History Overview
1876-1877: "School for Girls" era
Violating the national isolation law the prohibited leaving the country at the time, Joseph Hardy Neesima left Japan for 10 years to study in the United States. He was convinced that Christianity and education are deeply involved in the development of Western culture.
After returning to Japan in 1875, Neesima established the Doshisha English School (currently Doshisha University) in order to develop people who respect freedom, independence, and conscience. From the beginning of Doshisha Academy, he had the idea that it is essential to promote girls' education for the development of society, and he promoted the opening of School for Girls.
The origins of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts can be found in the School for Girls opened in 1876 in the J.D. Davis House (former Yanagihara House, now Kyoto State Guest House) in the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden. Since it was a boarding school, it was also called "Kioto Home". At first, there were 12 students. At the School for Girls, American missionary A.J. Starkweather was the main teacher, as Joseph Hardy Neesima’s wife Yae also taught. Thus began the first Christian girls' education in Kyoto.
Joseph Hardy Neesima and his wife Yae aimed to develop talented persons based on Christianity. Neesima called his wife Yae-san (an honorific title indicating respect in Japanese) and treated her as an equal partner. Yae Neeshima was in charge of girls' education at the School for Girls
Alice J. Starkweather was at the center of the School for Girls. She was dispatched by an American missionary organization, where she taught. Her guidance was strict but full of warmth.
The School for Girls was opened at J.D. Davis House (former Yanagihara Residence, now the location of the Kyoto State Guest House) in Kyoto Gyoen. In 1877, it became the Doshisha Girls' School and set up a school building at the site of the Nijo Residence (currently Imadegawa Campus). The map shows the positional relationship.
At the beginning of the School for Girls, there were a total of 12 students, including 4 boarders. The photo shows the students at that time.
1877-1912: Doshisha Girls’ School Era
The School for Girls which was created in 1876 at the J.D. Davis Residence (former Yanagihara House, now the location of the Kyoto State Guest House), was renamed Doshisha Bunko Nyokoba in April 1877. Joseph Hardy Neesima, who became the principal, developed the educational philosophy of training people who manage their conscience with skill in the field of girls' education.
However, while trying to achieve the above purpose through the development of girls' talent and knowledge, the Kyoto Prefecture Industrial Department found that this name was not suitable for a woman’s place that required industrial work, and filed a complaint with the Academic Affairs Division on the grounds of it being a nuisance to the people of the prefecture. For this reason, the name was changed to “Doshisha Girls' School” in September, five months later.
The following year, the school building was relocated to Imadegawa Street (currently Imadegawa Campus) in the 11th ward Kamigyo.
At Neesima’s Doshisha Girls’ School, there were expectations for things that should respect human rights for girls school students, and raise their general spirit, as well as the hope that women would become reformers, no, improvers of the world, while keeping an eye on the problem of girls education in Japanese society.
The campus moves into new buildings in the 11th ward of Kamigyo on Imadegawa Street. It was completed in July 1878 with a donation from a Christian women's organization in the United States. It was the oldest Christian girls' school in Kyoto, and had internationality from the beginning.
Students from the Doshisha Girls' School. The photo is from around 1878.
The 7th graduation ceremony (June 1889) for the girls’ school. With foreign teachers also present, the school has had a rich international atmosphere from the beginning.
The third from the right in the last row is Joseph Hardy Neesima. Yae is on his right.
Since arriving in Japan in 1888, M.F. Denton contributed to the education of Doshisha Girls' School and Girls' College for 59 years.
1912-1949: Doshisha Girls’ School, Doshisha Girls College Era
Doshisha Girls’ School became Doshisha Women’s College by the vocational school ordinance in 1912, as the English Literature and Home Economics departments were established. As the educational principles such as Internationalism and Liberal Arts indicate, lectures using English have been held in the Home Economics department since that time. Also, the English Literature graduation trip was held in Manchuria Korea. In 1922, Michi Matsuda was appointed as the first female principal. It is said that she inspired the students greatly, as she always recognized their personalities and encouraged their self-consciousness. Starting with 12 students at the time of opening, it reached 1,449 students in 1927, including students from the high school. Afterwards, in 1930, it was renamed to Doshisha Women’s College. Classes that pioneered girls’ professional education were held, such as typewriting classes.
With the establishment of a specialized faculty, it continued to steadily develop, but it then faced the recession of the 1930s, and the adverse winds of the wartime regime.
Michi Matsuda became the first female principal in 1922. She is also the first principal of Doshisha Women's College.
A look at a home economics class during the Doshisha Girls' School specialized department (around 1915). The blackboard is written in English, and it can be seen that international lectures have been held since that time.
A look at the graduation trip held in 1928. At the Pei-ling North Mausoleum in Manchuria at the time.
A student from Doshisha Women's College. Can see students in Japanese and Western clothes (around 1932).
Typewriting class. Pioneering specialized education has been conducted since that time (1937).
Students during World War II. On the left is a military training session, in which they sometimes held guns. On the right is an air defense exercise.
1949-2000: Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts Era
After World War II in 1947, The Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law based on it were promulgated, as the elementary school 6 years/junior high school 3 years/high school 3 years/college 4 years school system was established. In response to this, Doshisha Women’s College became Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts in 1949. Esther L. Hibbard was appointed as the first president. The three majors of English, Music, and Food Science were established in the Faculty of Liberal Arts. In 1952, the Food Science Major was renamed to the Home Economics Major, and in 1965, each of the three majors were reorganized into departments. In 1967, the Department of Home Economics was progressively dissolved, and the Faculty of Home Economics was newly established.
The Tanabe Campus was opened in 1986. A new history of two campuses began with the Junior College that was opened at the same time. After that, the Department of Music, the Department of English Literature (currently the Department of English), and the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, established in 1989, were moved to the Tanabe Campus (renamed to the Kyotanabe Campus in 1999) as a base for learning.
Esther L. Hibbard was the first president of Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts. She was born in Tokyo as the daughter of a missionary couple, and after she was educated in the United States, she was sent to Doshisha Girls' School as a missionary in 1929. She became the first president of Doshisha Women's College in 1949. She poured her heart and soul into liberal arts education.
A look at the first Shakespearean production (1951). With a history of over 60 years, this is still practiced to this day as a curriculum in the Department of English.
Talking on the lawn in front of the James Hall on the Imadegawa Campus. Eiko-kan can be seen in the back of the photo. Currently there is an underground library at this location.
Kyotanabe Campus (1986), which is about to be completed. The Sokei-kan and Yuwa-kan of the current Kyotanabe Campus cannot be seen yet.
The Neesima Memorial Auditorium (1988) was built as part of the 111th anniversary commemorative project.
2000 and Onwards: Comprehensive University with 6 Faculties – Living in a New Way
Since 2000, in order to respond to social movements and diversifying needs of modern women, starting with the Department of Social Systems, Faculty of Contemporary Social Studies, Department of Information and Media, Department of Childhood Studies, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of International Studies, Faculty of Culture and Representation were established, and the Junior College was abolished. And in 2015, the Faculty of Nursing was newly opened on the Kyotanabe Campus. As a result, we are now one of Japan's leading women's universities, which currently has 6 faculties, 11 departments, 1 advanced course, and 4 graduate schools, fostering intelligent, highly motivated, and independent women, as we respond to the demands of society.
It has been 140 years since our founding in 1876. Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts has changed its appearance with the times, but the education based on these three educational principles of Christianity, Internationalism, and Liberal Arts is still being passed down to this day, and continues to develop into the future.
Daily worship services have been held at our university since the beginning, continuing to the present day. On the left is the Fowler Chapel in the Eiko-kan of the Imadegawa Campus, which can accommodate 1,600 people. On the right is a large hall with a capacity of 900 people in the Neesima Memorial Auditorium on the Kyotanabe Campus. Both are equipped with a splendid pipe organ, creating a magnificent atmosphere during worship.
Completion of the Yuwa-kan (2000) as part of the 125th anniversary commemorative project.
First-year medical pharmacy students coming together to form the Doshisha emblem.
With the opening of the Faculty of Culture and Representation, a new Junsei-kan was completed on the Imadegawa Campus in the fall of 2008.
The Vinculum courtyard at the Kyotanabe Campus was completed (2010).
This is a highly functional school building that supports education and research in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, and is equipped with laboratories, training rooms, research rooms, etc. It was completed in 2015. (Shinshin-kan)
（新心館）
The Soen-kan, a building related to the Faculty of Nursing, was completed in 2015.