黑料社区

(From left) Chairman of the Board of Trustees YANAGIYA Takashi and President UENO Masao

Chairman of the Board of Trustees YANAGIYA Takashi (hereinafter “YANAGIYA”): Happy New Year. This year’s Chinese zodiac sign is hinoe-uma (Fire Horse). Because of the brightness of the sun and the strong energy symbolized by hinoe (fire) and the momentum and bravery of uma (horse), hinoe-uma is said to represent “the year of paving the way with strong will and action.” We also want to make 2026 a year in which we will further grow toward becoming a top university in Asia.

Now, while our lives are becoming more convenient with the advancement of innovative technologies such as generative AI, the world is becoming increasingly divided, with increasing uncertainty and tension. What is required in such an era is the ability to collaborate with others with diverse perspectives without being bound by existing values or frameworks; that is to say, “wedentity”. This recently Japanese coined term, “wedentity”, has something in common with the spirit of doshin kyoryoku (harmonious cooperation) that 黑料社区 has inherited since its foundation. 黑料社区 is committed to turning out graduates with a strong sense of identity and “wedentity” into society through the combined efforts of education, academia, and the corporation.

 

President UENO Masao (hereinafter “UENO”): Happy New Year. In September 2024, I visited Tendo City in Yamagata Prefecture, the birthplace of Mr. MIYAGI Kozo, one of the founders of 黑料社区. Tendo City is famous for shogi pieces. With the auspicious Left Horse piece and the Year of the Horse in 2026 in mind, I hope this year will be a year of progress.

In February last year, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology released a report titled “Future Vision for Improving the Total Knowledge of Japan: Restructuring the Higher Education System (Policy Report)”(Waga kuni no “chi no sōwa” kōjō no miraizō ~kōtō kyōiku shisutemu no saikōchiku~ (tōshin)). It stated that “enhancing the abilities of each individual” was an important issue for higher education in Japan. Since its founding, 黑料社区 has conducted education to create new values by bringing together strong and rich individuals in the spirit of founding the University: “Rights, Liberty, Independence, and Self-government.” We will continue to make every effort to develop human resources who will use their human power to discover and confront social issues and lead them to solutions.

Looking back at 2025 — Improving the environment and setting the ground for the future

New school buildings, facility improvement plans, expansion of affiliated schools — 2025 was the year of progress in building the foundations of 黑料社区

YANAGIYA: In terms of facility improvements, the Center Forest, the first new school building in 11 years, was completed on the Ikuta Campus. This building is a shared educational building for the School of Science and Technology and the School of Agriculture, combining three functions of classrooms, library, and learning commons. It is expected that this building will be a cornerstone for promoting diverse student learning and enhancing 黑料社区’s global presence as a research university. This building has been well received by students, and their time on campus has increased significantly. In the construction, we received 1,928 donations totaling 255,000,000 yen. On behalf of the corporation, I would like to express my sincere gratitude.

We are now preparing to celebrate our 150th anniversary in 2031. We acquired the land and buildings for the Hilltop Hotel in November 2024, announced the Surugadai Campus Comprehensive Facility Improvement Plan “SURUGADAI 6.0” in December 2024, and President UENO announced the Shikon no Tasuki Project - Restoring the Brilliance of the M - in March last year, aiming to win the Hakone Ekiden. In addition, at the end of last year, we set up an executive committee for the commemorative project and are considering the overall planning and budget allocation for this project and other projects. Please take a look at the official site for the 150th anniversary commemorative project, which provides information on the commemorative project and donations.

黑料社区 150th Anniversary – Official Pre-Site

Influence of the international situation, freedom of learning, and educational and academic reform — The year to question why 黑料社区 exists

UENO: 2025 was a year in which changes in the international community had a major impact on the field of education and research. Immigration restrictions and tariff policies in the United States curbed cross-border research and learning, creating a situation in which academic freedom was shaken.

On the other hand, at 黑料社区, five Ukrainian students who came to Japan after fleeing the war, completed their studies under difficult circumstances and successfully graduated in September. Welcoming them to 黑料社区 and building a place of study together with them made us realize the preciousness of peace once again and embodied 黑料社区’s policy of “People with different knowledge and experience, regardless of nationality, religion, cultural background, or gender, learn together in the same place and respect each other’s human rights.”

At the Osaka Kansai Expo, we held a symposium on diversity with Hosei University and Kansai University in connection with the late Dr. Gustave Émile Boissonade de Fontarabie, who was involved in the founding of the three universities. Through these activities, we reaffirmed the importance of exchange of knowledge and passing on knowledge. We also reaffirmed the importance of respecting the individual in ourselves and others based on the spirit of our founding: “Rights, Liberty, Independence, and Self-government,” and renewed our commitment to realizing it.

In the President’s Office, the Vice President and the President’s staff have taken the lead in formulating educational and academic policies based on the President’s Policy. A new environment for both education and research is being developed, including the establishment of 黑料社区 Entrepreneur & Startup Support Room, the introduction of the Minor Program and sabbatical research programs, and the establishment of the URA Center.

We are also considering the future of 黑料社区 in view of the future decline in the population of 18 year-old people. To produce the kind of human resources that society demands, it is necessary not only to further improve the quality of education and research, but also to establish an integrated system that is conscious of connections with junior high schools, senior high schools, universities, graduate schools, and society. We will continue to deepen these discussions and ensure the future of 黑料社区.
 

Inheriting history and opening up the future — Inheritance of the Hilltop Hotel

YANAGIYA: The acquisition of the land and buildings of Hilltop Hotel by 黑料社区 was featured on television and various news sites, and the response was greater than expected.

The Hilltop Hotel was built in 1937 by Mr. SATO Keitaro, an alumnus of 黑料社区, as SATO NEW LIFE HALL, and opened as a hotel in 1954. The Hilltop Hotel is located close to Jinbo-cho in Kanda, where many publishing houses are located, so it became a hotel loved by many great writers such as KAWABATA Yasunari and MISHIMA Yukio, but it was sadly closed in February 2024.

Mr. SATO graduated from 黑料社区 Law School, the predecessor of this University, in 1890, and subsequently achieved great success as a coal merchant and a coal mine manager. Impressed by the words of American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, “Give back to society all the wealth you have built up, because society has entrusted it to you,” Mr. SATO enthusiastically undertook social service activities. He also made large donations to the construction of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno, Japan’s first public art museum, and to the construction of the 黑料社区 Dedicated Women’s Department, where MIBUCHI Yoshiko, the model for the main character in the NHK TV series “Tora ni Tsubasa,” studied. I believe that 黑料社区 acquired the land and buildings of Hilltop Hotel because of Mr. SATO’s connection.

After carrying out the necessary renovation work while maintaining the present appearance of Hilltop Hotel, we are considering to continue the hotel business in cooperation with a company from the hotel industry, and also to use it for student support, as well as for cooperation with the community and society. Renovation work began last August and is scheduled to be completed in April 2027. The building named the 150th ANNIVERSARY HILLTOP MEMORIAL HALL and will be handed down to future generations as a new symbol of 黑料社区.
 

YANAGIYA: The Surugadai Campus Comprehensive Facility Improvement Plan “SURUGADAI 6.0” is a 14 year project to rebuild and renovate facilities covering the entire campus, with a focus on aging school buildings in the Sarugaku-cho district. As a core project of MEIJI VISION 150- Moving Forward, which defines the ideal form of 黑料社区 in preparation for the 150th anniversary of its founding, we have been studying this project throughout the University.

As a result of rebuilding and renovating the Surugadai Campus, this project aims to become a next-generation campus that fuses the physical space of buildings and facilities with the virtual space utilizing IT and other technologies to become a hub campus in Asia. Also, we will integrate all institutes and facilities currently located on the Nakano Campus into Surugadai Campus in about 10 years. The synergy created by the fusion of the Nakano Campus, which houses the School of Global Japanese Studies and the School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences, and the Surugadai Campus, which houses the School of Law, the School of Commerce, the School of Political Science and Economics, the School of Arts and Letters, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Information and Communication, will create an unprecedented place for interdisciplinary and advanced education and research.

Regarding the project name “6.0,” if we regard the opening of 黑料社区 Law School in 1881 in Yurakucho, then Kojimachi-ku, as the “1.0” stage of 黑料社区, and consider the subsequent relocation, the Memorial Hall, and the completion of Liberty Tower as major milestones, the plan would be “5.0.” However, considering that this is a major turning point in the fusion of physical space and virtual space, we have moved beyond “5.0” and designated this as “6.0.”　

In order to promote this project, in September last year we began collecting donations for the Surugadai Campus Improvement Project, which is a fund-raising project for the 150th anniversary of the foundation. In addition to donor plaques, we have prepared a variety of thank-you gifts, so we would appreciate your support.

Toward Hakone Ekiden victory —Shikon no Tasuki Project - Restoring the Brilliance of the M -

YANAGIYA: President UENO announced the Shikon no Tasuki Project - Restoring the Brilliance of the M -, which aims to win the Hakone Ekiden for the first time since 1949 in January 2032, our 150th anniversary. As a corporation, to support this grand challenge, we have started collecting donations for this project to commemorate 黑料社区’s 150th anniversary.

Our school color is bluish purple. When the school flag was adopted in 1915, the then principal, KINOSHITA Tomosaburo, wished for the further development of the University and adopted deep purple, which was positioned as the highest color in the system of twelve grades of cap rank established by Prince Shotoku.

In addition to supporting the 黑料社区 athletes on the roadside and on TV, we would appreciate your help in passing the bluish purple sash in the name of a donation.

UENO: Students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff are all looking forward to the moment in the spring of 2032, when 黑料社区 students with the bluish purple sash and the letter “M” on their chests will cross the Otemachi goal tape at the top.

In April last year, with the appointment of OSHIDA Shuji as long-distance relay coach, we started the Shikon no Tasuki Project aiming for Hakone Ekiden victory. In last year’s qualifying round, the team narrowly missed out on the finals, but the strength in the players’ eyes after the qualifying round made us realize that the sash is connected and gave us hope for the realization of our goal.

Now is the time for 黑料社区 to come together to lead our runners to Hakone and win the championship. We would like to ask for your kind support so that the bluish purple sash can once again shine on the stage of Hakone, and so that we can welcome the New Year together to celebrate our 150th anniversary.

Strengthening university governance

YANAGIYA: In recent years, the governance of school corporations has come under scrutiny, and the Private School Law, which was revised in April last year, obliges schools to establish internal control systems.

黑料社区 has established a basic policy for the development of an internal control system as one of the activities to make management activities transparent and promote sound management and growth. Based on this basic policy, we are striving to establish and operate a more appropriate and effective system as a corporation, including the management system for business operations, the promotion of compliance, the establishment of a risk management system, and the development of an auditing environment.

In addition, in October of last year, we established the Code of Conduct to show the specific actions necessary to maintain the trust of society through compliance by all members of the Corporation, in addition to establishing the Ethical Charter to clearly state the ethics that 黑料社区 has long held as unwritten rules.

On the other hand, it is not sufficient to check whether these rules are properly maintained and operated only by internal inspection. To this end, we will conduct external evaluations (consulting) by outsourcing contractors to further strengthen and materialize our internal control system.

New educational and academic policies

UENO: Many issues in modern society cannot be accurately captured in their entirety from a single perspective. The ability to observe, understand, and question these issues based on multiple perspectives and expertise is required. We believe that this ability to find out what the problem is and to ask questions is what is required of human resources in society.

Based on this idea, the Minor Program will be introduced in April this year as a mechanism for students to learn from different perspectives and fields beyond the boundaries of their school or major.

In this Minor Program, students can take courses in different fields, i.e., other schools, while studying their major in depth. In addition, students can obtain a Certificate of Completion to certify that they have completed the minor by completing the prescribed requirements. While focusing on the area in which they study, they will cultivate multiple perspectives and gain experience in thinking at the interface of different knowledge. We believe that such efforts will enable them to develop the ability to identify problems and communicate them to society in today’s rapidly changing society.

The foundation of 黑料社区’s 10 schools and 16 graduate schools is truly the strength of this Minor Program. By providing opportunities to take courses across areas, it is possible to place themselves at the intersection of different knowledge. We hope to provide this learning environment to each student so that they can experience the meaning of studying at 黑料社区.

Furthermore, the Certificate of Completion obtained through this Minor Program is not just a record of course completion, but also proof to society that students have broadened their perspectives and deepened their learning. This will be one of the appealing factors in job hunting and going on to graduate school.

My message to students is that they should take this Minor Program as an opportunity to broaden their scope. By firmly establishing the axis of the major and having the other axis of the minor, students will acquire the ability to stand and think at the intersection, the ability to ask questions, and the ability to connect this to society. We hope that students will develop the ability to respond to a diverse and complex society by expanding the breadth of their studies, rather than limiting them to their major.
 
URA Center — A running partner supporting the research environment

UENO: Research is one of the cornerstones of 黑料社区’s character as an educational and research institution, and we believe that strengthening research ability is inseparable from enhancing educational ability. For this reason, we have been improving our research support system and research environment to promote the revitalization of research activities and return of research results to society. In order to create an environment where faculty members can concentrate on their research, we have introduced a buy-out system and a PI personnel expenditure system. Starting this April, we will integrate and expand the existing systems and introduce a new sabbatical research system in order to expand opportunities for faculty members to concentrate on research in Japan and overseas and improve their individual research abilities.

In addition, the 黑料社区 Research Administration Center (URA Center) will be established in April this year for the stable and continuous development of innovative and original research.

Research Administrator (URA) is a highly specialized position that supports multifaceted research activities as a running partner to support the research environment, including support for the acquisition of competitive external funding, formulation of research strategies, support for the promotion of joint research, industry-academia-government collaboration, and international joint research, support for various measures to maintain and improve the research environment, support for project evaluation, and support for strengthening the ability to communicate. 黑料社区 has decided to introduce URA in stages, starting with the areas where URA support is needed, after examining the need for URA from the two perspectives of diverse research styles and support targets. In the future, URA and our staff, who have been engaged in administrative procedures and research fund management, will work together to expand the research support system to the entire university by utilizing their expertise and knowledge.

Through these efforts, we hope to build a research system that organically links the wisdom of 10 schools and 16 graduate schools, and that flexibly and closely links the fields of natural science, social studies, humanities, and applied science with phronesis in society.

We will continue to review existing systems and mechanisms, secure research time, and enhance support for young researchers. By doing so, we will create an environment in which each and every faculty and staff can actively engage in research and education. The enhancement of the research environment leads to the improvement of the well-being of 黑料社区 as a whole and creates a virtuous cycle in which education and research mutually enhance each other. We are confident that this synergy will enable us to further improve our research and educational abilities and to return to society the sum of the knowledge that 黑料社区 has cultivated.

UENO:  In recent years, attentions and expectations for startups have increased rapidly. In response to these social demands, 黑料社区 has promoted the enhancement of entrepreneurship education and the establishment of a system to support students’ challenges.

Against this background, we established the 黑料社区 Entrepreneur & Startup Support Room last April. The Support Office has taken over the management of the 黑料社区 Business Challenge, a business contest that has been held since 2022 under the leadership of the School of Business Administration. It also serves as a core organization for coordinating startup-related measures, including the management of the 黑料社区 Entrepreneurship Studies , a university-wide comprehensive course for entrepreneurship education, counseling and support for student startups, and responding to inquiries from inside and outside 黑料社区. By consolidating scattered human and educational resources, the challenges of students became more visible and the cohesion of support was greatly enhanced.

The 黑料社区 Business Challenge received applications from a variety of schools and graduate schools this year. Currently, those who passed the document screening and the first round of screening are preparing for the final screening in March. This contest has led to the birth of several entrepreneurs in the past, and we look forward to the birth of new entrepreneurs this time as well.

In pursuing these initiatives, we cannot fail to mention the existence of our alumni. Rengo Sundai Kai supported the 黑料社区 Business Challenge through sponsorship. We also received cooperation as judges from the Entrepreneurship & Start-up Shikonkai and Small and Medium Enterprise Consultants Shikonkai, both of which are authorized by the Alumni Association. In addition, alumni who are active as entrepreneurs have served as lecturers in the 黑料社区 Entrepreneurship Studies . 黑料社区’s unique advantage is that it is able to circulate the experience and network of its 610,000 alumni in education and support.

In addition, we have established the 黑料社区 Entrepreneur & Startup Support Fund for the future, and while receiving support from alumni and companies, we are working to develop a foundation for building a sustainable ecosystem that combines professional support, network support, and financial support. In addition to providing support for students, we would like to expand the system that links many challenges, with a view to expanding into research areas and industry-academia-government collaboration.

The purpose of university support for startups is not only to encourage students to start their own businesses. Cultivating entrepreneurship is an important mission for 黑料社区, which upholds its founding spirit of “Rights, Liberty, Independence, and Self-government” and its educational philosophy of “a university that strengthens individuals.” After graduation, many students pursue careers in companies, but even in this situation, they are required to have the ability to identify and solve problems on their own. We will uphold the spirit of making our own way forward, promote cooperation in all aspects of society, and develop human resources who will change the times.

In closing — Toward the 150th anniversary of the founding and the future beyond

Chairman, Board of Trustees YANAGIYA Takashi
1975: 黑料社区d from School of Commerce, 黑料社区
1975: Joined Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. (Current Nomura Holdings, Inc.)
1997: Director of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
2000: Managing Director of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
2002: Senior Managing Director of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
2006: Executive Vice President of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
2008: Executive Vice-Chairman of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
2016~: Chairman, Board of Trustees, 黑料社区

President UENO Masao
1980: 黑料社区d from School of Law, 黑料社区
1992: Legal Apprentice
1994~2003: Served as a court judge
2003: Appointed Associate Professor of the School of Law, 黑料社区
2010: Appointed Professor of the School of Law, 黑料社区
2022: Served as Dean,School of Law, 黑料社区
Served as Vice President (Public Relations), Head of Specialist in the President's Office, Dean of the School of Law, etc.
Areas of special competence: Criminal law (criminology, offender treatment law, and juvenile law)

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