Waseda University History Museum Renews Permanent Exhibition

Waseda University (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President: Aiji Tanaka), which operates the Waseda University History Museum (hereinafter referred to as "the History Museum"), partially renewed its permanent exhibition on March 16, 2026. The exhibition is designed to allow visitors to experience the multifaceted history of the university (past, present, and future) through a diverse range of perspectives and materials.

Over 300,000 Visitors! What is the Waseda University History Museum?

Waseda University holds over 5 million items, including 2 National Treasures, 7 Important Cultural Properties, and 8 Important Art Objects, encompassing library materials, artworks, calligraphy, natural history specimens, video materials, and archival documents. The university actively shares these valuable cultural assets with citizens, the local community, and society at large. One of its goals is to transform the campus itself into a museum. Following the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum and the Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum, the History Museum opened on March 18, 2018, as the third museum on campus. Subsequently, the Waseda Sports Museum opened in March 2019, the Honjo Waseda-no-mori Museum in October 2020, and the Waseda International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library) in October 2021, further realizing the concept of the campus as a museum.

This spring, the History Museum renewed part of its permanent exhibition. Along with expanding the university's historical timeline, it now showcases the university's history focusing on the evolution of its campuses. At the entrance to the permanent exhibition, visitors can see the ideals embedded in the concepts of education, scholarship, and society through the words of the founder, Shigenobu Okuma. In addition to introducing all undergraduate faculties, there are also corners that convey student life and research activities. By viewing the entire permanent exhibition, visitors can feel the history and charm of Waseda University, as well as the traditions and vitality passed down to the future. The museum also features a Waseda goods shop and a café, aiming to be a place where people can stop by and enjoy themselves at any time, not just after viewing the exhibits.

Permanent Exhibition Renewed on March 16, 2026

University's Journey and Campus Transformation

Along with the expansion of the university's historical timeline, the exhibition traces the trajectory of change from the original pastoral landscape to the current campus. Visitors can gain a three-dimensional understanding of Waseda University's history.