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Ritsumeikan traces its roots to Prince Saionji's private Academy of the same name, established in 1869. It was officially founded in 1900 by his protégé, Kojuro Nakagawa, as the Kyoto Hosei Gakko (Kyoto School of Law and Politics), later to take on the name "Ritsumeikan." The name is derived from a passage in the Jinxin chapter of Mencius's Discourses and means "a place to establish one's destiny through cultivating one's mind." Ritsumeikan's founding ideals are "freedom and innovation," and reflecting upon its wartime experience, it committed itself to a core educational philosophy of "peace and democracy" after World War II. Ritsumeikan has faced the times by pursuing an independent path to rise above adversity and has become the comprehensive private educational institution that it is today through extensive cooperation and support from both within and outside Japan. As a Japanese institution located in the Asia Pacific region, Ritsumeikan is committed to sincerely reflecting upon history and building an institution where many cultures coexist in the spirit of international mutual understanding. Ritsumeikan will build relationships of trust through research and education, sports and cultural activities, and establish its roots in the local community, to create an academic institution open to international society. Ritsumeikan will strive to strengthen links with society and promote its institutional development by fully utilizing the characteristics of a private academic institution, the participation of its faculty, staff and students, and the support of alumni and parents while respecting the principles of autonomy, democracy, transparency, non-violence, and justice. Ritsumeikan will pursue the creation of universal values based on academic freedom and search for solutions to the pressing issues facing humankind, with its educational endeavors based on its founding spirit and educational ideals, bearing in mind "to believe in the future, to live for the future." Ritsumeikan will foster learning and the development of individual talents to nurture just and ethical global citizens. As an institute of education and research, Ritsumeikan pledges to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable development in Japan and throughout the world, in keeping with the spirit of this Charter. The Ritsumeikan Academy is one of Japan's private comprehensive educational institutions with a rich history and tradition. We celebrated the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Ritsumeikan private school and the 100th year of the establishment of the Academy in 2000. The Academy has now become a comprehensive educational institution with two universities, four high schools, four junior high schools, and one primary school. The history of Ritsumeikan dates back to 1869 when Prince Kinmochi Saionji, an eminent international statesman of modern Japan, founded "Ritsumeikan" as a private academy on the site of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. In 1900, Kojuro Nakagawa, former secretary of Prince Saionji, established Kyoto School of Law and Politics, an evening law school open to working people. This school formally adopted the name Ritsumeikan in 1913 and was finally given a university's status in 1922. The school spirit of liberalism and internationalism advocated by Prince Saionji was combined with the ideals of academic freedom and vivacity pursued by Nakagawa and became a tradition of the Academy. Today, the Ritsumeikan Academy is highly admired by society as the educational institution which actively promotes university reform. Such a spirit of innovation and inspiration is based on the Academy's school spirit, "freedom and innovation." Following World War II, Ritsumeikan Chancellor Hiroshi Suekawa proposed Ritsumeikan Academy's educational philosophy of "peace and democracy," based on the Constitution of Japan and the Fundamental Law of Education. Ritsumeikan has been taking various approaches to apply the School Spirit and Educational Philosophy in real-life education and research. The history of Ritsumeikan dates back to 1869 when Prince Kinmochi Saionji, an eminent international statesman of modern Japan, founded "Ritsumeikan" as a private academy on the site of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. In 1900, Kojuro Nakagawa, former secretary of Prince Saionji, established Kyoto Hosei School, an evening law school open to working people. This school formally adopted the name Ritsumeikan in 1913 and was finally given a university's status in 1922. View full university

With over 100 years of tradition and history, the Ritsumeikan Academy opened APU in April 2000 as Japan's first genuinely international University. The APU campus is a truly multicultural and multilingual environment with nearly half of the student population made up of international students worldwide and an equally diverse faculty. Furthermore, the unique Japanese/English bilingual education system allows students to develop high levels of language proficiency while also removing the language barrier and making it possible for outstanding young people worldwide to study and earn a degree in Japan. It need not be said, but a university's mission is to be of service to society through education and research. To that end, the institution needs faculty, staff, and students of exceptional quality and drive. To achieve this, we must maintain an environment dedicated to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge, free from fear and anxiety. This will require that we call upon all of our stakeholders to lend us their strength to achieve these objectives and establish a solid financial foundation. Realizing these goals is the duty of university management. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University possesses a strong vision looking forward to the year 2030. Under President Korenaga's leadership, the students of this University took the idea of shaping their world to new heights. APU has brought together students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff to create the "APU2030 Vision". Based on the Declaration on the Occasion of the Opening of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, "APU2030" expresses the direction APU aims to take towards 2030. In our global society of many different cultures and values, conflict and friction are bound to occur. APU strives to cultivate global citizens who will build a peaceful world by understanding and accepting cultural and historical differences. Fostering graduates with these abilities are at the core of APU's ideals of Freedom, Peace, and Humanity International Mutual Understanding and the Future Shape of the Asia Pacific Region.APU Graduates will pursue freedom and peace with a deep respect for human dignity. By acting for the sake of both individuals and society, they can change the world. Individuals who can change the world: Cooperate and overcome conflict through dialog for the benefit of society. Tolerate cultural differences and unfamiliar challenges. Create new values incorporating diverse perspectives and ideas. Envision their own goals and continue to grow as lifelong learners. To cultivate such individuals, APU will: Further, utilize its preeminently multicultural campus to immerse students in a Global Learning Community that provides them with opportunities to grow. Create a new Global Learning standard by pursuing internationally compatible education and research. Strengthen ties with its invaluable stakeholders, from the local community to alumni worldwide, working together to design the University and its educational programs. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is one of only three institutions in Japan to achieve this accreditation to date. Out of these institutions, APU is the only one offering an undergraduate business curriculum in both English and Japanese as well as an AACSB-accredited MBA program conducted entirely in the English language. APU's College of International Management and Graduate School of Management (also referred to as APM and GSM, respectively) began the AACSB accreditation process to recognize that international accreditation is an integral part of meeting the expectations of the University's stakeholders. Accreditation was also viewed as an asset in attracting top talent to APU's faculty and student body. As part of the accreditation process, the College of International Management is making changes to APU's undergraduate business school curriculum, introducing additional core courses and adding a comprehensive capstone course that will challenge APU's students to utilize their skills they have learned. These changes will further bring the University's undergraduate business programs in line with international standards, providing APU graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to enter the fast-changing world of international business. Both the College of International Management and the Graduate School of Management will undergo a continuous review process to ensure that they maintain a high level of quality and a focus on continuous improvement in areas including learning and evaluation, academic and professional engagement, and strategic management innovation. View full university