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Waseda University

society Maturity 7-9

Waseda is a big school in Tokyo.

Waseda University.jpg
Waseda University.jpg
A man named Okuma started it. He wanted to help people learn. Many students go there to study. It has many big buildings.
WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
Do you want to learn there too?

40 words

A man named Okuma started a school in Tokyo.

Shigenobu Okuma 5.jpg
Shigenobu Okuma 5.jpg
It was called a college at first. Later, it became a big university.
Waseda University.jpg
Waseda University.jpg
It has many different classes to study. Students can learn about law or art. Many leaders and famous people went there.
Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
The school has a very large library. It also has a beautiful garden.
Okuma1.jpg
Okuma1.jpg
This school is a very special place to learn.

77 words

Waseda University is a large school in Tokyo, Japan.

Waseda University.jpg
Waseda University.jpg
A man named Okuma Shigenobu started the school in 1882. He was a leader in the Japanese government. At first, the school had only a few classes. Students could study law or science.
Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
By 1902, the school became a real university. It was one of the first private universities in Japan.

The school has many parts. It has 13 schools for undergraduate students. It also has 23 graduate schools. Many famous people went to Waseda. This includes leaders from Japan and Korea. It also includes founders of big companies like Sony.

The campus has many special places. There is a big building called the Okuma Auditorium.

WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
It has a tall clock tower. There is also a pretty place called Okuma Garden.
Okuma1.jpg
Okuma1.jpg
It was once a large home. Now, students use it to rest. The university also has a very big library. It holds millions of books for students to read.

169 words

Waseda University is a large private school in Tokyo, Japan.

Waseda University.jpg
Waseda University.jpg
It is a place where many people go to study and research. The school is very big and has many different parts. There are 13 undergraduate schools for students. There are also 23 graduate schools for advanced study. As of 2023, there were 38,776 undergraduate students. There were also 8,490 graduate students. This makes it a very busy place for learning.
Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg

The school has a long and interesting history. A man named Ōkuma Shigenobu started the school in 1882. He was a famous politician and a former prime minister. At first, the school was called the Tokyo School of Political Economy. It was located in a place called Waseda Village. Later, it was known as the Totsuka School. In 1902, the school officially became Waseda University. It was one of the first private universities in Japan. The school grew by adding new departments over many years. It added literature in 1890 and education in 1903.

Shigenobu Okuma 5.jpg
Shigenobu Okuma 5.jpg

Many famous and successful people have studied at Waseda. This includes eight prime ministers from Japan. It also includes three prime ministers from Korea. Many people who started big companies went here too. These companies include Sony and Samsung. Other famous companies include Uniqlo, CJ, Lotte, and POSCO. Even famous writers have been part of the school. Haruki Murakami is one of these important writers.

The university has many beautiful places on its campuses. The main campus is in the Shinjuku district. There is a famous building called the Ōkuma Auditorium.

WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
It has a tall clock tower that is 38 meters high. The school also has a place called Ōkuma Garden. This garden used to be a large home. Now, it is a peaceful place for students to rest. The university also has a very large library. It holds about 4.5 million books for students to use.

Learning at Waseda connects to many parts of life. The school helps train leaders for the future. It also helps people learn how to run big businesses. Even the school's history shows how much things can change. Much of the campus was destroyed in fires during World War II. However, the university was rebuilt and reopened by 1949. Today, it remains a major center for study and research. It continues to be an important part of Japan's culture.

408 words

Waseda University is a major private research university located in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Waseda University.jpg
Waseda University.jpg
It serves as a massive center for higher learning and academic discovery. The university is organized into 36 different departments. These include 13 undergraduate schools and 23 graduate schools. As of 2023, the student body was quite large. There were 38,776 undergraduate students and 8,490 graduate students. This high number of students shows how important the school is to education in Japan.

The university operates across many different locations. Its central campus is in Shinjuku, which includes the Waseda Campus and the Nishiwaseda Campus. However, Waseda also manages several other campuses. These are located in Chūō, Nishitōkyō, Tokorozawa, Honjō, and Kitakyūshū. Within the main Shinjuku campus, the university also runs 21 different research institutes. These institutes allow students and professors to study very specific scientific and social topics.

Waseda has a long history that began in the late 19th century. It was founded on October 21, 1882, by Ōkuma Shigenobu.

Shigenobu Okuma 5.jpg
Shigenobu Okuma 5.jpg
Ōkuma was a samurai scholar and a very important politician. He served as the fifth and eleventh prime minister of Japan. Before it was called Waseda University, the school had different names. It was known as the Tokyo School of Political Economy or the Totsuka School. The name "Waseda" came from the location of the founder's villa in Waseda Village. The school officially gained university status and its current name on September 2, 1902.

In its early years, the school focused on a few specific subjects. It started with departments for political science and economics, law, and physical science. Students could also take an English language course regardless of their main subject. The school grew by adding more specialized departments over time. It added literature in 1890 and education in 1903. Later, it added commerce in 1904 and science and engineering in 1908. In 1920, Waseda received formal government recognition as a university. This made it, along with Keio University, one of the first private universities in Japan.

The university has produced many influential leaders and thinkers. Its faculty and alumni include eight prime ministers from Japan. It also includes three prime ministers from Korea. Many founders of famous global companies studied here. These include leaders from Sony, Uniqlo, Samsung, CJ, Lotte, and POSCO. The university is also known for its connection to literature. Famous writers like Haruki Murakami, Yoko Ogawa, and Yoko Tawada are part of its history.

Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
This shows how the school impacts business, politics, and the arts.

Some of the university's buildings are very famous and historic. The Ōkuma Auditorium is a major landmark on campus.

WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
It is a three-story building that can seat 1,435 people. It also features a seven-story clock tower that is about 38 meters high. The auditorium opened in 1927 after the Great Kantō earthquake delayed its construction. Another special place is the Ōkuma Garden.
Okuma1.jpg
Okuma1.jpg
This garden was once the mansion of a feudal lord. It was redesigned by Ōkuma himself and is now a place for students to relax.

Waseda also manages a massive collection of knowledge through its libraries. The Waseda University Library is one of the largest in Japan. It holds approximately 4.5 million volumes and 46,000 serials. The main library building was completed in 1925. The university also uses the Old Library building to house research libraries and archives. These archives protect historical materials, including items related to Ōkuma Shigenobu. This deep collection of books and records supports the university's role as a leading research institution.

592 words
🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Shigenobu Okuma 5.jpg
Shigenobu Okuma 5.jpg
File:Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
Waseda University students in 1916 (cropped).jpg
File:Waseda University.jpg
Waseda University.jpg
File:WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
WASEDA-DAIGAKU.jpg
File:Okuma1.jpg
Okuma1.jpg
File:Waseda University baseball players.jpg
Waseda University baseball players.jpg
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