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*In the [[manga]] series ''[[Great Teacher Onizuka]]'' by [[Tooru Fujisawa]], the heroine Azusa Fuyutsuki is a graduate of Waseda University.
*In the [[manga]] series ''[[Great Teacher Onizuka]]'' by [[Tooru Fujisawa]], the heroine Azusa Fuyutsuki is a graduate of Waseda University.
* In the [[video game]] ''[[Tomb Raider: Legend]]'', a piece of the legendary sword [[Excalibur|Excaliber]] is in the care of Waseda University until it is stolen.
* In the [[video game]] ''[[Tomb Raider: Legend]]'', a piece of the legendary sword [[Excalibur|Excaliber]] is in the care of Waseda University until it is stolen.

== Scandals ==
[[Super Free]] was a registered Waseda University school club organized by Shinichirō Wada, a student at Waseda University. The club would organized parties in order to rape unsuspecting women. The appeal of the these parties was the chance to associate with Waseda University students. After Wada's arrest, the club was disbanded.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/07/04/1057179156476.html |title=Revealed: the workings of a uni rape club |publisher=[[The Age]] |date=2003-07-05| accessdate=2008-10-28}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>


== See also==
== See also==

Revision as of 07:10, 21 January 2011

Waseda University
早稲田大学
File:Waseda logo.jpg
Motto学問の独立
(Independence of Learning)
TypePrivate
Established1882
EndowmentN/A
PresidentKatsuhiko Shirai
Academic staff
2,038 full-time
3,847 part-time
Undergraduates45,757
Postgraduates8,471
Location
Shinjuku
,
Tokyo
,
Japan

35°42′33.13″N 139°43′9.6″E / 35.7092028°N 139.719333°E / 35.7092028; 139.719333
CampusUrban
Athletics43 varsity teams
ColorsMaroon   [2]
AffiliationsUniversitas 21, APRU
MascotWaseda Bear (official)
WebsiteWaseda University

Waseda University (早稲田大学, Waseda Daigaku), abbreviated as Sōdai (早大, Sōdai), is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate symbolized by the motto "independence of learning" (学問の独立, gakumon-no-dokuritsu),[citation needed]. Especially, the School of Political Science and Economics has significant influence on Japanese society.

The alumni include six post-war prime ministers and prominent corporate leaders. Currently, seven of the Fortune Global 2007's CEOs are Waseda graduates.[1] Waseda University is a member of Universitas 21, an international network of 21 universities that have a particular focus on research.

Institution

File:OKUMA-SHIGENOBU.jpg
The Ōkuma Shigenobu statue on the campus. Ōkuma founded the institution that is now Waseda University in 1882.

History and development

The university was founded by samurai scholar and Meiji-era politician and former prime minister Ōkuma Shigenobu in 1882, and was designated as a full university in 1902. 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.[2]

Three years later, the department of physical science was closed because it had too few applicants.[3] The department of science and engineering was established in 1908.[4]

The department of literature was established in 1890.[5]

The department of education was established in 1903, and the department of commerce, in 1904.[6]

Much of the campus was destroyed in the fire bombings of Tokyo during World War II, 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.

Origin of the name

Waseda University started its life as Tokyo Senmon Gakkō (東京専門学校) on October 21, 1882. Before the name 'Waseda' was selected, it was known variously as Waseda Gakkō (早稲田学校) or Totsuka Gakkō (戸塚学校) after the location of the founder's villa in Waseda Village and the school's location in Totsuka Village respectively.

It was renamed Waseda University (早稲田大学, Waseda-daigaku) on September 2, 1902 upon acquiring University status.

Academic cap

File:Wasedacap.jpg
Waseda's square 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.[citation needed] 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

File:Waseda125.JPG
125 Anniversary.

On October 21, 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, or about 38 m high. In 1963, there were also events to mark the 125th anniversary of Ōkuma'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.

Campuses

File:Wasedaold.jpg
Waseda University in 1882

Waseda University's main campus is located in the Nishi-Waseda district of Shinjuku. The nearest station is Waseda, although Waseda is generally associated with Takadanobaba on the Yamanote Line.

Apart from the main campus in Shinjuku, there are other campuses around the country:

Undergraduate and Graduate Schools

Undergraduate Schools:

  • School of Political Science and Economics
  • School of Law
  • School of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • School of Culture, Media and Society
  • School of Education
  • School of Commerce
  • School of Fundamental Science and Engineering
  • School of Creative Science and Engineering
  • School of Advanced Science and Engineering
  • School of Social Sciences
  • School of Human Sciences
  • School of Sports Sciences
  • School of International Liberal Studies

Graduate Schools:

  • 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
  • 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

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 Memorial Hall, a contemporary building by architect Satō　Kōichi.

Soon after Ōkuma's death on 10 January 1922, the planning of memorials commenced. The first decision was to construct a large auditorium, something Ōkuma had always dreamed of.[citation needed]

The three-story main auditorium 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. The height of the tower, at 125 shaku, or about 38 m, represents the theory of "life of 125 years" advocated by Ōkuma. The bells at the top of the tower were transported through the Panama Canal from the MacLean Company in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first time that four bells, large and small, had been used in Japan.

Oval-shaped transom windows on the roof represent the sun, moon, and nine planets of our solar system, and symbolize the "harmony of the universe" both inside and outside the auditorium.[citation needed] The auditorium opened on October 20, 1927, about five years behind schedule, after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. A Memorial Hall, constructed in 1957, was used as the fencing venue for the 1964 Summer Olympics.[7]

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 assets of Japan by the Ministry of Education in 2007.

Libraries and museums

File:Wasedalib1.jpg
Waseda University Library, Reading Hall

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 1,195 tsubo (坪) (about 3,944 square meters), was used initially as the University Library. The reading room was housed in a separate two-story building, with a seating capacity 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. The Old Library stopped serving as a main library, after the New Central 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.

File:Wasedalib2.jpg
Waseda University Library, Current Front Hall

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:

Athletics

Baseball

Two Waseda University baseball players from 1921.

The rivalry between Waseda and Keiō University is highlighted by the Sōkeisen in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. The baseball series is held twice a year in the spring and autumn at Meiji-Jingu Stadium, and it is considered one of the most important competitions of the year by both student bodies. The Waseda University Baseball Club is the most successful team in the Big6 league in terms of winning percentage, but it has 41 league championships, which puts it second behind Hōsei University.

Football (soccer)

Waseda University football team won the Emperor's Cup, in 1964 and 1967.

Rugby union

Waseda University Rugby Football Club currently is the reigning university rugby union champion in Japan, reaching the university championships 28 times, and winning fourteen times. Its two biggest rivals are Keio University and Meiji University.

Karate

The Waseda University karate club is one of the oldest in Japan, formed in 1931 under the direction of Gichin Funakoshi.[8][9] Graduates of the karate club include Shigeru Egami, leader of the Shotokai school, Kazumi Tabata, founder of the North American Karate-do Federation and Tsutomu Ohshima, founder of Shotokan Karate of America.

Notable alumni

Prime Ministers

Business Leaders

Academics

Authors

Journalists

Sports

Performing arts

Diplomats

Politics

Others

Notable current students

Sports

Performing Arts

Notable faculty

Professors who are also Waseda alumni are listed in italics.

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

Principals

De facto presidents (1907–1923)

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

Presidents

  • Shigenobu Ōkuma [10], 1907–1922
  • Masasada Shiozawa, 1923
  • Sanae Takata, 1923–1931
  • Hodumi Tanaka, 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–present

Rankings

In 2010 QS World University Rankings[11] ranked Waseda University 182nd in the world, making it the tenth highest ranked university in Japan. Its individual subject rankings were: 76th in Arts & Humanities, 117th in Engineering & IT, 222nd in Life Sciences & Biomedicine, 204th in Natural Sciences, and 88th in Social Sciences.

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:

Waseda University in media

Nonfiction

Fiction

Scandals

Super Free was a registered Waseda University school club organized by Shinichirō Wada, a student at Waseda University. The club would organized parties in order to rape unsuspecting women. The appeal of the these parties was the chance to associate with Waseda University students. After Wada's arrest, the club was disbanded.[18]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Kimura, pp. 74, 123
  3. ^ Kimura, pp. 74, 122
  4. ^ Okushima and Nakamura (eds.), p.42
  5. ^ Okushima and Nakamura (eds.), p.25
  6. ^ Okushima and Nakamura (eds.), p.37
  7. ^ 1964 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. Part 1. pp. 127-8.
  8. ^ Funakoshi, Gichin (1973). "Karate-do Kyohan", Kodansha International Ltd, Tokyo. ISBN 0-87011-190-6.
  9. ^ "A Karate Club with a long history". Waseda Weekly. 2006-11-16 accessdate = 2008-12-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Missing pipe in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ as an honorary post
  11. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2010 Results".
  12. ^ Okushima and Nakamura (eds.), p.53
  13. ^ Okushima and Nakamura (eds.), p.51
  14. ^ Okushima and Nakamura (eds.), p.63
  15. ^ Okushima and Nakamura (eds.), p.65
  16. ^ Okushima and Nakamura (eds.), p.68
  17. ^ Masaru Ibuka Auditorium (Hall) is in the International Conference Center.
  18. ^ "Revealed: the workings of a uni rape club". The Age. 2003-07-05. Retrieved 2008-10-28. [dead link]

References

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