Otsuma Women's University

Educational activities were started in 1908 by Mrs. Kotaka Otsuma quite close to the university current location in downtown Tokyo. Mrs. Otsuma was passionate about women's higher education, believing that “Learning for themselves, gaining the ability to contribute to society, and projecting that ability widely throughout the world leads to women's independence.” That passion continues to be passed down to this day in the school's “founding spirit.” The goal of Otsuma Women's University education, which is based on this “founding spirit,” is to nurture the development of truly independent, well-educated and gentle women, thus enriching our social resources and contributing to bringing about a sound and sustainable society. Mrs. Kotaka Otsuma, the founder of our university, preached and practiced the "nurturing of maternal qualities," the value system by which she lived her life. Even in our modern times, with people seeking diversity and varied lifestyles, the founder's belief in nurturing and deepening the universal value of a "gentle and generous heart" is still an important foundation for women's education. Our school's motto is "Haji-wo-Shire."