Educational Philosophy

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." (Roughly translated as "appreciate humility" or "develop an understanding of the value of humility".) This urges individuals to examine themselves closely and not get sidetracked from the lofty ideals of human existence. This philosophy encourages students to cultivate independent minds. Our university has a traditional reputation for turning out "good wives and wise mothers." While emphasizing the concept of home-based women whose characters are enhanced with rich, good natures, our motto takes on a new, modern meaning when educating women who drive themselves to become leaders in various fields and industries. Kotaka Otsuma's spirit serves as the guiding force behind our philosophy of education for the new era, prompting women to view the world in new ways, to contribute to peace and harmony and to nurture and develop their own capabilities.Otsuma Women's University celebrates its 110th anniversary in 2018 and we are excited to continue our mission into the next century. Our targets for action and educational goals are as follows: "To contribute to the realization of a healthy and sustainable society through striving for the enrichment of social capital by fostering truly independent women with minds rich in both refinement and compassion through the systematic promotion of the founding mentality of university founder Kotaka Otsuma in education/research/regional activities in the context of the new era."

Faculty/school group

Bachelor's Degree

• Faculty of Home Economics | Dept. of Clothing and Textiles
• Faculty of Home Economics | Dept. of Food Science, Major in Food Science
• Faculty of Home Economics | Dept. of Food Science, Major in Dietitian Studies
• Faculty of Home Economics | Dept. of Child Studies, Major in Child Studies
• Faculty of Home Economics | Dept. of Child Studies, Major in Child Education
• Faculty of Home Economics | Dept. of Life Design
• Faculty of Language and Literature | Dept. of Japanese Language and Literature
• Faculty of Language and Literature | Dept. of English Language and Literature
• Faculty of Language and Literature | Dept. of Communication and Culture
• Faculty of Social Information Studies | Dept. of Social Information Studies, Major in Life and Information Studies
• Faculty of Social Information Studies | Dept. of Social Information Studies, Major in Environment and Information Studies
• Faculty of Social Information Studies | Dept. of Social Information Studies, Major in Design and Information Studies
• Faculty of Human Relations | Dept. of Human Relations, Major in Sociology
• Faculty of Human Relations | Dept. of Human Relations, Major in Social and Clinical Psychology
• Faculty of Human Relations | Dept. of Human Welfare
• Faculty of Comparative Culture | Dept. of Comparative Culture

Master's Degree

• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Human Life Sciences, Course in Health and Nutrition
• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Human Life Sciences, Course in Human Environmental Sciences
• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Human Life Sciences, Course in Childhood Education, Care and Pedagogy
• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Language and Culture, Course in Japanese Language and Literature
• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Language and Culture, Course in English Language ,Literature and Education
• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Language and Culture, Course in International Culture
• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Contemporary Society, Course in Information Communication
• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Contemporary Society, Course in Clinical Sociology
• Graduate School of Studies in Human Culture | Studies in Contemporary Society, Course in Clinical Sociology