Hitotsubashi at a Glance
Hitotsubashi University was founded in 1875 as the first business school in Japan, with the mission of nurturing the “Captains of Industry” essential for the nation’s rapid modernization and development. Over the years, it has gradually expanded the scope of its research and teaching to cover all fields of the social sciences, and today enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of the top research universities in Japan. In 2019, it was accredited as one of the few outstanding Designated National Universities – the only one specializing in the social sciences.
Established
1875
Faculty
About 515 faculty members
Students
| Undergraduate students | About 4,300 |
|---|---|
| Graduate and professional students | About 1,800 |
| Total | About 6,200 |
| Of these, international students | About 900 |
4 Faculties, 6 Graduate Schools, and One Institute
Hitotsubashi University is made up of 11 principal academic units – four faculties, six graduate schools and one institute.
- Commerce and Management (Faculty)
- Business Administration (Graduate School)
- Economics (Faculty, Graduate School)
- Law (Faculty, Graduate School)
- Social Sciences (Faculty, Graduate School)
- Language and Society (Graduate School)
- International and Public Policy (School)
- Institute of Economic Research
Campuses
Our main teaching and research activities take place at Kunitachi Campus in western Tokyo. Kodaira Kokusai (International) Campus is equipped with residence halls for both domestic and international students, along with excellent sports facilities. Chiyoda Campus is located in the birthplace of Hitotsubashi, in the Kanda-Hitotsubashi district of central Tokyo. The Graduate School of Business Administration and the Graduate School of Law offer some of their courses here.
Hitotsubashi University President
Professor Nakano Satoshi
University Income (Fiscal Year 2022)
JPY 11.5 billion
University Expenses (Fiscal Year 2022)
JPY 10.9 billion
Library Collection
Hitotsubashi University Library boasts a collection of more than 2 million volumes as well as 17,000 journals and electronic journals. The collections of the Center for Historical Social Science Literature are of outstanding international significance, with more than 76,300 volumes of rare materials in the social sciences. These include the Carl Menger collection, the Otto von Gierke Collection, and the Soda Kiichiro collection, to name but a few. The library has been rated one of Japan’s top university libraries by Asahi Shimbun Publications.
Naming
The name Hitotsubashi University is derived from “Kanda-Hitotsubashi,” the district of central Tokyo where the Tokyo Commercial School was originally built. The school was renamed the Tokyo University of Commerce in 1920 and relocated to its present site in western Tokyo following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. An affinity for its original location has remained, however.
In 1949 the university was renamed “Hitotsubashi University” as part of post-war educational reforms. In a ballot of the student council, faculty board, administrative staff, and alumni association, “Hitotsubashi” was chosen as the name of the restructured four-year university.
Hitotsubashi University Symbol
The university’s crest was created in 1887 when the Tokyo Commercial School was renamed the Higher Commercial School.
The crest features the staff of Mercury, the Roman god of trade and commerce, entwined with two snakes and topped with wings. The initials CC stand for Commercial College. The snakes symbolize intellect and sensitivity to world trends, while the wings signify the ambition to fly to the five continents.
In 2006 this crest design was designated the official symbol of Hitotsubashi University.
Seminars
Hitotsubashi has long placed seminars at the core of its curricula. While lectures feature prominently in Japanese tertiary education, all Hitotsubashi students are required to participate in small-group seminars as well. Such a system not only cultivates their individual abilities and personalities, but also provides them with the opportunity to develop close and often lifelong relationships with their fellow students and supervising professors. The seminars also facilitate a high level of study and research and underpin the creative and liberal character for which the University is famous.
