College of Law

The history of our College of Law coincides with the establishment of Ritsumeikan. In 1900, Nakagawa Kojuro, the former secretary of Prince Saionji, established the Kyoto Hosei School, (the Kyoto school for law and politics). The School was given the name of Ritsumeikan by Prince Saionji in 1905, and the status of a university in 1922.
When liberal professors left the University of Kyoto under pressure from the military government in 1933, our college welcomed them as members of our academic staff. Since then, Ritsumeikan University, including the College of Law, has educated students on the educational idea of “peace and democracy”. Now, about 800 students enrol in our college every year, and our alumni are spread throughout Japan and around the world, working not only in the legal profession, but also in other areas including public service, commercial industries, and finance.