Showa Women's University facts for kids
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昭和女子大学
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 |
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| Motto | 世の光となろう |
|---|---|
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Motto in English
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"Be a Light to the World" |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1920 |
| Chancellor | Mariko Bando |
| President | Natsuko Kohara |
| Undergraduates | 6,098 |
| Postgraduates | 87 |
| Location |
Setagaya
,
Tokyo
,
Japan
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| Campus | Urban |
| Member of | Setagaya 6 Universities consortium |
Showa Women's University (Japanese: 昭和女子大学, Shōwa Joshi Daigaku) is a private university for women located in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. It is a place where young women can learn and grow, inspired by special ideas about education.
Contents
What You Can Study
Showa Women's University offers many different programs for students. You can study for a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, or even a doctorate. The university also has five special research centers where people study different topics.
The university is unique because it has schools for all ages, from kindergarten all the way up to high school. This means students can grow up learning within the same educational family.
Campuses and Locations
Besides its main campus in Setagaya, Tokyo, the university has two other campuses in Japan. These are Tomei Gakurin in Kanagawa Prefecture and Boshu Kaihin Gakuryo in Chiba Prefecture.
There is also an international campus in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. This gives students a chance to experience learning in another country. The main campus in Setagaya is also home to The British School in Tokyo Showa Campus.
Special Ideas for Learning
The university's way of teaching is greatly inspired by the ideas of Leo Tolstoy. He was a famous Russian writer and thinker. The university was founded on principles like "love, compassion, and harmony." These ideas come from Tolstoy's teaching style at his home in Yasnaya Polyana.
It's important to know that Showa Women's University is not connected to Showa University or Showa Academia Musicae, even though their names sound similar.
A Look at History
The story of Showa Women's University began a long time ago. It started with a group called the Association of Cultural Exchange in 1920. This group was led by a poet named Enkichi Hitomi.
How the University Started
In September 1920, Enkichi Hitomi and his wife, Midori, opened the Japan Women's School of Higher Education. It was located in Bunkyō Ward, Tokyo. Their goal was to help create a new Japanese culture. They wanted to do this by educating young women to become leaders and help society progress.
Enkichi Hitomi encouraged students to "be a Light to the World." This inspiring phrase later became the university's official motto. A few years later, in 1922, the Showa Senior High School was also established.
Moving and Growing
During World War II, the university's original buildings were destroyed. So, in 1945, the university moved to its current location in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.
In 1949, the school was officially renamed Showa Women's University. Over the next few years, more schools were added. A kindergarten opened in 1951, and an elementary school opened in 1953. In 1988, the International Campus Boston was created, offering students a chance to study abroad.
The Influence of Leo Tolstoy
The founding ideas of Showa Women's University are deeply connected to the teachings of Leo Tolstoy. He believed that education should be about more than just memorizing facts. He thought it should include everything a person learns from their surroundings and experiences.
Tolstoy's Education Ideas
Tolstoy believed that schools at the time often stopped students from truly learning and thinking for themselves. He wanted education to focus on practical skills. He also thought that students and teachers should work closely together. Tolstoy also believed that everyone should have the right to free education. He emphasized the importance of balancing human life with nature and learning from the natural world.
Midori Hitomi, one of the university's founders, strongly supported these ideas. She wanted the university to be "a university of love as Tolstoy might have founded." Enkichi Hitomi also wrote about his thoughts on Tolstoy's education style. He hoped for a school that found a "perfect balance between love and reason." This idea became a core principle for the university.
Tolstoy's Ideas Today
Even today, Tolstoy's ideas are very important at Showa Women's University. For example, the university works to be eco-friendly and protect the environment. This reflects Tolstoy's teachings about the balance between humans and nature.
The university also teaches in small groups called seminars, just like it did when it first started in 1920. This is based on the close relationships between teachers and students that Tolstoy encouraged. The university also wants students to be actively involved in their learning. This matches Tolstoy's belief that education should help students think critically and become self-reliant. Students are also encouraged to get real-world experience, which shows Tolstoy's focus on practical skills.
You can even see a statue of Tolstoy in front of the university's auditorium. In 2018, the University Museum held a special art exhibition. It featured artwork by Natalia Tolstaya, who is a descendant of Tolstoy.
What You Can Study
Undergraduate Programs
- Faculty of International Humanities
- Faculty of Humanities and Culture
- Faculty of Food and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Global Business
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Design
Graduate Programs
- Letters
- Human Life Sciences
Other Programs
- Research Institutes
- Institute of Modern Culture
- Institute of Women's Culture
- Institute of International Culture
- Institute of Psychological Studies
- Institute of Women's Health Sciences
- Center for General Education
- Junior College
Hitomi Memorial Hall
The Hitomi Kinen Kōdō, or Hitomi Memorial Hall, was finished in 1980. It is located on the university campus in Setagaya. This hall is well-known for its excellent sound quality. Many famous classical music concerts have been held there.
While fewer big concerts happen there now compared to when Suntory Hall opened in 1986, it is still sometimes used for concerts that are open to the public.
Schools on Campus
The university has several schools on its campus for younger students:
- Showa Women's University Junior-Senior High School (昭和女子大学附属昭和中学校・高等学校)
- Showa Women's University Primary School (昭和女子大学附属昭和小学校)
- Showa Women's University Kindergarten (昭和女子大学附属昭和こども園)
The British School in Tokyo Showa Campus was also established on the university grounds in 2006.
Famous People Who Attended
Many talented women have studied at Showa Women's University. Here are a few notable alumni:
- Mitsu Dan – an actress, model, and writer
- Keiko Fukuda – the highest-ranked female judoka (a martial artist) in history
- Satoko Kitahara – a Catholic saint (known as The Venerable)
- Emi Machida – a master sake brewer
- Yui Ogura – a voice actress (graduated in 2018)
- Junko Tabei – the first woman to reach the top of Mount Everest
- Yuko Nagayama - an architect and professor
