The Ritsumeikan Charter

Ritsumeikan traces its roots to Kinmochi Saionji’s private academy of the same name. It was officially founded in 1900 by Kojuro Nakagawa as the Kyoto Hosei Gakko (Kyoto School of Law and Politics), later taking on the name “Ritsumeikan.” The name is derived from a passage in the Jinxin chapter of the Discourses of Mencius and means “a place to establish one's destiny through cultivating one's mind.” We who gather at Ritsumeikan uphold our founding spirit of “Freedom and Innovation” and embrace “Peace and Democracy” as our educational philosophy.

Ritsumeikan, in light of the painful experiences of World War II and sincerely looking back on history, rejects war and violence, advances democratic academy governance, and continues to pursue the ideal of peace. Ritsumeikan will continuously pursue internationalization, and as a comprehensive private academic institution, we will strive to contribute to society through the freedom to pursue new endeavors and creativity with the participation of students at every level of education, faculty, and staff as well as the support of alums, guardians, and all those involved with the academy.

Ritsumeikan respects diversity. We value the dignity that everyone equally possesses, and we honor the emergent potential that resides within every individual. While being rooted in local communities, we collaborate with a wide range of actors inside and outside of the academy as we strive for self-growth and the realization of an inclusive society through diverse activities such as research, education, culture, art, and sports.

Ritsumeikan, founded on the freedom of academic inquiry and research, will pave the way to the future. Upholding the principles of autonomy, democracy, fairness, transparency, and non-violence, we will boldly take on the challenge of intellectual creation that will bring about new values of harmonious coexistence to be shared far and wide. We will carry on the spirit of “believe in the future and live for the future,” and, inscribing in our minds that our respective research and educational activities as both a research university and an inquiry-driven academy will shape the world of the future, we will devote ourselves to the creation of a sustainable society and the realization of world peace.

The Ritsumeikan Trust
Established July 21, 2006
Revised March 27, 2026