Niijima Jō devoted his life to seeking freedom and crossed the ocean to the United States at great personal risk during the late Tokugawa (Bakumatsu) period.
Fortunately, while there, he received democratic and progressive education at three schools, thanks to the support of many well-intentioned people.
During his studies abroad, Niijima became convinced that, for Japan to become a modern nation, education was indispensable in cultivating individuals filled with autonomy, freedom, and a strong sense of conscience. Upon returning to Japan, he devoted himself to transplanting an American-style educational system to the country and undertook the challenge of establishing Japan’s first private university.
As a result, his aspiration and dream of founding a university were not realized during his lifetime.
Nevertheless, that dream has been faithfully carried on by the students, alumni, and faculty of today’s Doshisha University.
