Hitotsubashi University
Hitotsubashi University is a national university corporation, and is the only university in Japan to specialize exclusively in the humanities and social sciences. Since its foundation, Hitotsubashi has been at the forefront of Japan’s innovation. It has been a powerhouse for generations of Japan’s globally active business leaders as well as a research hub producing cutting-edge research in the global academic network of the social sciences.
Established
1875
Faculty
About 530 faculty members
Students
| Undergraduate students | About 4,400 |
|---|---|
| Graduate and professional students | About 1,900 |
| Total | About 6,300 |
| Of these, international students | About 870 |
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 has residence halls for both domestic and international students along with excellent sports facilities. Chiyoda Campus is located in the birthplace of Hitotsubashi, Kanda-Hitotsubashi in central Tokyo, and offers a part of courses for the Graduate School of Business Administration and the Graduate School of Law.
Hitotsubashi University President
Professor Koichi Tadenuma
Ranking
Hitotsubashi is ranked
- 456th in QS World University Rankings 2019 (15th in Japan)
- 77th in the QS Asian University Rankings 2019 (14th in Japan)
- 71st in the broader of Social Sciences and Management in the QS University Subject Rankings 2018 (4th in Japan)
- 51-100th in the field of Economics & Econometrics in QS University Subject Rankings 2018 (3rd in Japan)
- 51-100th in the field of Accounting & Finance in QS University Subject Rankings 2018 (2nd in Japan)
- 51-100th in the field of Business & Management Studies in QS University Subject Rankings 2018 (3rd in Japan)
- 51-100th in the field of Politics & International Studies in QS University Subject Rankings 2018 (5th in Japan)
- 51-100th in the field of Modern Languages in QS University Subject Rankings 2018 (7th in Japan)
- 151-200th in QS Global MBA Ranking 2019 (1st in Japan, 14th in Asia)
- 101st + in Masters in Management, QS Business School Ranking 2019 (Only university in Japan)
- 141-150th in the QS Graduate Employability Ranking 2018 (9th in Japan)
- 14th in Times Higher Education Japan University Ranking 2018
- Top300 in the field of Economics in Academic Ranking of World Universities 2018
University Income (Fiscal Year 2017)
JPY 11.7 billion
University Expenses (Fiscal Year 2017)
JPY 11.4 billion
Library Collection
Hitotsubashi University Library holds 2 million volumes and 16,900 serial titles. The collections in the Center for Historical Social Science Research are of outstanding international significance with more than 76,100 volumes of rare materials in the social sciences including the Carl Menger collection, the Schumpeter Collection, and the Soda Kiichiro collection, to name but a few. The library has been rated as the top university library in Japan in the University Library Rankings conducted by the Asahi Shimbun, a leading Japanese newspaper.
Naming
The name Hitotsubashi University comes from “Kanda-Hitotsubashi”, the name of the area in central Tokyo where the Tokyo Commercial School was built. The school became the Tokyo University of Commerce in 1920 and moved to its present location in western Tokyo after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, but the affinity for the name remained.
It was renamed Hitotsubashi University in 1949 at the post-WW2 educational reform. The name “Hitotsubashi” gained a majority in every ballot of the Student Council, the Faculty Board, the administrative staff and the Alumuni Association, for a reorganized four-year university.
Hitotsubashi University Crest
The crest was created in 1887 when the Tokyo Commercial School was renamed the Higher Commercial School.
The Mercury represents the cane of the Roman god of trade and commerce, Mercury, with two snakes wrapped around it with wings at the top, while the initials CC stand for Commercial College. The snakes represent intellect and the ability to be sensitive to world trends, and the wings represent our ambition to fly to the five continents.
The logo using the Mercury of the University crest as a motif was designated as the official Hitotsubashi University logo in 2006.
Seminars
Hitotsubashi was the first Japanese university to adopt a seminar system. Japan’s education system unavoidably emphasizes mass education, but all Hitotsubashi students are required to participate in small-group seminars. Such a system not only cultivates their individual abilities and personalities, but also provides them with the opportunity to develop close and often life-long relationships with their fellow students and teachers. The seminars also foster a high standard of study and research, and underpin the University’s creative and liberal character.
