History and Motto

History

Below is the history of this traditional university including its times when it was a national university.

April, 1882	A command was issued by Prince Kuninomiya Asahiko, the Chief Priest of Ise Jingu, to establish Kogakkan within the Hayashizaki Library at Ujiimazaike-cho. The following year, in 1883, an opening ceremony for Kogakkan was held within the Hayashizaki Library Lecture Hall.
October, 1887	A school building was built and the school moved to Ujiurata-cho (where the Jingu training hall currently stands).
September, 1896	A new school building was built and the school moved to Ujitachi-cho. It remained here until it was moved to Kuratayama in 1918.
February, 1900	A decree was received from Prince Kayanomiya Kuninori, the Chief Priest of Ise Jingu and President of Kogakkan. This document was reverentially accepted as one stating the true objectives of the school’s establishment, along with its foundational intention, spirit, and mission.
August, 1903	An imperial edict proclaimed Jingu Kogakkan as a government-regulated institution. Accordingly, it became a state professional school under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry.
January, 1918	Part of the main school building’s renovation construction was completed (construction began in November 1916 and a completion ceremony was held on October 18, 1919) and the school was moved to Watarai-gun, Hamagomura, Kodakushimoto (commonly called "Kuratayama"), where it remained as the location for Jingu Kogakkan University and Kogakkan University after its reopening.
April, 1940	An imperial edict proclaimed Jingu Kogakkan University as a government regulated institution. From this point, it changed from being a state professional school under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry to a state university under the Educational Ministry.
December, 1945	The American-led Occupation (GHQ) issued the Shinto Directive, which put the university in jeopardy by abolishing state support for Shinto.
March, 1946	An imperial edict discontinued Jingu Kogakkan University as a state institution. Kogakkan’s 64-year history from April 1882 up until this point came to an end.
April, 1962	Kogakkan University was reopened (established with the Japanese Literature and History departments in the Faculty of Letters). Yoshida Shigeru served as the first chancellor, and the first president was Hirata Kan-ichi.
April, 1963	Kogakkan High School was founded.
April, 1966	The Master's Degree Program in the Graduate School of Letters was established (Japanese Literature and Japanese History). Kogakkan Junior College (with a Japanese Literature department) was founded (closed in March 1976).
April, 1973	The Doctoral Degree Program in the Graduate School of Letters was established (Japanese Literature and Japanese History).
April, 1975	The Department of Education was established in the Faculty of Letters (closed in March 2012).
April, 1977	The Department of Shinto was established in the Faculty of Letters.
April, 1978	The Shinto Institute and Historiographical Institute were established as research institutions affiliated with the university.
April, 1979	Kogakkan Junior High School was founded.
April, 1981	The Specialist Course of Shinto Studies was established.
April, 1982	A ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Kogakkan’s founding was held.
April, 1989	The Sagawa Memorial Museum of Shinto and Japanese Culture was completed.
April, 1990	The Master's Degree Program of Shinto Studies was established in the Graduate School of Letters.
April 1998	The Department of Social Welfare in the Faculty of Social Welfare (Nabari Campus) was established (closed in March 2014).
April 2000	The Communication Department was established in the Faculty of Letters.
April, 2004	The Doctoral Degree Program of Shinto Studies was established in the Graduate School of Letters. The Master's Degree Program of Education was established in the Graduate School of Letters (discontinued in March 2013).
April, 2008	The Department of Education was established in the Faculty of Education. A project to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Faculty of Social Welfare was implemented.
April, 2010	The Department of Contemporary Japanese Society was established in the Faculty of Contemporary Japanese Society.
April, 2012	The Master's Degree Program of Education Studies was established in the Graduate School of Education. A ceremony commemorating the 130th anniversary of Kogakkan and the 50th anniversary of its reopening was held.
September, 2013	A ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of Kogakkan High School and the 35th anniversary of Kogakkan Junior High School was held.
April, 2022	A ceremony commemorating the 140th anniversary of Kogakkan University and the 60th anniversary of its reopening was held.

Motto

School Philosophy

The educational objectives at Jingu Kogakkan shall be to grasp the imperial nation’s values, gain an understanding of its scholarship, and put this learning into practice. In doing so, while holding firm to ethical conduct, one will be able to contribute to the advancement of civilization. Without devotion to one’s studies, there can be no comprehension, and without reflection on the content, there can be no mastery. This is all the more important to recognize given the gravity and value of the school’s mission.
The students at this school must keep the significance of these matters in mind, deeply respect their teachers and elders, strictly observe the school rules, industriously study, and anticipate the day when their efforts bear fruit. Never be idle at anytime, day or night.