Waseda University

Waseda University


Motto	(Independence of Learning)
Established	1882
Type	Private
Endowment	N/A
President	Kaoru Kamata
Academic staff	2,038 full-time 3,847 part-time
Admin. staff	N/A
Undergraduates	45,757
Postgraduates	8,471
Location	Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan 35°42′33.13″N 139°43′9.6″E / 35.7092028°N 139.719333°E / 35.7092028; 139.719333Coordinates: 35°42′33.13″N 139°43′9.6″E / 35.7092028°N 139.719333°E / 35.7092028; 139.719333
Campus	Urban
Athletics	43 varsity teams
Colors	Maroon
Mascot	Waseda Bear (official)
Affiliations	Universitas 21, APRU
Website	Waseda University

Waseda University is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. 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" . In particular, the School of Political Science and Economics has a significant influence on Japanese society.

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

Institution

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.

Three years later, the department of physical science was closed because it had too few applicants.

The department of science and engineering was established in 1908.

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

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

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 on October 21, 1882. Before the name 'Waseda' was selected, it was known variously as Waseda Gakkō or Totsuka Gakkō 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 on September 2, 1902 upon acquiring university status.

Academic cap

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. 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

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

Nishi-Waseda

Toyama

Waseda

Takadanobaba

Nishi-Waseda

Waseda

University's campus

Gare station

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:

Waseda (Main) Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo (formerly known as the Nishi-Waseda Campus)
Toyama Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo
Nishi-Waseda Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo (formerly known as the Ōkubo Campus)
Nihonbashi Campus: Chūō-ku, Tokyo
Higashifushimi Campus: Nishitōkyō, Tokyo
Tokorozawa Campus: Tokorozawa, Saitama
Honjō Campus: Honjō, Saitama
Kitakyūshū Campus: Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka

Undergraduate and Graduate Schools

Undergraduate Schools (Entrance Capacity 8880):

School of Political Science and Economics (900)
School of Law (740)
School of Culture, Media and Society (860)
School of Humanities and Social Sciences (660)
School of Education (960)
School of Commerce (900)
School of Fundamental Science and Engineering (535)
School of Creative Science and Engineering (595)
School of Advanced Science and Engineering (540)
School of Social Sciences (630)
School of Human Sciences (560)
School of Sports Sciences (400)
School of International Liberal Studies (600)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ōkuma Garden

Ōkuma Garden

Ōkuma Garden is located near Ōkuma Auditorium. It is a half-Japanese, half-Western garden of Edo period feudal lord Matsudaira Sanuki's former mansion, redesigned by Shigenobu Ōkuma. After his death, the garden was donated to Waseda University. Now it is a recreation place for students.

Libraries and museums

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 (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. 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:

Waseda University Library
Waseda University Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
Aizu Museum

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.

University championship rugby

Karate

The Waseda University karate club is one of the oldest in Japan, formed in 1931 under the direction of Gichin Funakoshi. 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

Tanzan Ishibashi (1956–1957)
Noboru Takeshita (1987–1989)
Toshiki Kaifu (1989–1991)
Keizō Obuchi (1998–2000)
Yoshirō Mori (2000–2001)
Yasuo Fukuda (2007–2008)
Yoshihiko Noda (2011–present)

Business Leaders

Takeo Fukui, CEO of Honda
Norio Sasaki, CEO of Toshiba
Soichiro Fukutake, president of Benesse
Masaru Ibuka, co-founder of Sony, recipient of the Order of Culture
Nobuyuki Idei, ex-CEO of Sony
Masafumi Miyamoto, Founder of Square
Yasujiro Tsutsumi
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi
Michael Kogan, founder of Taito Corporation
Lee Byung-chul*, Founder of Samsung
Lee Kun-hee, Current chairman of Samsung
Kenichi Ohmae, founder and ex-Senior Partner of McKinsey & Co's Japan office
Isao Okawa, ex-chairman of Sega
Park Tae-joon, Founder and Chairman of Pohang Iron & Steels Corp, POSCO
Masamitsu Sakurai, Chairman of Ricoh, Chairman of Japan Association of Corporate Executives
Mikio Sasaki, chairman of Mitsubishi
Shin Kyuk-Ho, founder and Chairman of Lotte Group
Shunsaku Tamiya, chairman of Tamiya Corporation
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, founder of Seibu Railway
Hiroshi Yamauchi, President of Nintendo
Tadashi Yanai, CEO of Fast Retailing and Uniqlo
Jose Luis Rodriguez, CEO of Global Comercio, Co. Ltd.

Academics

Koji Aikyo, law professor at Nagoya University
Hitoshi Arai, mathematician, professor at University of Tokyo
Kanichi Asakawa, historian, professor at Yale University
Shin Chiba, professor of political science at International Christian University
Kunio Doi, professor of radiology at the University of Chicago
Hidenori Fujita, educational sociologist, former professor at University of Tokyo, currently professor at International Christian University
Toshio Fukuda, scholar of robotics, professor at Nagoya University
Kunio Anzai
Tatsuo Taniguchi
Kazuhito Koizumi, (Medical Doctor)
Hideo Furuido, scholar of theatre arts, professor at University of Tokyo
Tatsuro Hanada, sociologist of media, professor at University of Tokyo, currently professor at Waseda
Kazuomi Hirakawa, geographer, professor at Hokkaido University
Takehiko Kamo (1942–1996), professor of political science at Waseda University and University of Tokyo
Kang Sang-jung, scholar of history of political thought, professor at University of Tokyo
Heita Kawakatsu, scholar of economic history, professor at International Research Center for Japanese Studies, President of Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
Toshihide Kobayashi, Chief Scientist at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute
Hideo Kuroda, historian, professor emeritus at University of Tokyo
Tien-Min Li (Chinese political historian)
Ichiro Masaki, director of the Intelligent Transportation Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Masako Mitamura, scholar of Japanese literature, The Tale of Genji expert, professor at Ferris University
Tsunetsugu Muraoka (1884–1946), scholar of history of Japanese philosophy, professor at Tohoku University
Masahiro Nei, professor of history of economic thought at Kyoto University
Yoshio Nishi, professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, the 2002 IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal recipient
Toyohiro Nishimoto, archaeologist, professor at National Museum of Japanese History
Ikujiro Nonaka, scholar of management, Knowledge Management theorist, co-author of The Knowledge-Creating Company, visiting professor at University of California, Berkeley
Tetsuo Owada, historian, professor at Shizuoka University
Shojiro Sakaguchi, law scholar, professor at Hitotsubashi University
Minoru Sekishita, professor of economics at Ritsumeikan University
Ryūsaku Tsunoda (1877–1964), lecturer of Japanese studies at Columbia University
Ginzo Uchida (1872–1919), scholar of economic history, professor at Kyoto University
Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid (Leading Malaysian Academician)
Saburo Yamada (1869–1965), scholar of private international law, professor at University of Tokyo
Tokuo Yamamoto, professor of applied marine physics at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami; recipient of the 2008 Alan Berman Research Publication Award
Sakuji Yoshimura (Egyptologist) the president of Cyber University

Authors

Kunikida Doppo
Maki Fukazawa (Columnist)
Jun Henmi
Masuji Ibuse*
Masahiko Katsuya, columnist
Hakushū Kitahara*
Akira Kojima, manga artist
Lee Hoesung
Taku Miki, poet, novelist, translator
Eto Mori
Manabu Miyazaki*
Megumi Mizusawa (manga artist)
Haruki Murakami, novelist, translator, writer, recipient of Franz Kafka Prize
Kōgo Noda, screenwriter
Yoko Ogawa, novelist
Ichirō Ōkouchi
Ototake Hirotada (sports writer)
Edogawa Rampo
Hisae Sawaji
Taneda Santoka*
Yoko Tawada
Tawara Machi
Shuji Terayama*
Miho Toshima
Yajima Teruo*
Yokomitsu Riichi*
Risa Wataya
Hisashi Yamanaka
Hiroyuki Yoshino
Rie Yoshiyuki

Journalists

Soichiro Tawara
Yoh Henmi
Satoshi Kamata

Sports

Norichika Aoki (baseball)
Kenichi Yazawa (baseball)
Hiroo Ishii (baseball)
Kunikazu Ogawa (baseball)
Akira Ejiri (baseball)
Soroku Yagisawa (baseball)
Tamotsu Kimura (baseball)
Tatsuro Hirooka
Suishu Tobita
Toshihisa Nishi
Motoi Onuki
Keijiro Matsumoto
Toru Mori (baseball)
Shizuka Arakawa (figure skater, 2006 Winter Olympics gold medalist)
Rena Inoue (pairs figure skater)
Kunishige Kamamoto (football player)
Saburo Kawabuchi (football, ex-President of Japan football association and ex-Chairman of Japan professional soccer league)
Katsuyuki Kiyomiya (rugby player and coach)
Yukari Nakano (figure skater)
Hajime Itoi (Olympic swimmer)
Mikio Oda (athletics, Japan's first Olympic gold medalist)
Kenji Ogiwara (Nordic combined, 1992/1994 Winter Olympics gold medalist)
Akinobu Okada (baseball, former manager for the Hanshin Tigers)
Yoriko Okamoto (taekwondo, 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze medalist)
Michito Sakaki (Australian rules football)
Jiro Sato (tennis)
Takuma Sato* (Formula One driver)
Hiroaki Shukuzawa (rugby player and coach)
Fumie Suguri (figure skater)
Kisshomaru Ueshiba (martial artist)
Toshihiko Seko (marathon runner)
Hiroyasu Tanaka (baseball)
Takashi Toritani (baseball)
Tsuyoshi Wada (baseball)
Yoko Zetterlund (volleyball)
Mitsusuke Harada (martial artist, Head of KDS)
Shigeru Egami (founder of Shōtōkai karate)
Tsutomu Ohshima (Chief Instructor of Shotokan Karate of America)
Ai Fukuhara (table tennis)
Kenji Tomiki (judo and aikido, founder of Shodokan Aikido)
Ōnishiki Uichirō (sumo, 26th yokozuna)
Hironori Ōtsuka* (founder of Wadō-ryū karate)
Yu Hirayama (badminton)

Performing arts

Sharon Au (Singapore actress, comedian and television presenter)
Naohito Fujiki (actor)
Yasuharu Hasebe (film director)
Mitsuhiro Hidaka (singer)
Ryōko Hirosue* (actress)
Kohei Oguri (film director)
Shohei Imamura film director, winner of two Palme d'Or awards at the Cannes Film Festival
Ken Utsui (Actor)
Bunta Sugawara (Actor)
Akio Jissoji (film director)
Haruka Minowa (Comedian)
Eiichi Otaki (musician)
Jyongri (singer)
Go Katou (Actor)
Kie Nakai (Actress)
Morio Kazama (Actor)
Rokusuke Ei (Composer)
Miho Asahi (Musician)
Kinya Kitaoji (Actor)
Seiji Kameda (composer, producer)
Tamaru Yamada (Musician)
Hifumi Kato (Shogi player)
Demon Kogure (singer, sumo commentator)
Yoshio Kojima (comedian)
Shōji Kōkami (playwright, director, filmmaker)
Tetsuya Komuro* (musician)
Hirokazu Koreeda (film director)
Tatsumi Kumashiro (film director)
LaSalle Ishii* (comedian)
Matsumoto Kōshirō IX (Kabuki actor)
Keisuke Minami (stage actor, model)
Tetsuya Murakami (musician, member of The Gospellers)
Shigeru Muroi* (actress)
Yuichi Nakamaru (actor, singer (member of KAT-TUN), distantly attending)
Kichitaro Negishi (film director)
Kazumasa Oda (musician, former member of Off Course)
Kyosen Ōhashi (TV host and writer)
Masato Sakai* (actor)
Yuji Sakai (musician, member of The Gospellers)
Sunplaza Nakano* (musician)
Tamori* (comedian and television presenter)
Yuya Tegoshi (actor, singer (member of NEWS), distantly attending)
Shinya Ueda (comedian, member of Cream Stew)
Yutaka Yasuoka (musician, member of The Gospellers)
Sayuri Yoshinaga (actress)
Toshiharu Ikeda (film director)

Diplomats

Chiune Sugihara*
Tsuneo Koizumi
Katsuhiko Oku - rugby player and diplomat, promoted posthumously to ambassador

Politics

Mikio Aoki*
Takashi Hiraoka, former mayor of Hiroshima (in office: 1991-1999)
Iccho Itoh, former mayor of Nagasaki (in office: 1995-2007)
Fumio Kishida
Yohei Kono
Li Dazhao
Hideo Higashikokubaru, governor of Miyazaki
Peng Pai
Soichi Usui
Hidehiko Noda
Ichiro Kohno
Bukichi Miki
Hirohide Ishida
Taro Hatoyama
Kazumasa Okajima
Fukushiro Nukaga
Masahide Ota
Hiroshige Seko
Mosaburo Suzuki
Tsutomu Takebe
Makiko Tanaka
Kisaburo Tokai
Kiyomi Tsujimoto
Kozo Watanabe
Yoshimi Watanabe
Yuji Yamamoto
Taku Yamasaki

Others

Eiko Onuki
Indra Surya Susantio (Runner-up winner of the 2009 APEC Essay Writing Contest, 2009)
Nancy Andrew (translator, junior year, 1967–1968)
Yuji Horii (video game designer)
Yoshio Shirai
Masato Koizumi (Minister)
Tensai Okamura (director)
Thomas P. Logan (businessman-venture capitalist, 1982–84)
Tomonobu Itagaki (video game designer, School of Law, 1985–92)
Shizuo Tsuji
Masuhiro Yamamoto
Masuhiro Yamamoto

Notable current students

Sports

Yuki Saitō (baseball)
Masumi Kuwata (baseball)

Performing Arts

Jyongri (singer)
Nakamaru Yuchi (idol singer, member of KAT-TUN)
Natsuki Sato (idol singer, member of AKB48)
Shiori Nakamata (idol singer, member of AKB48)

Notable faculty

Professors who are also Waseda alumni are listed in italics.

Yaichi Aizu, poet, scholar of ancient Chinese and Japanese art, and namesake of Aizu Museum
Tameyuki Amano, economics scholar and educator
Yasunobu Fujiwara, scholar of political science
Lafcadio Hearn, novelist, literary scholar, professor of English literature
Smimasa Idditti (Sumimasa Idichi ), professor of English
Kenji Imai, architect
Tokio Kimura, historian
Kunitake Kume, historian
Tachu Naito, architect
Naoyoshi Nakamura, historian
Haruo Nishihara, law professor, former President
Takayasu Okushima, law professor, former President
Hajime Ōnishi, philosopher
Ikuo Ōyama, scholar of political science
Yaso Saijo, poet
Masasada Shiozawa, scholar of economics, former President
Sanae Takata, scholar of political science, former President
Ōdō Tanaka, philosopher
Shoyo Tsubouchi, playwright, critic, translator, educator, professor of English literature, and namesake of Tsubouchi Memorial Theater Museum
Sokichi Tsuda, historian, recipient of the Order of Culture
Kazutami Ukita, scholar of political science
Shujiro Urata, economist
Yoshio Yamanouchi, translator, scholar of French literature
Akira Yonekura, law professor
Takamasa Yoshizaka, architect

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

Principals

Hidemaro Ōkuma, 1882–1886
Hisoka Maejima, 1886–1890
Kazuo Hatoyama, 1890–1907

De facto presidents (1907–1923)

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

Presidents

Shigenobu Ōkuma, 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

Academic Rankings

University rankings (overall)
Toyo Keizai National	General	6
Kawaijuku National	General	13
ARWU National	Research	11-17
WE National	Employment	11
NBP Greater Tokyo	Reputation	1
Shimano National	Selectivity	SA

QS Asia	General	39
ARWU Asia/Pacific	Research	44-68

QS World	General	182
ARWU World	Research	301-400
ENSMP World	Alumni	8

University rankings (by subject)
Social Sciences & Humanities
LAW
Asahi National	Research	3
BE Success National	Qualification	5
BE Pass rate National	Qualification	12
BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT
Eduni MBA National	General	2
Eduni MBA World	General	93
CPA Success National	Qualification	2

Natural Sciences & Technology
Engineering
Nikkei National	Research	5
ARCHITECTURE
ARE Success National	Qualification	3

Waseda University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It is proved by the following rankings.

General Rankings

The university has been ranked 5th in 2008-2009 and 6th in 2010 in the ranking called "Truly Strong Universities " by Toyo Keizai. In another ranking, Japanese prep school Kawaijuku ranked Waseda as the 13th best university in Japan.

In 2010 QS World University Rankings 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.

Research Performance

Generally speaking, National Universities in Japan have better research standards, however Waseda is one of the few Private Universities which compete with top National Universities. According to Weekly Diamond, Waseda has the 12th highest research standard in Japan in terms of research fundings per researchers in COE Program, and it's one of only 2 private universities within Top 15.

Nikkei Shimbun on 2004/2/16 surveyed about the research standards in Engineering studies based on Thomson Reuters, Grants in Aid for Scientific Research and questionnaires to heads of 93 leading Japanese Research Centers, and Waseda was placed 5th (research planning ability 7th/ability of business-academia collaboration 1st) in this ranking. Waseda is the only private university ranked in the top 5.

Asahi Shimbun summarized the amount of academic papers in Japanese major legal journals by university, and Waseda was ranked 3rd during 2005-2009.

Graduate school Rankings

According to the Asia Top MBA Business Schools Ranking by Asiaweek, Waseda Business School is ranked 2nd in Japan. Eduniversal also ranked Japanese business schools and Waseda is 2rd in Japan (93rd in the world). In this ranking, Waseda is one of only 3 Japanese business schools categorized in "Universal Business schools with major international influence".

Waseda Law School is considered as one of the top Japanese law schools, as Waseda's successful candidates for bar examination was 5th in 2009 and 2010 in Japan.

Alumni Rankings

Alumni of Waseda enjoy their good success in Japanese industries such as shown below.

According to the Weekly Diamond on 2006/2/18, Waseda got the highest score from the directors of human resource departments in Greater Tokyo. This ranking is titled "Useful University Rankings . Waseda in Social Science was ranked 1st and Waseda in Natural Science and Engineering was ranked 2nd among all Japanese Universities. According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings and the PRESIDENT's article on 2006/10/16, graduates from Waseda have the 11th best employment rate in 400 major companies and the alumni average salary is the 7th best in Japan.

École des Mines de Paris ranks Waseda University as 4th in the world in 2010 (8th in 2011) in terms of the number of alumni listed among CEOs in the 500 largest worldwide companies. The university is also ranked 2nd in Japan for the number of alumni holding the position of executive in the listed companies of Japan.

The number of lawers who graduated Waseda has been ranked 3rd in Japan since 1949.Furthermore, Waseda alumni have been the 2nd largest group in the Japanese Parliament.

Popularity and Selectivity

Waseda is a popular university in Japan. The number of applicants per place was 20.5(115515/5630) in the 2011 undergraduate admissions. This number of applicants was 2nd largest in Japan. its entrance difficulty is usually considered as top with Keio among 730 private universities.

Nikkei BP has been publishing a ranking system called "Brand rankings of Japanese universities" every year, composed by the various indications related to the power of brand, and Waseda was top in 2010 and 3rd in 2009 in Greater Tokyo Area.

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:

Eiichi Shibusawa, businessman and philanthropist
Ichizaemon Morimura, businessman
Koichiro Kagami, businessman
Kenkichi Kodera, presenter of over thirty-six thousand foreign books to the Library
Kisaku Maekawa, businessman and philanthropist
Masaru Ibuka, after whom Masaru Ibuka Auditorium (Hall) is named.
Robert J. Shillman, founder & CEO of Cognex Corporation, namesake of Robert Shillman Hall