by Sano Masako, professor of Christian Studies

Division of Humanities, School of Arts and Sciences

Tokyo Woman’s Christian University

Tokyo Woman’s Christian University (TWCU), one of the first Christian schools of higher education for women in Japan, was established in 1918, making the year 2018 the 100th anniversary of its founding. According to the Japanese education system at the time, the door to higher education was closed to women, so we began as a vocational school with a curriculum that was equivalent to a university standard. The English name used at the time of its establishment was, “Woman’s Christian College of Japan,” and after World War II, it was renamed “Tokyo Woman’s Christian College.” In 1976, it was renamed again Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. The challenge faced when establishing the college was to open a new era of education in Japan and provide higher education for women.The reason the singular “woman” was used  in the English name of the university was the desire to emphasize the importance of each individual.

The beginning of our university can be traced back to the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh in June 1910. In the ecumenical spirit that was evident among the various denominations participating in the conference, a proposal was made to “establish Christian schools of higher education in the Orient.” The following year the head of the education committee in the U.S., Dr. John F. Goucher, came to Japan and met with teachers and missionaries of various denominations to discuss the possibility of establishing Christian institutions of higher education in Japan. As a result, in December 1912, a committee to promote education for women in Japan was formed in the U.S. with the cooperation of several Protestant denominations, and they worked to include the various special disciplines of women’s schools under one roof into one university.

The six missions that collaborated in the founding of this university were:

1. The American Baptist Church,

2. The Church of Christ (also known as The Disciples),

3. The Canadian Methodist Church,

4. The United Methodist Church,

5. The Presbyterian Church U.S.A., and

6. The Reformed Church in America.

At the time of our founding, the board of directors consisted of ten mission school representatives from the six missions and five Japanese Christians, and the establishment of TWCU was the result of the cooperation and prayers of those people from within and outside Japan.

Dr. Nitobe Inazo (our first president), Miss Yasui Tetsu (dean), and Dr. A.K. Reischauer (managing director) were the three persons who laid the cornerstone of TWCU. President Nitobe was a professor at Sapporo Agricultural College, the principal of First Higher School, Japan, and a professor at Tokyo Imperial University. Later he became an under-secretary general of the League of Nations. In his speech at our first graduation ceremony, he said the following concerning the type of education that is the goal of TWCU. “The principles of this institution are that we wish to take seriously individuality rooted in the Christian spirit, see those who are known as the smallest in the world as God’s children, and accomplish this by choosing insight over knowledge, valuing character over academic ability, and cultivating persons rather than human resources.” Against the present trend of valuing usefulness, President Nitobe transcended the mindset of the time by encouraging “respecting one’s character” and “working to cultivate persons.”

Having worked with President Nitobe, the superintendent, Miss Yasui, became the second president in 1923 and worked diligently to keep the university on track by holding worship every day even during a period darkened by war with China and World War II. Meiji Gakuin High School Principal A.K. Reischauer supported us as a founding representative and senior director throughout the early years with our financial difficulties.

Along with the main building and lecture hall, the white chapel built by Antonin Raymond in 1938 escaped damage during World War II, in part due to it being painted black along with the other buildings so as not to be conspicuous. The white steeple of the chapel, seen at one’s right when entering the main gate, remains a symbol of our university. Worship takes place daily from Monday through Friday from 10:30 to 10:50 a.m., and is attended by about 100 students. The stained glass on the front center and on the left and right sides of the chapel enhances the beautiful morning rays of the sun while soothing music is played on the organ. Through hymns, Bible reading, and listening to the sermon, students meet God, reflect on themselves spiritually, and are able to experience transcendence. So I believe that the worship experience has nurtured the formation of personality.

For the last 100 years, we have valued education that enhances personality formation based on Christianity by fostering each student with care. This is our educational philosophy. We have inherited that spirit and philosophy from the founders of our university, and no matter how much the needs of society change, “all that is truth” (QUAECUNQUE SUNT VERA) will be remembered in our hearts. This phrase (taken from Phil. 4:8), is our motto, which is engraved in Latin on the front of our main building, and we are committed to continuing this course for the next 100 years. (Tr. WJ)