Kansai University

Philosophy and Objectives

Our Philosophy: GAKU-NO-JITSUGE (Harmony between Academia and Society)

Kansai University pursues educational research activities under the university motto: GAKU-NO-JITSUGE (Harmony between Academia & Society).  The purpose of this approach was proposed by Juntaro Yamaoka, who was the General Trustee at the time when Kansai University was endorsed as a university in 1922.   He said, “The direction of education that Kansai University should aim for is to harmonize academia and society as well as to cultivate human resources who are capable in the real world.”   Even now, 100 years after it was proposed, the university motto “GAKU-NO-JITSUGE” still plays an important role, by acting as a compass and directing the way in which the university should proceed.  This approach will not change in the future.

To achieve the goals outlined in this motto, Kansai University strives to develop human resources possessing both the skills and the will to overcome the difficulties of our increasingly uncertain society.  Our highly skilled and motivated people will have the ability to create a new future based on a deep respect for diversity.

Kandai Vision 150

In 2016―to commemorate its 130th year of existence―Kansai University formulated Kandai Vision 150 as a set of principles to guide our future development in line with our vision of the University 20 years from now.

Kandai Vision 150 is based on both an overall vision and four specific perspectives: education, research, contribution to society, and management. It clarifies our vision for Kansai University 20 years from now and details our policy objectives for the next ten years.  These policy objectives are broken down into both five-year medium-term action plans and one-year business plans.  In order to achieve these goals, Kansai University is establishing systems for steadily promoting our vision.

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A Message from the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees

Toward the 100th Anniversary of Our Promotion to University Status

Keiji Shibai, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Kansai University

Kansai University’s 19th Board of Trustees was inaugurated in October of 2020, and I assumed office as its Chairperson.  Given that I have been put in charge of the Kandai Group―including not only 35,000 students and others but also more than 490,000 alumni―I take my responsibilities extremely seriously.

In 1886, Kansai University was founded in Osaka as Kansai Law School with the support of Korekata Kojima―who was the Chief Justice of the Osaka Court of Appeals at the time―and the school’s teachers included incumbent judges and public prosecutors.  Since then, in line with our university motto, which calls for the realization of GAKU-NO-JITSUGE (Harmony between Academia & Society), we have consistently strived to enlighten and educate both society and the people.

We have encountered many hardships during our long history, but we have successfully overcome all of them, thanks to the support of the people of Osaka and many others.  Kansai University is celebrating its centenary in 2022.  This will be an excellent opportunity to reaffirm both the fact that our promotion was achieved with the support of Osaka’s financial world as well as our vitality at the time.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic currently sweeping across the globe, the schools established by our organization suffer from a variety of restrictions, and many students and others face economic difficulties, but―thanks to both the enthusiasm of our faculty members as well as the goodwill of our alumni and other stakeholders―I am confident that we will overcome these hardships as well.

Our long-term vision, which looks ahead to our organization’s 150th anniversary, is not only a typical vision in that it shows our ideal future situation but is also unique to us in that it provides an opportunity for each of our constituents to think about what they should do in the name of our future and communicate their thoughts.  This is because free and open discussion is the wellspring of the vitality of any private school, including Kansai University.

In this age of diversity, how can Kansai University survive and lead the way?

A Message from the President

The courage and power to change

Yutaka Maeda, President, Kansai University

Kansai University, which has a 136-year history, will celebrate its promotion to university status and is the 100th anniversary of the university motto GAKU-NO-JITSUGE (Harmony between Academia & Society) in 2022.  During the course of Kansai University’s history, being promoted to university status was a long-cherished wish.  There were many issues to be resolved, but, with the support and cooperation of many people―led by Dr. Juntaro Yamaoka―Kansai University was able to achieve this goal.

The COVID-19 crisis is currently changing the world.  The pandemic is having major effects on economics, culture, and education.  In particular, the current difficulty of meeting face-to-face has serious implications for education and universities.  Although our University will continue to conduct most of its lectures as in-person classes, we are also incorporating remote classes and will continue to put the health and safety of our students and faculty members first as we strive to contribute to the continuity and development of education, research, and cooperation with society.

In particular, as a result of needs related to providing education during last year’s COVID-19 crisis, the use of digital technology increased considerably.  At Kansai University, I hope that we can further develop our digital education environment, promote pioneering educational initiatives, redouble efforts pertaining to the concept of DX (digital transformation) throughout the University, and pay special attention to the creation of the best possible environment for providing education to our students.

At the same time, it is important to continue to contribute to society even under these circumstances.  We also need to link these difficulties to new developments.  Kansai University’s mission is not to provide human resources and research required by society, but rather to create human resources and creative research that will lead society.  Based on the internal enhancement of education and research as well as the promotion of internationalization, we will strive to develop Kansai University as a leader of society in the age of diversity.

The harmony between academia and society, as stated in the motto GAKU-NO-JITSUGE, refers to the interaction between University education and research and the real world.  To this end, we need to make Kansai University into a place that will constantly strive to make sense of the unpredictable, is unafraid of change, and is willing to take on challenges.  The courage and power to change will lead to the evolution of Kansai University.

We wish to unite Kansai University into one, where all students, faculty members, alumni, and everyone else involved with Kansai University can be proud to support and be a part of the University.  I would like to ask all of you for your support, understanding, and cooperation.

Location & Transportation

Please use public transportation to go to Kansai University.

Senriyama Campus

Since its establishment in 1922, the Senriyama Campus has continuously developed as a hub for academic education based on the University’s philosophy.  It is now an extensive educational and research site of some 350,000 m2, and it consists of a number of classroom buildings for the various faculties, along with other facilities.  Situated in an ideal location easily accessible from the city center, it is surrounded by rich greenery spreading over the hills of Senriyama.  This campus offers an excellent educational environment for the University in its aim to develop students’ creativity and free spirit, which we call the “Kandai Spirit”.  Students here are actively engaged in study, research, and extracurricular activities to explore their full potential, and many of their achievements are recognized around the world.

Takatsuki Campus

This campus of approximately 450,000 m2 is about 11 times the size of Hanshin Koshien Stadium, and it is located on a gentle hill halfway between Osaka and Kyoto that overlooks the Mount Ikoma mountain range in the distance.  This naturally abundant campus is home to the Faculty of Informatics.  In addition, the campus’s

Intelligent Space boasts state-of-the-art information equipment to lead the new multi-media era, providing an educational and research hub ideal for human resources in charge of the next generation.  Also, the KOGAKUKAN seminar house is available for all students from faculties for training sessions or meetings.  The campus also includes the Kansai University Takatsuki Ice Arena－which can be used year-round and is the first facility of its kind at a Japanese university－so the campus serves as a hub of not only regular physical education and extracurricular activities but also community involvement.

Takatsuki Muse Campus

This campus was established in April of 2010 at an ideal location near JR Takatsuki Station almost halfway between Osaka and Kyoto.  It features a unique unified school program, containing the University’s elementary, junior high, and senior high schools as well as the Faculty and Graduate School of Societal Safety Sciences.  Furthermore, to support Takatsuki City’s efforts to develop a

safe and secure living environment, the campus facilities are equipped with disaster prevention technologies and resources, and can serve as an emergency shelter in case of disasters.  The campus also aims to be a hub for lifelong learning, or an urban campus for social contribution, so its facilities include a children’s library and lifelong learning center.

Sakai Campus

Sakai Campus is located in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, a location designated as a major city by the Japanese government and one of the Kansai region’s hubs.  The campus was opened in 2010 in line with the city’s invitational project to higher education institutions, and the establishment of our Faculty of Health and Well-being followed.  This campus of approx.  30,000

1-11-1 Kaorigaoka-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai-shi, Osaka 590-8515, Tel. +81-72-229-5022

m2 is conveniently located next to Asakayama Station on the Koya Line of Nankai Electric Railway, and its education and research environment is intended to promote social contribution, such as cooperation with local communities and industry-government-academia collaboration.

In addition, the Sakai Campus has unique resources including the Facility for Experiential Learning Activities, which is used to research and develop active learning in schools.  In addition, the Health and Exercise Physiology Laboratory can also be found on this campus.  This laboratory is equipped with experimental instruments necessary for sports physiology research such as aerobic capacity measurement.  Furthermore, the campus also features the Care Work Training Room to enable students to develop practical nursing skills by using real-life hospital beds and wheelchairs, as well as, elderly simulation suits.

This is also home to the Faculty of Health and Well-being, which teaches and researches human health in the areas of sports and welfare.  The faculty actively implements programs to contribute to the local community through close ties with Sakai City and other local governments, and conducts a variety of support and partnership projects to help local residents enjoy a healthier and richer lifestyle.

Hokuyo Campus

The Hokuyo Campus, which is conveniently located near Hankyu Railway Kami-shinjo Station, is the home of the University’s junior and senior high schools, both of which focus on bringing the best out of each student to develop their individuality and potential.

Umeda Campus

The Umeda Campus was established in October of 2016 as a new hub where the University, communities, and general society can develop further, under the concept of providing places to think and act－to foster individuals who can lead, connect, initiate, and create.  This eight-floor facility serves as an environment that connects communities, students, members of society, and the University while providing a wide range of intellectual contents.

A bookstore and cafes－which serve as the face of this open campus－have been constructed on the first and second floors to provide venues for many people to meet and interact with both University insiders and others, particularly at Startup Cafe Osaka, which is on the second floor and acts as a site to support entrepreneurs.  The cafe offers space to facilitate seminars and consultation meeting. These offer participants the opportunity to learn directly from active entrepreneurs and other professionals, and the cafe helps to promote a startup mindset in the Kansai region.  This is to encourage successful startups by both current students and members of society. On the third floor, there is a membership-only club for interaction between different industries. This acts as a site for idea exchange, where a wide variety of people can expand their personal networks and create new business.  Finally, the Center for Career Development Umeda Office on the fifth floor provides practical support for job-seeking students by acting as a job-hunting site targeting business centers in the Kansai region

In addition, the campus takes advantage of its location in Umeda－sometimes viewed as a gateway to Osaka－to provide various educational and lifelong learning programs for members of society.  The Umeda Campus utilizes the educational and research achievements of Kansai University and actively coordinates with the local community to respond to the increasingly sophisticated and diverse needs of education aimed at future concerns.  It aims to energize not only Osaka, but the whole of Japan.

Minami-Senri International Plaza

Kansai University opened Minami-Senri International Plaza in April of 2012 as part of its new internationalization initiative, establishing a location for both educational facilities and a dormitory for international students attending the Japanese Language and Culture Program Preparatory Course (Bekka).

This plaza aims not only to provide opportunities for both international students and domestic students of Kansai University to share interactive experiences, but also to involve local residents of the Minami-Senri area under the concept of “learning together through cross-cultural communication”.  Some domestic students from the University also live in the dormitory as Resident Assistants to support international students with their daily lives.

In addition, by attending Bekka, students learn Japanese and acquire IT literacy through the use of technology and the e-learning system inside and outside of classes.  For this purpose, the classroom building is fully equipped with Wi-Fi, along with spaces to relax and socialize such as the terrace, patio, and communal areas of the dormitory.

Tokyo Center

Based on the concept of “knowledge entertainment”, which helps develop people’s talents, the Tokyo Center conducts various activities aimed at increasing the ability of Kansai University to produce and acquire human resources capable of succeeding in the future, meaningfully interacting, and energizing the world.

The Tokyo Center acts as an information communication base for the Tokyo metropolitan area, effectively supporting the power of knowledge and people from Kansai University and ensuring the ability to contribute to the improvement of five abilities: (1) the ability of students to find work, (2) the unifying force of alumni, (3) the ability to cooperate with business people, (4) the intellectual power of members of society, and (5) the appeal of researchers.

The biggest advantage for students visiting the Tokyo metropolitan area is that the Tokyo Center is located right next to JR Tokyo Station.  This makes it easier for students to connect with the center when visiting the area for job hunting, seminars, club activities, and other pursuits.  The center is equipped with computers and lounge areas as well as luggage storage and changing rooms.  The center also issues student discount certificates and various other documentation.

The Tokyo Center also holds public lectures and seminars for both alumni and the general public and strives to contribute to society and promote industry-academia cooperation activities in the Tokyo metropolitan area.  At the same time, the center provides up-to-date, highly practical planning services and strives to create contents aimed at creating bonds between the University and alumni.

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