabeth Maria Kitahara – was a Japanese Roman Catholic. Kitahara was descended from aristocrats and samurai warriors; she worked in an airplane warehouse during World War II and became disillusioned after she and others le ...
– Catholic saint (The Venerable) *
Emi Machida is a ''toji'', or master sake brewer in Japan. Machida is the first ''toji'' in her family, who have owned the Machida Brewery in Gunma for over 130 years. Machida is also an active member of the Women's Sake Industry Group. Machida's featured sak ...
– master sake brewer (''toji'') *
Yui Ogura is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Gunma Prefecture. Career In 2009, Ogura performed the motion capture for Hatsune Miku in the game ''Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA (video game), Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA''. Ogura is a member of the J ...
– voice actress (graduated in 2018) *
Junko Tabei was a Japanese mountaineer, author, and teacher. She was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest and ascend the Seven Summits, climbing the highest peak on every continent. Tabei wrote seven books, organized environmental project ...
– first woman to reach the summit of
Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...
* Yuko Nagayama - architect and professor


References


External links


Showa Women's University
- English, Official website
Showa Boston Institute for Language and Culture (Showa Boston)
- Satellite campus, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA {{coord, 35, 38, 37.4, N, 139, 40, 32.3, E, region:JP-13_type:edu, display=title Private universities and colleges in Japan Women's universities and colleges in Japan Universities and colleges established in 1920 1920 establishments in Japan Universities and colleges in Tokyo