Hitotsubashi University - History

History

When founded by Arinori Mori in 1875, Hitotsubashi was called the Institute for Business Training (商法講習所|Shōhō Kōshujo), where nurtured the businessmen to modernize Japan after the collapse of the feudal Tokugawa Shōgunate. There were talks about a merger with The University of Tokyo, but alumni and students objected—the merger was not fulfilled. This is known as the "Rouzyou Episode".

From the university web page: "For 130 years Hitotsubashi graduates have played leading roles in Japanese business, hence the university's motto 'captains of industry.' Today, our former students are also prominent in finance, government, politics and the media. The quality of our research has been recognized internationally, and Hitotsubashi scholars maintain strong ties to industry and government. Hitotsubashi is an excellent base for visiting researchers, offering a well-stocked library, a beautiful campus (and in the case of ICS a location in the heart of Tokyo), and a friendly atmosphere."

• 1875: Arinori Mori established Institute for Business Training (商法講習所|Shōhō Kōshūjo) at Ginza-owarichō, Tokyo.
• 1884: became a national school under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce of Japan, and changed its name to the Tokyo Commercial School (東京商業学校|Tokyo Shōgyō Gakkō).
• 1885: came under the control of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan, and absorbed the Tokyo Foreign Language School. The school then relocated to the site of the latter institution in an education district called Hitotsubashi, Tokyo in the vicinity of the Imperial Palace.
• 1887: the status of the Tokyo Commercial School was raised to that of the Higher Commercial School (高等商業学校|Kōtō Shōgyō Gakkō).
• 1897: established affiliated institutions for foreign-language education.
• 1899: separated affiliated institutions for foreign-language education as Tokyo School of Foreign Languages (now Tokyo University of Foreign Studies).
• 1902: changed its name to the Tokyo Higher Commercial School (東京高等商業学校| Tōkyō Kōtō Shōgyō Gakkō) due to the establishment of another such school in Kansai district (now Kobe University).
• 1920: raised to and became the Tokyo College of Commerce (東京商科大学| Tōkyō Syōka Daigaku).
• 1927: moved to Kunitachi and Kodaira, Tokyo, its present location, on account of the Great Kanto Earthquake.
• 1944: changed its name to the Tokyo College of Industry (東京産業大学| Tōkyō Sangyō Daigaku) under the order of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan.
• 1947: changed its name back to the Tokyo College of Commerce (東京商科大学| Tōkyō Syōka Daigaku).
• 1949: adopted the new system and the name of Hitotsubashi University (一橋大学| Hitotsubashi Daigaku) through a student ballot, when the American educational system was introduced as part of the postwar educational reforms, and established Faculties of Commerce, Economics, and Law & Social Sciences.
• 1951: separated Faculty of Law & Social Sciences into Faculty of Law and Faculty of Social Science.
• 1996: established the Graduate School of Language and Society.
• 1998: established the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS).
• 2004: established Law School due to the introduction of Law School system in Japan.
• 2005: established School of International and Public Policy.