Waseda University

Waseda University (早稲田大学), abbreviated as Sōdai (早大), is a private university located in seven campuses throughout Japan, with the main campus in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. The university consists of 13 undergraduate schools, 23 graduate schools, as well as various research and affiliated institutes. It is considered one of the most prestigious universities in Japan, being one of the 13 universities in the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Global 30" Project, and consistently ranking amongst the top universities in Japanese university rankings.

Established in 1882 as the Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was renamed Waseda University in 1902. Waseda alumni include seven post-war prime ministers and many corporate leaders. Currently, seven of the Fortune Global 2007's CEOs are Waseda graduates. In particular, the School of Political Science and Economics has a significant influence on Japanese society.

History and development
The university was founded by samurai scholar and Meiji-era politician and former prime minister Ōkuma Shigenobu in 1882, and was designated as a full university in 1902. It started as a college with three departments under the old Japanese system of higher education.

In 1882, the university had the department of political science and economics, law, and physical science. Along with these departments, an English language course was established, where the students of all the departments could learn English.

Three years later, the department of physical science was closed because it had too few applicants. The department of science and engineering was established in 1908.

The department of literature was established in 1890.

The department of education was established in 1903, and the department of commerce, in 1904.

Much of the campus was destroyed in the fire bombings of Tokyo during World War II, but the university was rebuilt and reopened by 1949. It has grown to become a comprehensive university with two senior high schools and school of art and architecture.

Origin of the name
Waseda University started its life as Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō (東京専門学校) on October 21, 1882. Before the name 'Waseda' was selected, it was known variously as Waseda Gakkō (早稲田学校) or Totsuka Gakkō (戸塚学校) after the location of the founder's villa in Waseda Village and the school's location in Totsuka Village respectively.

It was renamed Waseda University (早稲田大学) on September 2, 1902 upon acquiring university status.

Academic cap
Ōkuma had long desired to create an academic cap so distinctive that someone wearing the cap would immediately be identified as a Waseda student. The chief tailor of Takashimaya, Yashichiro, was called upon to design a cap in three days. Each square cap was stamped on the inside with the student's name, his department, the school seal and the legend, "This certifies that the owner is a student of Waseda". Thus, the cap served as a form of identification, and effectively a status symbol. The cap, with its gold-braided badge, is registered as a trademark.

125th Anniversary
On October 21, 2007, Waseda University celebrated its 125th anniversary. Ōkuma often talked about the "125 years of life" theory: "The lifespan of a human being can be as long as 125 years. He will be able to live out his natural lifespan as long as he takes proper care of his health", because "physiologists say that every animal has the ability to live five times as long as its growth period. Since a man is said to require about 25 years to become fully mature, it follows that he can live up to 125 years of age." This theory propounded by Ōkuma was very popular and often referred to in the media of the time.

In commemorative events relating to Waseda University and Ōkuma, the number 125 is accorded special significance, as it marks an important epoch. The tower of Ōkuma Auditorium, completed on the university's 45th anniversary, is 125 shaku, or about 38 m high. In 1963, there were also events to mark the 125th anniversary of Ōkuma's birth.

Ōkuma, who twice served as prime minister of Japan, organized his second cabinet when he was 77 and died when he was 83. He said, "I wish I had understood this '125 years of life' theory 30 years earlier". He did, however, lead a regular life, and lived fairly long compared to other Japanese at the time.

Campuses


University's campus  Gare station

Waseda University's main campus is located in the Nishi-Waseda district of Shinjuku. The nearest station is, although Waseda is generally associated with on the Yamanote Line.

Apart from the main campus in Shinjuku, there are other campuses around the country:
 * Waseda (Main) Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo (formerly known as the Nishi-Waseda Campus)
 * Toyama Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo
 * Nishi-Waseda Campus: Shinjuku, Tokyo (formerly known as the Ōkubo Campus)
 * Nihonbashi Campus: Chūō-ku, Tokyo
 * Higashifushimi Campus: Nishitōkyō, Tokyo
 * Tokorozawa Campus: Tokorozawa, Saitama
 * Honjō Campus: Honjō, Saitama
 * Kitakyūshū Campus: Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka

Undergraduate and Graduate Schools
Undergraduate Schools (Entrance Capacity 8880):
 * School of Political Science and Economics (900)
 * School of Law (740)
 * School of Culture, Media and Society (860)
 * School of Humanities and Social Sciences (660)
 * School of Education (960)
 * School of Commerce (900)
 * School of Fundamental Science and Engineering (535)
 * School of Creative Science and Engineering (595)
 * School of Advanced Science and Engineering (540)
 * School of Social Sciences (630)
 * School of Human Sciences (560)
 * School of Sports Sciences (400)
 * School of International Liberal Studies (600)

Graduate Schools:
 * Graduate School of Political Science
 * Graduate School of Economics
 * Graduate School of Law
 * Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences
 * Graduate School of Commerce
 * Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering
 * Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering
 * Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering
 * Graduate School of Education
 * Graduate School of Human Sciences
 * Graduate School of Social Sciences
 * Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies
 * Graduate School of Global Information and Telecommunication Studies
 * Graduate School of Japanese Applied Linguistics
 * Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems
 * Graduate School of Sports Sciences
 * Business School
 * The Okuma School of Public Management
 * Law School
 * Graduate School of Finance, Accounting and Law
 * Graduate School of Accountancy
 * Graduate School of Environment and Energy Engineering

Research institutes

 * Kagami Memorial Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology
 * Institute for Comparative Law
 * The Institute for Research in Business Administration
 * Institute for Research in Contemporary Political and Economic Affairs
 * Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences
 * Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering
 * Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies
 * Global Information and Telecommunication Institute
 * Institute for Advanced Studies in Education
 * Center for Japanese Language
 * Media Network Center
 * Environmental Research Institute
 * Environmental Safety Center
 * Center for Finance Research
 * Human Service Center
 * Comprehensive Research Organization (Project Research Institute)
 * Institute for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
 * Consolidated Research Institute for Advanced Science and Medical Care
 * Information Technology Research Organization
 * Organization for Asian Studies
 * Waseda Institute for Advanced Study (WIAS)

Ōkuma Auditorium
Soon after Ōkuma's death on January 10, 1922, the planning of memorials commenced. The first decision was to construct a large auditorium, something Ōkuma had always dreamed of.

The three-story main auditorium seats 1,435, while the secondary auditorium, located underground, can accommodate 382 people. A seven-story high clock tower stands to the left of the auditorium. The height of the tower, at 125 shaku, or about 38 m, represents the theory of "life of 125 years" advocated by Ōkuma. The bells at the top of the tower were transported through the Panama Canal from the MacLean Company in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first time that four bells, large and small, had been used in Japan.

Oval-shaped transom windows on the roof represent the sun, moon, and nine planets of our solar system, and symbolize the "harmony of the universe" both inside and outside the auditorium. The auditorium opened on October 20, 1927, about five years behind schedule, after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. A Memorial Hall, constructed in 1957, was used as the fencing venue for the 1964 Summer Olympics.

In April 1999, the auditorium along with the old library building were officially designated the first and second historical buildings under the newly-passed Tokyo Metropolitan Landscape Regulations, which aim to preserve buildings representative of Tokyo's history and culture.

The auditorium was designated as one of the Important Cultural Properties of Japan by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2007.

Ōkuma Garden
Ōkuma Garden is located near Ōkuma Auditorium. It is a half-Japanese, half-Western garden of Edo period feudal lord Matsudaira Sanuki's former mansion, redesigned by Shigenobu Ōkuma. After his death, the garden was donated to Waseda University. Now it is a recreation place for students.

Libraries and museums
The Waseda University Library, designed by Tachu Naitō, Kenji Imai and Kin'ichi Kiriyama, was completed in 1925. This five-story building, with a total area of 1,195 tsubo (坪) (about 3,944 square meters), was used initially as the University Library. The reading room was housed in a separate two-story building, with a seating capacity of 500. One of the prominent libraries established at the end of the Taishō period, it has been a symbol of Waseda University to this day, along with the Okuma Auditorium and the Theatre Museum.

The Old Library and the administration building were expanded in 1934 and 1955 respectively. The Old Library stopped serving as a main library, after the New Central Library, located where the Abe Stadium used to be, was completed in 1990. It now houses Takata Sanae Memorial Research Library, the University Archives, and Aizu Yaichi Museum. Takata Sanae Memorial Research Library opened in 1994. It is named after former university president Takata Sanae. Historical and cultural materials on Waseda University are exhibited in the University Archives, and the materials related with Ōkuma Shigenobu are exhibited in the Ōkuma Memorial Room at the Archives. Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum opened in 1998.

In the front hall, visitors are greeted by the masterpiece "Meian", which dates back to 1927. It is painted on the world's largest hand-made washi (Japanese paper), which is 4.45 meters in diameter and weighs about 12 kilograms. It was manufactured by Iwano　Heisaburō, the founder of the Echizen paper works in Imadachi-cho, Fukui prefecture. The masterpiece was painted free of charge by Yokoyama Taikan and Shimomura Kanzan, two artists who represented the modern Japanese style of painting. President Takata Sanae asked them to paint a picture for the Library.

The library possesses a unique collection which survived the Bombing of Tokyo in World War II unlike many of its counterparts. The collection is an important resource for the study of pre-war Japanese history and literature.

Other museums and libraries on Waseda campuses include:
 * Waseda University Library
 * Waseda University Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 * Aizu Museum

Baseball
The rivalry between Waseda and Keiō University is highlighted by the Sōkeisen in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. The baseball series is held twice a year in the spring and autumn at Meiji-Jingu Stadium, and it is considered one of the most important competitions of the year by both student bodies. The Waseda University Baseball Club is the most successful team in the Big6 league in terms of winning percentage, but it has 41 league championships, which puts it second behind Hōsei University.

Football (soccer)
Waseda University football team won the Emperor's Cup, in 1964 and 1967.

Rugby union
Waseda University Rugby Football Club currently is the reigning university rugby union champion in Japan, reaching the university championships 28 times, and winning fourteen times. Its two biggest rivals are Keio University and Meiji University.
 * University championship rugby

Karate
The Waseda University karate club is one of the oldest in Japan, formed in 1931 under the direction of Gichin Funakoshi. Graduates of the karate club include Shigeru Egami, leader of the Shotokai school, Kazumi Tabata, founder of the North American Karate-do Federation and Tsutomu Ohshima, founder of Shotokan Karate of America.

Prime ministers

 * Tanzan Ishibashi (1956–1957)
 * Noboru Takeshita (1987–1989)
 * Toshiki Kaifu (1989–1991)
 * Keizō Obuchi (1998–2000)
 * Yoshirō Mori (2000–2001)
 * Yasuo Fukuda (2007–2008)
 * Yoshihiko Noda (2011–present)

Business leaders

 * Takeo Fukui, CEO of Honda
 * Norio Sasaki, CEO of Toshiba
 * Soichiro Fukutake, president of Benesse
 * Masaru Ibuka, co-founder of Sony, recipient of the Order of Culture
 * Nobuyuki Idei, ex-CEO of Sony
 * Masafumi Miyamoto, Founder of Square
 * Yasujiro Tsutsumi
 * Yoshiaki Tsutsumi
 * Michael Kogan, founder of Taito Corporation
 * Lee Byung-chul*, Founder of Samsung
 * Lee Kun-hee, Current chairman of Samsung
 * Kenichi Ohmae, founder and ex-Senior Partner of McKinsey & Co's Japan office
 * Isao Okawa, ex-chairman of Sega
 * Park Tae-joon, Founder and Chairman of Pohang Iron & Steels Corp, POSCO
 * Masamitsu Sakurai, Chairman of Ricoh, Chairman of Japan Association of Corporate Executives
 * Mikio Sasaki, chairman of Mitsubishi
 * Shin Kyuk-Ho, founder and Chairman of Lotte Group
 * Shunsaku Tamiya, chairman of Tamiya Corporation
 * Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, founder of Seibu Railway
 * Hiroshi Yamauchi, President of Nintendo
 * Tadashi Yanai, CEO of Fast Retailing and Uniqlo

Academics

 * Kohki Abe, human rights activist and Dean of Kanagawa University School of Law
 * Koji Aikyo, law professor at Nagoya University
 * Hitoshi Arai, mathematician, professor at University of Tokyo
 * Kanichi Asakawa, historian, professor at Yale University
 * Shin Chiba, professor of political science at International Christian University
 * Kunio Doi, professor of radiology at the University of Chicago
 * Hidenori Fujita, educational sociologist, former professor at University of Tokyo, currently professor at International Christian University
 * Toshio Fukuda, scholar of robotics, professor at Nagoya University
 * Kunio Anzai
 * Tatsuo Taniguchi
 * Kazuhito Koizumi, (Medical Doctor)
 * Hideo Furuido, scholar of theatre arts, professor at University of Tokyo
 * Tatsuro Hanada, sociologist of media, professor at University of Tokyo, currently professor at Waseda
 * Kazuomi Hirakawa, geographer, professor at Hokkaido University
 * Takehiko Kamo (1942–1996), professor of political science at Waseda University and University of Tokyo
 * Kang Sang-jung, scholar of history of political thought, professor at University of Tokyo
 * Heita Kawakatsu, scholar of economic history, professor at International Research Center for Japanese Studies, President of Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
 * Toshihide Kobayashi, Chief Scientist at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute
 * Hideo Kuroda, historian, professor emeritus at University of Tokyo
 * Tien-Min Li (Chinese political historian)
 * Ichiro Masaki, director of the Intelligent Transportation Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 * Masako Mitamura, scholar of Japanese literature, The Tale of Genji expert, professor at Ferris University
 * Tsunetsugu Muraoka (1884–1946), scholar of history of Japanese philosophy, professor at Tohoku University
 * Masahiro Nei, professor of history of economic thought at Kyoto University
 * Yoshio Nishi, professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, the 2002 IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal recipient
 * Toyohiro Nishimoto, archaeologist, professor at National Museum of Japanese History
 * Ikujiro Nonaka, scholar of management, Knowledge Management theorist, co-author of The Knowledge-Creating Company, visiting professor at University of California, Berkeley
 * Tetsuo Owada, historian, professor at Shizuoka University
 * Shojiro Sakaguchi, law scholar, professor at Hitotsubashi University
 * Minoru Sekishita, professor of economics at Ritsumeikan University
 * Ryūsaku Tsunoda (1877–1964), lecturer of Japanese studies at Columbia University
 * Ginzo Uchida (1872–1919), scholar of economic history, professor at Kyoto University
 * Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid (Leading Malaysian Academician)
 * Saburo Yamada (1869–1965), scholar of private international law, professor at University of Tokyo
 * Tokuo Yamamoto, professor of applied marine physics at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami; recipient of the 2008 Alan Berman Research Publication Award
 * Djakiah Bawie (1922-1988), Head scientist and Nuclear Physicist of Indonesia's National Nuclear Agency; former Docent of Physics at University of Indonesia
 * Sakuji Yoshimura (Egyptologist) the president of Cyber University

Authors

 * Kunikida Doppo
 * Maki Fukazawa (Columnist)
 * Jun Henmi
 * Masuji Ibuse*
 * Masahiko Katsuya, columnist
 * Hakushū Kitahara*
 * Akira Kojima, manga artist
 * Lee Hoesung
 * Taku Miki, poet, novelist, translator
 * Eto Mori
 * Manabu Miyazaki*
 * Megumi Mizusawa (manga artist)
 * Haruki Murakami, novelist, translator, writer, recipient of Franz Kafka Prize
 * Kōgo Noda, screenwriter
 * Yoko Ogawa, novelist
 * Ichirō Ōkouchi
 * Ototake Hirotada (sports writer)
 * Edogawa Rampo
 * Hisae Sawaji
 * Taneda Santoka*
 * Yoko Tawada
 * Tawara Machi
 * Shuji Terayama*
 * Miho Toshima
 * Yajima Teruo*
 * Yokomitsu Riichi*
 * Risa Wataya
 * Hisashi Yamanaka
 * Hiroyuki Yoshino
 * Rie Yoshiyuki

Journalists

 * Soichiro Tawara
 * Yoh Henmi
 * Satoshi Kamata

Baseball

 * Tatsuro Hirooka
 * Norichika Aoki
 * Kenichi Yazawa
 * Hiroo Ishii
 * Kunikazu Ogawa
 * Akira Ejiri
 * Soroku Yagisawa
 * Tamotsu Kimura
 * Toru Mori
 * Akinobu Okada (former manager for the Hanshin Tigers)
 * Hiroyasu Tanaka
 * Takashi Toritani
 * Tsuyoshi Wada

Figure skating

 * Shizuka Arakawa (2006 Winter Olympics gold medalist)
 * Rena Inoue (pairs)
 * Yukari Nakano
 * Fumie Suguri

Football

 * Kunishige Kamamoto
 * Saburo Kawabuchi (ex-President of Japan football association and ex-Chairman of Japan professional soccer league)

Martial arts

 * Yoriko Okamoto (taekwondo, 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze medalist)
 * Kisshomaru Ueshiba
 * Mitsusuke Harada (head of KDS)
 * Shigeru Egami (founder of Shōtōkai karate)
 * Tsutomu Ohshima (Chief Instructor of Shotokan Karate of America)
 * Kenji Tomiki (judo and aikido, founder of Shodokan Aikido)

Rugby

 * Katsuyuki Kiyomiya (player and coach)
 * Hiroaki Shukuzawa (player and coach)
 * Ōnishiki Uichirō (sumo, 26th yokozuna)
 * Hironori Ōtsuka* (founder of Wadō-ryū karate)

Other

 * Hajime Itoi
 * Suishu Tobita
 * Toshihisa Nishi
 * Motoi Onuki
 * Keijiro Matsumoto
 * Mikio Oda (athletics, Japan's first Olympic gold medalist)
 * Kenji Ogiwara (Nordic combined, 1992/1994 Winter Olympics gold medalist)
 * Michito Sakaki (Australian rules football)
 * Jiro Sato (tennis)
 * Takuma Sato* (Formula One driver)
 * Toshihiko Seko (marathon runner)
 * Yoko Zetterlund (volleyball)
 * Ai Fukuhara (table tennis)
 * Yu Hirayama (badminton)

Performing arts

 * Saeko (Actress, Model)
 * Miho Asahi (Musician)
 * Sharon Au (Singapore actress, comedian and television presenter)
 * Rokusuke Ei (Composer)
 * Naohito Fujiki (Actor)
 * Yasuharu Hasebe (film director)
 * Mitsuhiro Hidaka (Singer)
 * Ryōko Hirosue* (Actress)
 * Toshiharu Ikeda (film director)
 * Shohei Imamura film director, winner of two Palme d'Or awards at the Cannes Film Festival
 * LaSalle Ishii* (comedian)
 * Akio Jissoji (film director)
 * Jyongri (singer)
 * Hitomi Kamanaka (film director)
 * Seiji Kameda (composer, producer)
 * Go Katou (Actor)
 * Morio Kazama (Actor)
 * Kinya Kitaoji (Actor)
 * Hifumi Kato (Shogi player)
 * Demon Kogure (singer, sumo commentator)
 * Yoshio Kojima (comedian)
 * Shōji Kōkami (playwright, director, filmmaker)
 * Tetsuya Komuro* (musician)
 * Hirokazu Koreeda (film director)
 * Tatsumi Kumashiro (film director)
 * Matsumoto Kōshirō IX (Kabuki actor)
 * Keisuke Minami (stage actor, model)
 * Haruka Minowa (Comedian)
 * Tetsuya Murakami (musician, member of The Gospellers)
 * Shigeru Muroi* (actress)
 * Kie Nakai (Actress)
 * Yuichi Nakamaru (actor, singer (member of KAT-TUN), distantly attending)
 * Kichitaro Negishi (film director)
 * Kazumasa Oda (musician, former member of Off Course)
 * Kohei Oguri (film director)
 * Kyosen Ōhashi (TV host and writer)
 * Eiichi Otaki (musician)
 * Masato Sakai* (actor)
 * Yuji Sakai (musician, member of The Gospellers)
 * Bunta Sugawara (Actor)
 * Sunplaza Nakano* (musician)
 * Tamori* (comedian and television presenter)
 * Yuya Tegoshi (actor, singer (member of NEWS), distantly attending)
 * Shinya Ueda (comedian, member of Cream Stew)
 * Ken Utsui (Actor)
 * Tamaru Yamada (Musician)
 * Yutaka Yasuoka (musician, member of The Gospellers)
 * Sayuri Yoshinaga (actress)
 * Kota Yabu (actor, singer (member of Hey! Say! JUMP))

Diplomats

 * Chiune Sugihara*
 * Tsuneo Koizumi
 * Katsuhiko Oku – rugby player and diplomat, promoted posthumously to ambassador

Politics

 * Mikio Aoki*
 * Takashi Hiraoka, former mayor of Hiroshima (in office: 1991–1999)
 * Iccho Itoh, former mayor of Nagasaki (in office: 1995–2007)
 * Fumio Kishida
 * Yohei Kono
 * Li Dazhao
 * Hideo Higashikokubaru, former governor of Miyazaki Prefecture (2007-2011)
 * Peng Pai
 * Soichi Usui
 * Hidehiko Noda
 * Ichiro Kohno
 * Bukichi Miki
 * Hirohide Ishida
 * Taro Hatoyama
 * Kazumasa Okajima
 * Fukushiro Nukaga
 * Masahide Ota
 * Hiroshige Seko
 * Mosaburo Suzuki
 * Tsutomu Takebe
 * Makiko Tanaka
 * Kisaburo Tokai
 * Kiyomi Tsujimoto
 * Kozo Watanabe
 * Yoshimi Watanabe
 * Yuji Yamamoto
 * Taku Yamasaki
 * Tōru Hashimoto mayor of Osaka and Osaka Restoration Association president

Others

 * Eiko Onuki
 * Indra Surya Susantio (Runner-up winner of the 2009 APEC Essay Writing Contest, 2009)
 * Nancy Andrew (translator, junior year, 1967–1968)
 * Yuji Horii (video game designer)
 * Yoshio Shirai
 * Masato Koizumi (Minister)
 * Tensai Okamura (director)
 * Tomonobu Itagaki (video game designer, School of Law, 1985–92)
 * Shizuo Tsuji
 * Masuhiro Yamamoto
 * Masuhiro Yamamoto

Sports

 * Yuki Saitō (baseball)
 * Masumi Kuwata (baseball)

Performing arts

 * Jyongri (singer)
 * Nakamaru Yuichi (idol singer, member of KAT-TUN)
 * Natsuki Sato (idol singer, member of AKB48)
 * Shiori Nakamata (idol singer, member of AKB48)
 * Aoi Yūki (voice actor, noteworthy roles including Madoka Kaname from popular anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
 * Yuya Tegoshi (actor, singer (member of NEWS))

Notable faculty
Professors who are also Waseda alumni are listed in italics.


 * Yaichi Aizu, poet, scholar of ancient Chinese and Japanese art, and namesake of Aizu Museum
 * Tameyuki Amano, economics scholar and educator
 * Yasunobu Fujiwara, scholar of political science
 * Lafcadio Hearn, novelist, literary scholar, professor of English literature
 * Smimasa Idditti (Sumimasa Idichi ), professor of English
 * Kenji Imai, architect
 * Tokio Kimura, historian
 * Kunitake Kume, historian
 * Tachu Naito, architect
 * Naoyoshi Nakamura, historian
 * Haruo Nishihara, law professor, former President
 * Takayasu Okushima, law professor, former President
 * Hajime Ōnishi, philosopher
 * Ikuo Ōyama, scholar of political science
 * Yaso Saijo, poet
 * Masasada Shiozawa, scholar of economics, former President
 * Sanae Takata, scholar of political science, former President
 * Ōdō Tanaka, philosopher
 * Shoyo Tsubouchi, playwright, critic, translator, educator, professor of English literature, and namesake of Tsubouchi Memorial Theater Museum
 * Sokichi Tsuda, historian, recipient of the Order of Culture
 * Kazutami Ukita, scholar of political science
 * Shujiro Urata, economist
 * Yoshio Yamanouchi, translator, scholar of French literature
 * Akira Yonekura, law professor
 * Takamasa Yoshizaka, architect

Principals

 * Hidemaro Ōkuma, 1882–1886
 * Hisoka Maejima, 1886–1890
 * Kazuo Hatoyama, 1890–1907

De facto presidents (1907–1923)

 * Sanae Takata, 1907–1915
 * Tameyuki Amano, 1915–1917
 * Yoshiro Hiranuma, 1918–1921
 * Masasada Shiozawa, 1921–1923

Presidents

 * Shigenobu Ōkuma, 1907–1922
 * Masasada Shiozawa, 1923
 * Sanae Takata, 1923–1931
 * Hodumi Tanaka, 1931–1944
 * Tomio Nakano, 1944–1946
 * Koichi Shimada, 1946–1954
 * Nobumoto Ōhama, 1954–1966
 * Kenichi Abe, 1966–1968
 * Tsunesaburo Tokikoyama, 1968–1970
 * Sukenaga Murai, 1970–1978
 * Tsukasa Shimizu, 1978–1982
 * Haruo Nishihara, 1982–1990
 * Chūmaru Koyama, 1990–1994
 * Takayasu Okushima, 1994–2002
 * Katsuhiko Shirai, 2002–present

Academic rankings
Waseda University is considered one of the most prestigious universities in Japan, consistently ranking amongst the top universities in Japanese university rankings.

General rankings
The university has been ranked 5th in 2008–2009 and 6th in 2010–2011 in the ranking called "Truly Strong Universities (本当に強い大学)" by Toyo Keizai. In another ranking, Japanese prep school Kawaijuku ranked Waseda as the 13th best university in Japan.

According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2011-2012, Waseda ranked 351-400 worldwide among universities.

In addition, according to the Qs World university rankings　on 2012/9 surveyed about the general standards in Engineering&Technology field, Waseda University was placed 116th (world), 7th(national) and 198th in the general ranking(.

Research performance
Generally speaking, National Universities in Japan have better research standards, however Waseda is one of the few Private Universities which compete with top National Universities. According to Weekly Diamond, Waseda has the 12th highest research standard in Japan in terms of research fundings per researchers in COE Program, and it's one of only 2 private universities within Top 15.

Nikkei Shimbun　on 2004/2/16 surveyed about the research standards in Engineering studies based on Thomson Reuters, Grants in Aid for Scientific Research and questionnaires to heads of 93 leading Japanese Research Centers, and Waseda was placed 5th (research planning ability 7th/ability of business-academia collaboration 1st) in this ranking. Waseda is the only private university ranked in the top 5.

Asahi Shimbun summarized the amount of academic papers in Japanese major legal journals by university, and Waseda was ranked 3rd during 2005–2009.

Graduate school rankings
According to the Asia Top MBA Business Schools Ranking by Asiaweek, Waseda Business School is ranked 2nd in Japan. Eduniversal also ranked Japanese business schools and Waseda is 2nd in Japan (93rd in the world). In this ranking, Waseda is one of only 3 Japanese business schools categorized in "Universal Business schools with major international influence".

Waseda Law School is considered as one of the top Japanese law schools, as Waseda's successful candidates for bar examination was 5th in 2009 and 2010 in Japan.

Alumni rankings
Alumni of Waseda enjoy their good success in Japanese industries such as shown below.

According to the Weekly Diamond on 2006/2/18, Waseda got the highest score from the directors of human resource departments in Greater Tokyo. This ranking is titled "Useful University Rankings (役に立つ大学ランキング)". Waseda in Social Science was ranked 1st and Waseda in Natural Science and Engineering was ranked 2nd among all Japanese Universities. According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings and the PRESIDENT's article on 2006/10/16, graduates from Waseda have the 11th best employment rate in 400 major companies and the alumni average salary is the 7th best in Japan.

École des Mines de Paris ranks Waseda University as 4th in the world in 2010 (8th in 2011) in terms of the number of alumni listed among CEOs in the 500 largest worldwide companies. The university is also ranked 2nd in Japan for the number of alumni holding the position of executive in the listed companies of Japan.

The number of lawyers who graduated Waseda has been ranked 3rd in Japan since 1949. Furthermore, Waseda alumni have been the 2nd largest group in the Japanese Parliament.

Popularity and selectivity
Waseda is a popular university in Japan. The number of applicants per place was 20.5(115515/5630) in the 2011 undergraduate admissions. This number of applicants was 2nd largest in Japan. its entrance difficulty is usually considered as top with Keio among 730 private universities.

Nikkei BP has been publishing a ranking system called "Brand rankings of Japanese universities" every year, composed by the various indications related to the power of brand, and Waseda was top in 2010 and 3rd in 2009 in Greater Tokyo Area.

Trustees

 * Ryuhoku Narushima, poet, journalist, and one of the first trustees of Waseda
 * Azusa Ono (1852–1886), law scholar and one of the first trustees of Waseda

Benefactors
Waseda University has had numerous benefactors, including:
 * Eiichi Shibusawa, businessman and philanthropist
 * Ichizaemon Morimura, businessman
 * Koichiro Kagami, businessman
 * Kenkichi Kodera, presenter of over thirty-six thousand foreign books to the Library
 * Kisaku Maekawa, businessman and philanthropist
 * Masaru Ibuka, after whom Masaru Ibuka Auditorium (Hall) is named.
 * Robert J. Shillman, founder & CEO of Cognex Corporation, namesake of Robert Shillman Hall

Nonfiction

 * ULTIMATE CRUSH: Waseda University Rugby, Leadership and Building the Strongest Winning Team in Japan by Katsuyuki Kiyomiya, translated into English by Ian Ruxton (September 2006). ISBN 978-1-4303-0321-3 . The original was published in February 2006 entitled Kyukyoku no Shori:Ultimate Crush'' ISBN 4-06-213271-0.
 * Manabu Miyazaki; Toppamono: Outlaw. Radical. Suspect. My Life in Japan's Underworld (2005, Kotan Publishing, ISBN 0-9701716-2-5)

Fiction

 * In the novel Norwegian Wood, written by Haruki Murakami, the main character goes to a university modeled after Waseda.
 * In the manga series Great Teacher Onizuka by Tooru Fujisawa, the heroine Azusa Fuyutsuki is a graduate of Waseda University.
 * In the video game Tomb Raider: Legend, a piece of the legendary sword Excaliber is in the care of Waseda University until it is stolen.

Scandals
Super Free was a registered Waseda University school club organized by Shinichirō Wada, a student at Waseda University. The club organized parties in order to rape unsuspecting women. The appeal of these parties was the chance to associate with Waseda University students. After Wada's arrest, the club was disbanded.