Hitotsubashi University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hitotsubashi University

一橋大学
Motto	Captains of Industry
Type	Public (National)
Established	1920 (Origins 1875)
President	Satoshi Nakano [ja]
Academic staff	303 full-time （May 2021）
Undergraduates	4,364（May 2021）
Postgraduates	1,923（May 2021）
Location	Kunitachi , Tokyo , Japan
Campus	Urban
Colors	Crimson Red (DIC-2489)
Mascot	None
Website	www.hit-u.ac.jp

Hitotsubashi University (一橋大学, Hitotsubashi daigaku) is a top national university located in Tokyo, Japan. It is famous for being one of the best places in the country to study social sciences. These subjects include business, economics, law, and sociology. The university is so well-known for training future business leaders that its motto is "Captains of Industry."

The university started in 1875 and officially became a university in 1920. It was first called the Tokyo University of Commerce (東京商科大学, Tokyo shōka daigaku). It changed to its current name, Hitotsubashi University, in 1949. Many important people have graduated from Hitotsubashi, including Masayoshi Ōhira, who was a prime minister of Japan.

The Story of Hitotsubashi University

Arinori Mori, the founder of Hitotsubashi University.

The main gate of the Tokyo Higher Commercial School in 1910.

Hitotsubashi University has a long and interesting history. It was founded in 1875 by a man named Arinori Mori. At first, it was called the Institute for Business Training (商法講習所, Shōhō Kōshujo). Its goal was to teach modern business skills in Japan.

The school was supported by important business leaders like Eiichi Shibusawa. In the 1860s, Shibusawa had traveled to Europe and learned about modern banking and economics. He helped bring these new ideas to Japan and supported the school's growth.

Over the years, the school changed its name and location several times. In 1885, it moved to the Hitotsubashi area of Tokyo, which is how it later got its name. At one point, there was a plan to merge the school with the University of Tokyo. However, students and alumni protested, and the school remained independent. This event is known as the "Shinyu Incident."

The school's main campus had to move after the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923. It relocated to its current home in Kunitachi, a city in Tokyo. Finally, in 1949, students voted to officially name it Hitotsubashi University.

What You Can Study at Hitotsubashi

The Kanematsu Auditorium is a famous landmark on the Kunitachi Campus.

Hitotsubashi University is focused on social sciences. It has about 4,500 undergraduate students and 2,100 graduate students.

Undergraduate Programs

Students can choose from four main areas of study, called faculties:

• Commerce: This is the study of business and trade.
• Economics: This involves learning about money, banking, and how economies work.
• Law: Students learn about legal systems, rules, and government.
• Social Sciences: This includes subjects like sociology (the study of society) and political science.

Graduate Programs

After getting their first degree, students can continue their studies in graduate school. Hitotsubashi offers advanced degrees in all its main subjects. It also has special programs, like the Hitotsubashi Business School, which is famous for its MBA program.

How Good Is Hitotsubashi University?

The clock tower on the library building at the Kunitachi Campus.

Hitotsubashi University is known as one of the best and most difficult universities to get into in Japan. It often ranks alongside famous schools like the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.

It is especially respected for its economics and business programs. Many rankings place its economics department among the top five in Japan. Because it produces so many successful graduates, it is considered a very prestigious school.

The university's business school is also ranked as one of the best in Japan. It is one of the few business schools in the country that offers classes taught entirely in English, which attracts students from all over the world.

Famous People from Hitotsubashi

Josui Kaikan is the alumni association building in Kanda, Tokyo.

Many graduates of Hitotsubashi University have become famous leaders in government, business, and other fields. The alumni association, called Josuikai, is a powerful network of former students.

World Leaders and Politicians

• Masayoshi Ōhira: Served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1978 to 1980.
• Rinchinnyamyn Amarjargal: Was the Prime Minister of Mongolia.
• Shintarō Ishihara: A famous author who also served as the governor of Tokyo.

Business Leaders

• Hiroshi Mikitani: The founder and CEO of Rakuten, a major Japanese e-commerce company.
• Tatsumi Kimishima: The former president of the video game company Nintendo.
• Rizaburo Toyoda: The first president of the Toyota Motor company.
• Taikichiro Mori: The founder of Mori Building. In the early 1990s, he was named the richest person in the world by Forbes magazine.

Other Notable Alumni

• 

  Zenzo Shimizu was a top tennis player who graduated from the university.
• Masabumi Hosono: The only Japanese passenger who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.
• Zenzo Shimizu: A tennis player who won a silver medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics.
• Wataru Yoshizumi: A popular manga artist.
• Yoshiki Mizuno: A musician and leader of the popular band Ikimono-gakari.