About MGU
The Origins of Meiji Gakuin University
As Meiji Gakuin University’s newest department, “Global and Transcultural Studies” offers its students an innovative multi-disciplinary approach to international studies. At the same time, the new program’s goals and teaching philosophy were inspired by MGU’s long-standing educational legacy. The university’s motto—“Do for Others”—underlines the emphasis we place on altruism. This phrase reflects the ideals and strong personal conviction of the university’s first president, James Hepburn, a missionary and doctor who came to Japan in 1859. After setting up a medical practice and a school in Yokohama in 1863, Hepburn moved to Tokyo, establishing MGU in 1886. One of his remarkable achievements was to compile the first major Japanese-English dictionary. In the process he developed the “Hepburn System” of romanization that remains the worldwide standard for transliterating Japanese into Western script. The first graduating class consisted of only twenty students, but over the years MGU has grown into a major university, with an enrollment of over 12,000 full-time students. At present it has seven Faculties, and fifteen Departments. Six of the Faculties also train graduate students working toward M.A. and Ph.D. degrees.
The Faculty of International Studies
Hepburn and his supporters situated MGU in Tokyo’s Shirogane district near Shinagawa. To celebrate the campus’ one-hundredth anniversary, in 1985~1986 the university decided to dramatically expand its facilities by building a second campus in Totsuka, in the hills of Yokohama. MGU also marked the occasion by creating a new Faculty of International Studies (FIS). This was the first program of its kind in any Japanese university. FIS presently has thirty-seven full-time faculty members representing disciplines ranging from economics and international law to history and cultural studies. The FIS program draws upon this depth of expertise to create a multi-disciplinary curriculum for studying international and global issues. From their second year, students join a seminar to study one discipline or theme in depth. Many of these seminars include an extensive research trip overseas—a unique teaching method that provides opportunities for educational experiences outside the classroom. Most classes are taught in Japanese, but FIS has a range of courses in English as well. MGU has exchange agreements with a number of foreign schools including the University of California. The classes for UC students are located on the Yokohama Campus, where FIS offers a wide range of courses taught in English for UC students and Japanese students who wish to study in that language.
Links to the Past
The new Department of Global and Transcultural Studies draws upon this heritage by creating a new curriculum to meet the interests and needs of students who seek international careers. The English-language based courses, and the close interaction between faculty and students in small classes strongly reflect the liberal arts ideals that are at the core of MGU’s historical identity. As part of the Faculty of International Studies, the department also combines a thoroughly modern interdisciplinary course of study with an extensive program of study abroad and internship opportunities.
The Campus
The creation of the Totsuka campus and the Faculty of International Studies strongly reaffirmed MGU’s links to Yokohama. The expansion also provides MGU students with an optimal educational environment. The area is safe and quiet yet conveniently located close to some of the world’s most sophisticated cities. The campus is adjacent to the extensive woodlands of Yokohama’s Maioka Park. For students interested in pre-modern Japanese history, the ancient capital of Kamakura is only three stops away to the south from the JR Totsuka Station. The wide beaches of the Shonan coast and Enoshima Island are also nearby. Train and subway lines offer quick access to Yokohama’s Chinatown, historic port district, and many museums. Tokyo is just thirty minutes away, where students can supplement their classroom studies by easily visiting places of interest. Few English-language educational programs can offer such an exciting environment for international studies.
