Waseda University , abbreviated as , 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 . Institution . 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 on October 21 , 1882 . Before the name ' Waseda ' was selected , it was known variously as or after the location of the founder ' s villa in Waseda Village and the school ' s location in Totsuka Village respectively . It was renamed 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 . 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 : Undergraduate and Graduate Schools . Undergraduate Schools ( Entrance Capacity 8880 ) : Graduate Schools : Facilities . 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 ( 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 : Athletics . 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 . 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 . Notable faculty . Professors who are also Waseda alumni are listed in " italics " . 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 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 , Waseda has the 12th highest research standard in Japan in terms of research fundings per researchers in , 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 , 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 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 ' s 2010 rankings and the ' 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 . Benefactors . Waseda University has had numerous benefactors , including : 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 .