History of the Faculty of Letters

In January 1890, when Keio Gijuku established its first colleges, the Department of Literature was founded alongside the Departments of Political Economy and Law. In its early years, as with the other departments, it began under a structure led by foreign instructors.

This is a photograph of the first graduating class of the Department of Literature in 1892. At the center are W.S. Liscomb, Head of the Department of Literature, and his wife. Teiichi Kawai, who later became the first Dean of the Faculty of Letters, is seated second from the left in the front row.

The department adopts a three-major structure of literature, philosophy, and history to further enhance its specialization. Distinguished figures such as Kafu Nagai, Kaoru Osanai, Shukotsu Togawa, and Toyotaka Komiya join the academic faculty.

With the support of Ogai Mori and Bin Ueda, who served as advisors to the Department of Literature, the literary journal Mita Bungaku was inaugurated with Nagai Kafu as editor-in-chief. Over the years it has nurtured many outstanding writers and thinkers, not limited to Keio alumni. Despite several publication hiatuses, it continues to be published today.

Mita Bungaku

A new library is built as part of the projects commemorating the school’s 50th anniversary. The Neo-Gothic building was designed by Tatsuzo Sone and Seiichiro Chujo, and it remains a beloved symbol of Keio. This photograph shows the illumination on the night of the opening ceremony.

Illumination on the night of the opening ceremony

Keio University was founded with four faculties in accordance with the University Establishment Ordinance, and with it, the Department of Letters became the Faculty of Letters, formed from eight majors across three departments: Literature, Philosophy, and History.

Shigaku was first published as the official journal of the Mita Historical Society, believed to have been formed around 1910, and it continues to be published today.

Tetsugaku was first published as the official journal of the Mita Philosophy Society, established in 1910, and continues to serve as a forum for research presentations in philosophy and human relations.

Tetsugaku

A total of 15 majors were established to deepen research within each field and to broaden the range of elective choices available to students.

The 15 majors were consolidated into three larger departments, forming what is considered the foundation of today’s seventeen-major structure.

The Department of Library Science began with classes conducted in English by Robert Gitler, then Dean of the Department of Library Science at the University of Washington, along with other instructors dispatched from the United States, to support the postwar revitalization of libraries and librarian training in Japan. Externally, it was known as the Japan Library School.

Robert Gitler and other instructors dispatched from the United States

The Graduate School of Letters and the Graduate School of Human Relations were established as part of the new postwar graduate school system, creating a framework for more advanced and specialized research.

Geibun Kenkyu, the official journal of the Keio Society of Arts and Letters was established after World War II to promote research in literature, language, and the arts, and it continues to provide a forum for the presentation of scholarly work.

Geibun Kenkyu

The majors in Sociology, Psychology, and Education were separated from the Department of Philosophy and established as a new department.

Geibun Kenkyu

The new Major in Archaeology and Ethnology was established, carrying forward the tradition of the Archaeology and Ethnology Section founded within the Department of History in 1914.

The Major in Human Relations was established as the seventeenth major, with the aim of fostering an interdisciplinary understanding of the human condition.

The Department of Sociology, Psychology and Education was renamed the Department of Sociology, Psychology, Education, and Human Sciences. With this change, the five-department, seventeen-major structure was established.

A commemorative ceremony, symposium, and exhibitions such as “Mita’s Literati” and “Masterpieces from the Keio Collection” were held among other events to mark the occasion.

Mita’s Literati

The Faculty of Letters launched its own admissions examination, targeting current high school students who had maintained a specified level of academic performance and designated the Faculty of Letters as their first-choice program. The selection process evaluates candidates holistically, rather than relying solely on academic achievement.

The Faculty of Letters implemented a reform establishing a one-department, seventeen-major structure in response to an era in which the scope of academic research expanded and collaboration across departments and majors became indispensable.

Originally established in 1969, the Komonjoshitsu (Historical Documents Room), was formally positioned within the organizational structure of Keio under the Faculty of Letters.

A range of events were held to mark the Faculty of Letters’ history as the oldest among Japan’s private universities, including a commemorative ceremony, a lecture by Kazuo Ishiguro, the publication of a commemorative volume, and an exhibition.

Commemorative publication