Gakushuin University

Gakushuin University

Gakushūin University (学習院大学, Gakushūin Daigaku?) is an elite higher educational institution in Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. It was re-established after World War II as an affiliate of the Gakushūin School Corporation, the privatized successor to the original Gakushūin University or "Peers School" set up during the Meiji era to educate the children of the Japanese nobility. The Gakushūin University is still one of the most prestigious universities in Japan, having most of the members of the present Imperial Family as former and present students. The average number of students has been kept low so that each one can receive personal attention from the staff.

Although the outlook of Gakushūin is traditional, the education given there is liberal, and the prevailing atmosphere is one of comradeship, toleration and broad-mindedness. This freedom of thought, combined with a lack of competition between students, has resulted in the fact that there are many well-known literary figures, artists, and diplomats among the alumni. However, despite the high academic level, research work conducted at the University has not brought to public attention and therefore the institution is not well known outside Japan. Also, as virtually all the instruction is conducted in Japanese, there are relatively few foreigners studying at Gakushūin.