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Heart of Doshisha - The Vision of Joseph Hardy Neesima

133 years ago, Joseph Hardy Neesima broke new ground in Japanese education and sowed seeds of liberal learning in people’s minds, seeds which have been passed down through the generations. Neesima’s vision formed the basis of Doshisha, and has always been present as Doshisha has evolved.

Joseph Hardy Neesima was born as the son of a samurai in 1843, and he studied hard to become both a good warrior and a good scholar. Gradually gaining awareness of Western culture and Christianity, he had serious concerns about the future of Japan and realized the importance of studying in Western countries. Neesima left Japan for the United States in 1864, defying an overseas travel ban. Filled with anxiety and hope, he had begun his adventure. In Shanghai, he boarded a ship, the Wild Rover, bound for Boston.

Under the benevolent support of A. Hardy, the owner of the Wild Rover, Neesima was baptized and studied at Phillips Academy and Amherst College. As he learned advanced Western science and technology and adapted to American life, he realized that there was a deep-rooted spiritual background of Christianity in the States. He decided to become a minister himself, entering a seminary after graduating from college. His eight years of study at Christian educational institutions in the States taught him the importance of conscience and liberty according to Christian values, which emphasize living according to the will of God and excercising one’s freedom only within the realm of the conscience. Neesima returned to his homeland after ten years with a strong ambition to establish a Christian university as well as to spread Christianity.

Upon returning to Japan, Neesima established Doshisha Eigakko (Academy) in 1875.
He wished not only to nurture individuals with diverse skills and abilities but also to nurture those who would put their conscience into practice, by cultivating a decent character with strong morality and mentality. He believed that a real democratic society could be established by respecting each person’s individuality and that, simultaneously, each person must have conscience and liberty. In his last days, Neesima said, “Those who teach students must treat them respectfully.” His educational policy of respecting each individual student has been maintained at Doshisha over the years.

Neesima died in 1890, at the age of 46, without fulfilling his dream. However, his students and others who shared his ambition passed on his legacy and established Doshisha University in 1912.

In 2005, Doshisha celebrated the 130th anniversary of its founding. As Neesima once said, “Education takes 200 years to complete.” Thus, we have a lot of things left to do, and so we have been implementing ambitious reform programs, such as establishing new faculties and developing an advanced research system. All faculty members and graduates, together with the students, share an aspiration, and a collective effort, to complete the university and fully realize Neesima’s vision.

Doshisha Today

Doshisha Elementary School was opened in April 2006, some 130 years after Doshisha was originally founded in 1875. This opening finally brought to fruition the dream of an integrated educational system “from kindergarten through to university,” a strongly-held ambition of Doshisha’s founder Joseph Hardy Neesima.

Under the founding philosophy of “conscience education” and affirming the educational ideals of “Christian principles,” “liberalism” and “internationalism,” Doshisha’s integrated education system makes use of the characteristics of each school and kindergarten within Doshisha in its steadfast deployment of comprehensive education embracing intellect, morality and physical strength. Our aim is to build each distinctly individual “child” into an “adult” with an independent sprit filled with kindness towards others, and to take responsibility for sending these adults out into the international society of the future.

Now, in the 21st century, we can all join together to realize Doshisha’s 130-year vision.