History of Osaka University

In 1931, Osaka University was established as Japan's 6th imperial university. "Osaka Imperial University" had two schools, Medicine and Science. However, Osaka University's roots reach back much further than its birth as an imperial university. As the author SHIBA Ryotaro wrote at the beginning of his historical novel Kashin, Teijuku, a private “place of learning” for Western medicine was the predecessor of Osaka University. That is to say, Osaka University’s academic roots reach back to 1838 and Tekijuku in Semba, Osaka.

Let's take a look at Osaka University's 175-year-old history.

Kaitokudo

Kaitokudo founded by Osaka merchants

Kaitokudo, established as a place of learning in 1724 for merchants in Amagasaki-cho in Osaka (currently Imabashi, Chuo-ku), is considered to be a root for the School of Letters. Kaitokudo was a place of learning for many citizens, both young and old. Thanks to a wide variety of lessons in subjects such as Chinese characters, Japanese studies, prose and poetry, as well as to its unconstrained environment allowing students to be absent for reasons such as business, Kaitokudo prospered for some 150 years as a center of learning in western Japan.
The appeal of Kaitokudo rested in its being a place of learning where anyone, both employers and employees, could study advanced scholarship. Unfortunately, during WWII, Kaitokudo was destroyed. Following the war and the addition of the School of Law and Letters to Osaka University, surviving collections of historical books possessed by Kaitokudo were passed on to Osaka University. These book collections are symbolic of the original scholarship, thought, and culture that Osaka University inherited from Osaka City.

: Tekijuku

The founding of Tekijuku and what would eventually become Osaka University

OGATA Koan was a competent scholar of Western medicine which he had studied in Edo and Nagasaki. Although he came from Ashimori-han, Bicchu (currently Ashimori, Kita-ku, Okayama), in 1838 he came to Kawara-machi, Osaka, and built a private school and clinic called Tekijuku.
Seven years later, Tekijuku was moved to Kasho-machi (currently, 3 Kitahama, Chuo-ku, Osaka) where much of the original school building still remains. Tekijuku was involved in research into vaccination and cholera treatment for 25 years, teaching nearly 1,000 students.
Tekijuku's spirit of “For people, for society, for the nation, and for benevolence,” was passed on to Osaka Provisional Hospital begun by Koan's second son Koreyoshi and the Dutch doctor Anthonius Franciscus Bauduin in 1869. Later this spirit infused the founding of Osaka Medical School and Osaka Prefecture Medical College. In this way, Osaka University continues to carry on the legacy of OGATA Koan.

: The birth of Osaka Imperial University, the 6th imperial university

理学部中之島 Although many members of the Imperial Diet opposed the founding of a new imperial university in the midst of the worldwide depression, thanks to enthusiastic activities by the then Osaka governor coupled with the support of many citizens, the calls to build a comprehensive university in Osaka (which was larger than Tokyo), were finally answered in 1931.

Thus, the imperial university that citizens in Osaka had longed for was finally established. In this way, thanks to its citizens, Osaka Imperial University's founding resembles that of Kaitokudo and Tekijuku, institutions that came into being through the efforts of citizens.

In accordance with national policies of that time, Osaka Imperial University became one of the nation's highest education and research institutes. Osaka Imperial University, the 6th imperial university, began with just two schools -- the School of Medicine and the School of Science.

: Osaka University

Osaka University under a new school system

After WWII, Osaka Senior High School and Naniwa Senior High School merged, and in 1949, Osaka University was reborn with five schools -- the School of Letters, the School of Law and Economics, the School of Science, the School of Medicine, and the School of Engineering. Then, as previously mentioned, collections of historical books possessed by Kaitokudo were donated to the School of Letters. Thus, as the 1950's dawn, today's Osaka University can be seen to be taking shape. 中井竹山書懐徳堂記

: Research-oriented comprehensive university

With the spirit it has inherited, Osaka University established unique undergraduate schools, graduate schools, and research centers. Then, in 2007, it merged with Osaka University of Foreign Studies. Today, Osaka University has four campuses: Suita, Toyonaka, Minoh, and Nakanoshima. Furthermore, the university boasts 11 undergraduate schools, 16 graduate schools, and 5 research institutes. It is clearly one of Japan's outstanding comprehensive universities. Thanks to its untempered open spirit as well as its eagerness to meet the needs of the times, Osaka University has established pioneering schools, graduate schools, and research institutes in both the sciences and liberal arts. Osaka University has evolved and continues to evolve, leading the way to a bright future.
For more information, please peruse the links below.

吹田キャンパス豊中キャンパス箕面キャンパス

"To be a university that shines forth even into the 22nd century."

"Strive to see beyond..."

What might President Toshio HIRANO be referring to?
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