Sophia University ( Japanese: 上智大学, ''Jōchi Daigaku'';

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Universitas Sedis Sapientiae'') is a private

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Founded in 1913 by the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

, it was granted university status in 1928, becoming the first

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

university in Japan. Sophia University has 12,080 undergraduate students and 1,357 postgraduate students. The university has 9 undergraduate faculties and 10 graduate schools, with over 13,900 students in total. Sophia University is a highly globalised university with international students from 77 countries and exchange agreements with 400 universities in 81 countries. The university attracts many students from across Japan and abroad. As of 2022, foreign students constituted approximately 9% of the student body. Sophia's alumni are commonly referred to as "Sophians", among whom include the 79th

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

Morihiro Hosokawa is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1993 to 1994. He led an eight-party coalition government which was the first Japanese government not headed by a Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Libera ...

, several politicians represented in the Japanese National Diet, several foreign statesmen including,

Carlos Holmes Trujillo Carlos Holmes Trujillo García (23 September 1951 – 26 January 2021) was a Colombian dynasty politician, diplomat, scholar, and attorney who served as minister of defense, foreign affairs, interior, and education. He also served as the mayor ...

Mukhriz Mahathir Mukhriz bin Mahathir (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: مخرج بن محاضر; born 25 November 1964) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian politician and businessman who served as the 11th and 13th Menteri Besar of Kedah from May 2013 to February 2016 and a ...

, Li Linsi, and a number of actors and musicians in the Japanese film and

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

industries.

Origins of the university name

The name of the university is traced to letters of correspondence between two of the three founders of what would become Sophia University, Fr. James Rockliff, SJ and Fr. Hermann Hoffmann, SJ. The Japanese term 上智 ("higher wisdom" or "supreme wisdom", ''Jōchi'') was the equivalent of the Latin word ''sapientia,'' which means wisdom. According to Catholic Church tradition, the term ''sapientia'' refers to one of the Church's devotional titles for the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

, "the

Seat of Wisdom Seat of Wisdom or Throne of Wisdom (Latin: ''sedes sapientiae'') is one of many titles of Mary, devotional titles for Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary in Roman Catholic tradition. In Seat of Wisdom icons and sculptures, Mary is seated on a throne wit ...

". When Joseph Eylenbosch, SJ began teaching

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

at the university in April 1924, he thought that the Japanese term ''jōchi'' was the equivalent of the Greek term σοφία (''sofia''). Afterwards, the students had proposed that the school be known as Sophia University. Fr. Hoffmann, SJ, who was serving as

University President A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth na ...

at that time, initially opposed the proposal. However, he soon accepted the idea and submitted the proposal to Rome for the approval. The English-language, peer-reviewed

academic journal An academic journal (or scholarly journal or scientific journal) is a periodical publication in which Scholarly method, scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. They serve as permanent and transparent forums for the ...

Monumenta Nipponica ''Monumenta Nipponica'' is a semi-annual academic journal of Japanese studies. Published by Sophia University (Tokyo), it is one of the oldest English-language academic journals in the field of Asian studies, being founded in 1938. Although the jo ...

'', which was first published in 1938, identified itself as being published by Sophia University. The use of Sophia as the university name then became firmly established in Japan and overseas.

History

Early history

The origins of Sophia University could be traced to 1549 when

Saint Francis Xavier Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; ; ; ; ; ; 7 April 15063 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative o ...

, a prominent member and co-founder of the Society of Jesus, arrived in Japan to spread Christianity. In his letters to his fellow Jesuits, he had expressed hopes of establishing a university in Japan. During the so-called Kirishitan period of Japanese history, the Catholic Church had been responsible for establishing and administering educational institutions in Japan called ''Collegios'' and ''Seminarios'', serving as bridges between the

East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

and

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. The establishment of the university only began to take place more than 400 years from St. Francis Xavier's arrival in Japan. In 1903, three Jesuit priests from Europe came to Japan to continue the missionary work of the Church and to help establish Sophia University. One of the founders, Fr. Joseph Dahlmann, SJ from Germany, who had come to Japan via India, had listened to the requests of Catholics in the country, who expressed their desires to construct a Catholic university to serve as the cultural and spiritual base of the Church's missionary operations in Japan. Dahlmann heeded the requests and sent a proposal to the then-

Bishop of Rome The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

, at the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

in Rome. In 1905, Dahlmann was granted a private audience with the Pope, who promised to assign the Society of Jesus to create and administer a Catholic university in Japan. In Dahlmann's

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autob ...

s regarding the encounter with Pius, he recounted that he spoke as follows: "''Habebitis collegium in Japonica, magnam universitatem'' (in English: "You (plural) will have in Japan a college that is a great university".). On that same year, the then-Bishop of

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

in the United States, William H. O'Connell, was appointed by the Pope to serve as a special ambassador of the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

Emperor Meiji , posthumously honored as , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the List of emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ...

in Japan. O'Connell was also tasked to survey the situation in Japan. When he was granted an audience with Emperor Meiji, he had ascertained the education policy directions of the

Japanese Ministry of Education The , also known as MEXT, is one of the eleven ministries of Japan that compose part of the executive branch of the government of Japan. History The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871. In January 2001, the former ...

, and reported to officials at the Holy See regarding the possible establishment of a Catholic university in Japan. At the 25th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus in held in Rome in September 1906, Pius X issued a formal written statement to the Jesuits to establish a Catholic university in Japan. Thus, the delegates at the Congregation voted unanimously in favour of the Pope's commands, and the first concrete steps were taken to prepare a university institution in the East.

Founding

Sophia University was founded by

s in 1913. It opened with departments of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Literature, Philosophy and Commerce, headed by its founder Fr. Hermann Hoffmann, SJ (1864–1937) as its first official president. In 1932, a small group of Sophia University students refused to salute the war dead at

Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Empire of Japan, Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, First Sino-Japane ...

in the presence of a Japanese military attache, saying it violated their

religious beliefs A belief is a subjective attitude that something is true or a state of affairs is the case. A subjective attitude is a mental state of having some stance, take, or opinion about something. In epistemology, philosophers use the term "belief" to ...

. The military attache was withdrawn from Sophia as a result of this incident, damaging the university's reputation in the eyes of the government of the

Japanese Empire The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From 1910 to ...

. The Archbishop of Tokyo intervened in the standoff by permitting Catholic students to salute the war dead, after which many Sophia students, as well as Hermann Hoffmann himself, participated in rites at Yasukuni. The

Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP; ) was a congregation (Roman Curia), congregation of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church in Rome, responsible for Catholic missions, missionary work and related activities. It is also kn ...

later issued the ''Pluries Instanterque'' in 1936, which encouraged

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

to attend

Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

s as a

patriotic Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...

gesture; the Vatican re-issued this document after the war in 1951. Hermann Heuvers served as the university's second president from 1937 until 1941.

Post-war growth

Sophia University continued to grow as it increased the number of academic departments, faculty members and students, in addition to advancing its international focus by establishing an exchange program. Many of its students studied at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

in the United States as early as 1935. Sophia's junior college was established in 1973, followed by the opening of Sophia Community College in 1976.

21st century

With the founding of the Faculty of Liberal Arts in 2006, Sophia University presently holds 27 departments in its eight faculties. Its current president is Yoshiaki Terumichi. Toshiaki Koso serves as head of its board of directors. Since 2008, the Global Leadership Program was started for students from four

universities in

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

: Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines,

Fu Jen Catholic University Fu Jen Catholic University (FJU, FJCU or Fu Jen; or ) is a private education, private Catholic university in Xinzhuang District, Xinzhuang, New Taipei City, Taiwan. The university was founded in 1925 in Beijing at the request of Pope Pius XI and ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, Sogang University in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, and Sophia University in Japan. In 2016 the university reached out to the four Jesuit junior-senior high schools in Japan, joining them in the Sophia College Corporation to help them pass on the Jesuit charism to their lay faculty through workshops and other assistance. These schools are Sophia-Fukuoka, Eiko Gakuen, Hiroshima Gakuin, and Rokko School. In 2019,

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

visited Sophia University as a part of his 2019 pastoral tour. This was the first time in 38 years that a pope visited Sophia University.

Campuses

Sophia's main campus at

Yotsuya is an area in Shinjuku, Tokyo, that previously was a ward (四谷区 ''Yotsuya-ku'') in the now-defunct Tokyo City. In 1947, when the 35 wards of Tokyo were reorganized into 23, it was merged with Ushigome ward of Tokyo City and Yodobashi ...

is urban, consisting of roughly 25 large, modern buildings in the center of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. The majority of Sophia's 10,000 undergraduate students spend nearly all their time here. The faculties of Theology, Humanities, Law, Foreign Studies, Economics, Liberal Arts, and Science and Technology have their home here, as do the main library, cafeteria, gymnasium, chapel, bookstore, and offices. In April 2006, the Faculty of Comparative Culture, which had been located at the smaller

Ichigaya is an area in the eastern portion of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Places in Ichigaya *Hosei University Ichigaya Campus *Chuo University Graduate School *Ministry of Defense (Japan), Ministry of Defense headquarters: Formerly Headqua ...

campus, moved to the main Yotsuya campus and changed its name to the Faculty of Liberal Arts. Nearly all of Sophia's foreign exchange and most of international students study at the FLA. Students of Department of Nursing, Faculty of Human Sciences, starting from their second year, and students of the Course of Midwifery, commute to Mejiro Seibo campus at

Shinjuku , officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...

. Mejiro Seibo campus was originally the campus of Seibo College, before it merged with Sophia University, and the department has retained connection to the nearby Seibo Hospital. The Tokyo office of the Council on International Educational Exchange, the student exchange organisation, which oversees roughly half of the international students, is also based on the main Yotsuya Campus. The Shakujii (

) campus housed the Faculty of Theology. The Hadano campus in

Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

is home to the Sophia Junior College, as well as a number of seminar halls and athletics complexes.

List of campuses

* Yotsuya Campus ( Chiyoda Ward,

) * Mejiro Seibo Campus ( Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) * Shakuji Campus ( Nerima Ward, Tokyo) * Hadano Campus ( Hadano City,

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

) * Osaka Satellite Campus ( Osaka City,

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

)

International cooperation

Sophia University has international partnership agreements with 396 institutions in 81 countries. Some of Sophia's partner universities include

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...

, Sogang University, and

LMU Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke ...

. It also maintains nine overseas bases serving as liaisons between the Sophia School Corporation and overseas localities. *

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

Office (ルクセンブルクオフィス) *

ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...

Hub Centre in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

(ASEANハブセンター) *

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Liaison Offices in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

and

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

(中国連絡処) *

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

Office (ケルンオフィス) *

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Office (ロスアンゼルスオフィス) *

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Office (ニューヨークオフィス)

Sophia School Corporation

Established in 1911, the Sophia School Corporation (学校法人上智学院, ''Gakko Hojin Jochi Gakuin'') is a public interest corporation established under the Private School Act (Act no. 270 of 1945) for the purpose of establishing a private school. The Sophia School Corporation serves as the operator of Sophia University and other Jesuit-affiliated schools in Japan, managing a total of seven schools. It was established in 1951.

Academics

The university has nine undergraduate faculties with 29 departments as well as 10 graduate schools with 25 programmes. With over 14,021 students as of 2017, the university provides academic opportunities for students from Japan and overseas to study in Japan. Sophia also possesses a wide-variety of English-taught academic programmes such as those provided by the Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA). English programmes are also provided by the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) through two programmes and the Green Science Program, provided by the Department of Materials and Life Sciences, and the Green Engineering Program, provided by the Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Sophia University Yotsuya Campus3

Undergraduate faculties and departments

* Faculty of Theology * Faculty of Humanities * Faculty of Human Science * Faculty of Law * Faculty of Economics * Faculty of Foreign Studies * Faculty of Global Studies * Faculty of Liberal Arts * Faculty of Science and Engineering

Academic programmes taught in English

In addition to most courses of study taught almost entirely in Japanese, Sophia has a variety of academic programmes and courses taught in English. The Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA), the Green Science and Engineering courses in the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), and the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF).

= Courses taught in the Faculty of Liberal Arts

= * International Business and Economics (IBE) * Comparative Culture * Social Studies

= English courses taught in the Faculty of Science and Technology

= * Green Science programme (offered by the Department of Materials and Life Sciences) * Green Engineering programme (offered by the Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences)

= Courses taught in the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures

= Graduate schools and programmes

= * Graduate School of Science and Technology * Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies * Graduate School of Economics * Graduate School of Human Sciences * Graduate School of Law * Graduate School of Theology * Graduate School of Applied Religious Studies * Graduate School of Humanities * Graduate School of Global Studies * Graduate School of Languages and Linguistics

University academic research

Sophia University is a comprehensive research university with 9 undergraduate faculties with 10 graduate schools located on a single campus in Chiyoda, Tokyo. As a research institution, the university established the Sophia Research Organisation (SRO) in April 2005 in order to promote and facilitate interdisciplinary and organisational research activities. The SRO possesses two research divisions: the Research Institutes Division and the Project Research Division. The university also has affiliated Research Organisations. Simultaneously, Sophia's Centre for Research Promotion and Support provides additional support to general research activities and strengthens the a three-way collaboration initiative among industries, government, and academia. The Intellectual Property Rights Committee, established in 2005, ensures smooth collaborative support among the three individual groups and examines the inventions and intellectual properties of the researchers affiliated with Sophia University. To assist with academic research and learning, Sophia currently has a total of 3 libraries and an affiliated library, possessing in total more than 1.15 million books and 12,570 journal titles.

Sophia University libraries

* Sophia University Central Library (上智大学中央図書館) * Law School Library (法科大学院図書室) * Mejiro Seibo Campus Library (目白聖母キャンパス図書室)

Affiliated library

* Kirishitan Bunko Library (キリシタン文庫)

Student life

School festival

The name of the school festival is and is held every year between October 31 and November 3. "Sophians Contest", where contestants are chosen for both appearance and spreading social awareness, and other events are held. In addition, volunteers from school clubs and departments make and sell curry rice,

naan Naan () is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread, that can also be baked in a tandoor. It is characterized by a light and fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from the baking process. Naan is found in the cuisines of Central Asia ...

, and other snacks, and famous individuals are invited to the campus to hold lectures.

Cultural activities

Many clubs are active under Cultural/Academic Alliance, Music Activities Committee, Theatrical Activities Committee, and Hobby Club Alliance. Those include 19 cultural clubs, 10 musical clubs, and 8 theatrical clubs. In addition, there are many unorganized groups, including Catholic organizations, such as Catholic Student Association, SAfro FAmily, Sophia Choir, etc.

Sports

Sophia University does not have a preferential admission system for high school students with sport track, however, the university supports students with excellent results in individual sports. Sophia University -

Nanzan University is a Private university, private, Catholic and Mixed-sex education, coeducational higher education institution run by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in the Shōwa-ku, Nagoya, Shōwa Ward of Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is consi ...

Inter-University Athletic Tournament or "'" has been held since 1960 to strengthen bonds between Catholic universities, with the participation from all sports clubs. Since 14th Tournament in 1974, it has been treated as a major event in the university. 61st and 62nd Tournaments were cancelled during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, with 63rd being first held in 2022 after the pandemic, with Sophia winning 17-15 against Nanzan. Since 2010, Sophia University and Sogang University have held an athletic and cultural exchange event called Sogang-Sophia Festival of Exchange (SOFEX). Around 40 clubs are organized under the Sophia University Athletic Association. Those include: * The Golden Eagles, an American football club, which was founded in 1969, and is currently a member of the Kantoh Collegiate Football Association, Division 2, Block B. They generally practice in the Sanadabori field, but during the rainy days they practice on the other premises or run around the Akasaka Palace. They are exclusively cheered by the Lollipoppers cheerleading team, which is not affiliated with the Athletic Association. The Lollipoppers practice outside the campus. * The '' Ōendan'' is composed of a male lead section, a brass section, and "Eagles"

cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense Physical exercise, physical activity. It can be performed to motivate s ...

section. The ''Ōendan'' cheers for all sports clubs except for the Golden Eagles. Cheerleading section exercises in the underground Judo hall or in public facilities outside the campus. * The Karate Club has included three winners in the All Japan Koshiki Karate Tournanment. * The Baseball Club is currently a member of the Tohto University Baseball League Division 3. * The Junko Baseball Club is a member of the Tohto University Junko Baseball League Division 3. * The Women's Baseball Club is a member of the Kanto University Women's Baseball League. * The Tennis Club is a member of the Kanto Inter-collegiate Tennis Fenderation. The Men's section is in Division 4, and Women's section is in Division 5. * The Soccer Club is a member of the Tokyo University Football Association, Division 1. They practice on the Sanadabori field. * The Rugby Club is a member of the Japan East Rugby Football Union, League 1. They practice on the Sanadabori field. * The Men's Basketball Club is a member of the Kanto College Basketball Federation, Division 3.

Sanadabori field

Baseball, Junko Baseball, Women's Baseball, American Football, Ground Hockey, Soccer, Rugby, Lacrosse, and Track and Field Clubs practice on the Sanadabori field adjacent to the Yotsuya campus. However, the field is owned and managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and is open to the public on weekends and holidays, which means Sophian clubs do not have priority use rights.

Student housing and dormitories

Sophia University has student housing options and dormitories scattered throughout Tokyo. Events and various programmes are also organised by students and housing staff for the benefit of the housing community all year round. List of Student Dormitories: * Sophia Soshigaya International House (Male/Female) * Sophia-Arrupe International Residence (Male/Female) * Sophia Edogawa Men's Dormitory (Male) Sophia University has a group of designated and recommended dormitories, which are owned and operated by various private housing companies. List of Designated Dormitories Owned by Private Companies: * Sophia Higashi Nakano Dormitory (Female) (Nakano Ward, Tokyo) * Sophia Kasai International House (Female) ( Edogawa Ward, Tokyo) * Student House Luxlass (Male/Female) (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo)

Academic rankings

There are several rankings below related to Sophia University.

University rankings

Japanese university rankings

According to the Times Higher Education 2021 Japan University Rankings, Sophia University is ranked 18th in the nation. Sophia is the fourth largest liberal arts university in the country.

Global/regional university rankings

According to the 2023 QS World University Rankings, Sophia University is ranked 801–1000. In the 2021 QS rankings, Sophia was 181st in Asia and the 28th in Japan. Its 2021 Times Higher Education Impact Ranking, which assesses universities against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), is 601–800.

Alumni rankings

Alumni of Sophia have good employment prospects in Japanese industries. According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings and the

PRESIDENT President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

's article on 2006/10/16, graduates from Sophia have the eighth best employment rate in 400 major companies, and the average graduate salary is the sixth best in Japan.

Popularity and selectivity

Admission to Sophia is highly selective and competitive. As such it is considered one of the top private universities along with

Keio University , abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally established as a school for Rangaku, Western studies in 1858 in Edo. It was granted university status in 1920, becomi ...

and

Waseda University Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...

. Typical acceptance rate is 34%. Its entrance difficulty is considered one of the toughest along with Waseda and Keio among 730 private universities.

Overseas partner institutions

Sophia University has student and academic exchange agreements with 387 overseas partner universities in 81 countries and regions as of June 2021. List of External University Agreements and Affiliations: * Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASEACCU) * Comprehensive Agreement on Cooperation with Kwansei Gakuin University * Global 5 University Collaboration Agreement (with Waseda University, Akita International University,

International Christian University is a non-denominational private university located in Mitaka, Tokyo. With the efforts of Prince Takamatsu, General Douglas MacArthur, and Bank of Japan, BOJ Governor Hisato Ichimada, ICU was established in 1949 as the first liberal arts coll ...

, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University) * Comprehensive Agreement on Cooperation with International Christian University * Member of the Catholic University Institute for Christian Culture

Notable faculty

* Father Peter Milward, SJ,

emeritus professor ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

* Gregory Clark, former professor of economics; currently a ''

Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

'' contributor *

Kuniko Inoguchi is a Japanese political scientist and politician. She served as Japan's first Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs from 2005 to 2006, and is currently a member of the House of Councillors representing Chiba Prefecture for the ...

, former professor of law, and Permanent Representative of Japan to the

Conference on Disarmament The Conference on Disarmament (CD) is a multilateral disarmament forum established by the international community to negotiate arms control and disarmament agreements based at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Conference meets annually in ...

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

Jun-ichi Nishizawa was a Japanese engineer and inventor. He is known for his electronic inventions since the 1950s, including the PIN diode, static induction transistor, static induction thyristor, SIT/SITh. His inventions contributed to the development of ...

, electronic engineer, inventor and specially-appointed professor; * Sadako Ogata, former professor of political science, and former

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, l ...

; former President of the

Japan International Cooperation Agency The Japan International Cooperation Agency (), also known as JICA'','' is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social gr ...

Notable alumni

Politics

, 79th Prime Minister of Japan * Toshitsugu Saito, 65th and 66th Japanese Defence Minister * Koichiro Genba, former Japanese Foreign Minister * Seiko Noda, former Minister-in-charge of Measures against Declining Birthrate *

, Japan's first Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs *

Denny Tamaki is a Japanese politician who has served as the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture since 2018. Tamaki was a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly for Okinawa City from 2002 to 2005 and became the first Amerasian member of the Japanese Hous ...

, 8th Governor of Okinawa * Takuya Hirai, former Minister for Digital Transformation *

, former Foreign Minister and Defence Minister of

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Rizal Ramli Rizal Ramli (10 December 1954 – 2 January 2024) was an Indonesian politician, economist, and student activist. Ramli served as Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs under President Joko Widodo's Working Cabinet. He also served under P ...

, former Finance Minister of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

* Yukari Sato, economist and LDP Member of the House of Representatives * Shoichi Kondo, DPJ Member of the House of Representatives and former Senior Vice Minister for the Environment * Li Linsi, Chinese diplomat, educator, diplomatic consultant to Chiang Kai-shek *

, 11th

Menteri Besar head of government, Heads of government in Malaysia's many states of Malaysia, states take on various titles. Seven out of nine in the Peninsular Malaysia, Peninsular who each have Monarchies of Malaysia, historical monarchs are known as the Men ...

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...

, 15th

President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...

* Antolin Oreta III, former Mayor of Malabon

Academia

Ruben Habito Rubén L. F. Hábito (born c. 1947) is a Philippine nationality law, Filipino Zen Buddhism, Zen ''rōshi'' of the Sanbō Kyōdan lineage. Biography Hábito started out as a Jesuit priest doing Catholic missions, missionary work in Japan. There ...

, associate professor at

Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...

* Yuya Kiuchi, sport and pop culture scholar at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

* Fidel Nemenzo, mathematician, chancellor of

University of the Philippines Diliman The University of the Philippines Diliman (also called UPD; ), also referred to as UP Diliman, is a State university and college (Philippines), public, coeducational, Research university, research university located in Diliman, Quezon City, Ph ...

* Junko Shigemitsu, theoretical physicist, emerita professor at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

* Kyouichi Tachikawa, historian *

Takayuki Tatsumi is a Japanese scholar. He is a professor at Keio University, where he has taught literary theory and American literature since 1989. As an avid science fiction fan, he authored many books and essays on science fiction. He received Nihon SF Tais ...

, American literature scholar at

* Dominique Turpin, Dean & President of IMD, Switzerland *

Shōichi Watanabe was a Japanese scholar of English and one of Japan's cultural critics. He is known for ultranationalist historical negationism. He was born in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. A graduate of Sophia University, where he obtaine ...

, English scholar

Business

* Hassan Jameel, President and Vice Chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel * Johnny Kitagawa, founder and CEO of Johnny & Associates * Shawn Layden, President & CEO of

Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is an American video game and digital entertainment company that is a major subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. It primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game co ...

America * Peer Schneider, co-founder and SVP/Publisher at

IGN Entertainment ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

*Shuzo Shiota, CEO and president of Polygon Pictures

Media and literature

* Jake Adelstein, journalist, consultant, and author of '' Tokyo Vice'' * Beni Arashiro, singer *Yoshitaka Asama, screenwriter and film director *Benjamin Fulford, investigative journalist * Vernon Grant, first American cartoonist to introduce

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

concepts to English-language readers * Boyé Lafayette De Mente, author on Japanese culture ('54) * Desiree Lim, Malaysian-born Canadian independent film director, producer, and screenwriter * Kōichi Mashimo, anime director, founder of studio Bee Train * Toru Minegishi, video game composer *Ken-ichi Suzuki, songwriter, singer and bassist ( Ningen Isu) *Yuriko Nishiyama,

writer, including '' Harlem Beat'' * Maureen Wartski, author, including ''A Boat to Nowhere'' and ''Yuri's Brush with Magic'' * Robert Whiting, author on Japanese culture, including ''The Chrysanthemum and the Bat'' and ''You Gotta Have Wa'' about Japanese baseball * Yūki Yamato, Japanese screenwriter and director * Tadatoshi Fujimaki, Manga artist and creator of ''Kuroko's Basketball'' * Anna Sawai, New Zealand-born Japanese actress, singer, and dancer *

Sumire Uesaka is a Japanese voice actress and singer associated with Voice Kit. She won the Best Rookie Actress at the 10th Seiyu Awards. She made her singing debut in April 2013 under King Records. Career Uesaka became a regular on the web radio program ' ...

, voice actress and singer

Others

Agnes Chan Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan () is a Hong-Kong-born Japanese singer, television personality, university professor, essayist and novelist. Since 1998, Chan has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and supports the Japan Committee for UNICEF. In Ja ...

, singer and ambassador of the Japan Committee for

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

* Kurara Chibana, Miss Japan 2006 and first Runner-up at

Miss Universe 2006 Miss Universe 2006 was the 55th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, United States on July 23, 2006. At the end of the event, Natalie Glebova of Canada crowned Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico as Miss U ...

* Tina Chow, model and jewellery designer * Bruce Frantzis, Taoist Master, USA * Yū Hayami, actress, singer * Carrie Ann Inaba, American dancer, choreographer, actress, and singer * Hisashi Inoue, author * Maiko Itai, Miss Universe Japan 2010 winner *

Crystal Kay is a Japanese singer, songwriter, actress and radio host. After releasing her first single, "Eternal Memories" (1999), Crystal Kay gained fame for her third studio album, ''Almost Seventeen'' (2002), which debuted at number 2 on the Japanese O ...

, singer * Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, Korean Roman Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Seoul * Peter Shirayanagi, Japanese Roman Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Tokyo *Saori Kumi, author * Alan Merrill, a 1960s Group Sounds pioneer '' gaijin tarento'' and later composer of the classic song " I Love Rock N Roll" *Osamu Mizutani, high school teacher, famous for his book "Yomawari Sensei" and his efforts to redress delinquents * Father Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus *

Hikaru Nishida is a Japanese pop singer and actress. She was born in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and made her singing debut on April 6, 1988 with the release of the single "Fifteen", named after her age at the time. Nishida is affiliated with Manase ...

, actress, Japanese

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

* Judy Ongg, singer/actor *

Zomahoun Idossou Rufin Zomahoun Idossou Rufin (born June 15, 1964), popularly known as Zomahon (ゾマホン), is a Beninese foreign personality (''Tarento#Foreign tarento, gaijin tarento'' and diplomat) in Japan. He is currently the Ambassador of the Republic of Beni ...

, a '' gaijin tarento'', philanthropist and diplomat who has been Benin's Ambassador to Japan and the Philippines * Emyli, singer *

George Takei George Takei ( ; born April20, 1937), born , is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS ''Enterprise'' in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. Takei was born to Japanese-American parents, with w ...

, Japanese-American actor most famous for his role as ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

s Mr. Sulu * Tadashi Yamamoto, Founder of the Japan Center for International Exchange and the Shimoda Conference * Michelle van Eimeren, Miss Universe Australia 1994

References

External links

Sophia University Homepage

Sophia University Old Homepage

Sophia University Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA) Homepage (English only)Sophia University Faculty of Economics Homepage (Japanese and English)Sophia University Graduate School of Global Studies (Japanese and English)Sophia University Faculty/Graduate School of Science and Technology (Japanese and English)
{{Authority control 1913 establishments in Japan Christianity in Tokyo Universities and colleges established in 1913 Jesuit universities and colleges Private universities and colleges in Japan Catholic universities and colleges in Japan Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia Universities and colleges in Tokyo