History - Shirayuri University

The Convent of St. Paul of Chartres, the organization that founded Shirayuri University, was created in 1696, at the end of the 17th century, in Levesville, a small village outside Chartres in France. For over 300 years, the convent has devoted itself to instructing those in need of education and serving the sick and the poor all around the world. The organization is now based in Rome.

Its activities in Japan began in 1878 with the establishment of a convent in Hakodate, Hokkaido Prefecture, followed three years later by a school in the Kanda area of Tokyo. These were the seeds of Shirayuri Gakuen.

In 1965, Shirayuri University was founded as a four-year university in its current location. Since then, the university has continued to build on its reputation for excellence by enriching its academic curriculum, expanding its educational facilities, and offering small-group education in the spirit of Catholicism.

1696	The Convent of St. Paul of Chartres created in Levesville, a remote village in France.
1727	First international missionary sisters sent to the Guianas in South America.
1878	Convent in Hakodate, Hokkaido Prefecture established by three French nuns.
1881	School facilities built in Kanda area of Tokyo.
1898	School named Girls’ High School of French, English, and Japanese.
1910	School name changed to French-English-Japanese Girls’ High School.
1913	All school facilities burned down in the Great Kanda Fire.
1923	School facilities again burnt down in the Great Kanto Earthquake.
1927	School operations relocated to new facilities in Kudan (currently the site of Shirayuri Gakuen, headquarters.
1935	School name changed to Shirayuri Girls’ High School.
1946	Shirayuri Women’s College Department of Japanese Literature established.
1947	Department of English Literature established.
1950	School name changed to Shirayuri Junior College upon the reform of the educational system.
1958	Department of French Literature established.
1965	School relocated to Chofu (its current location) and a four-year university program established.
1978	Celebration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of educational facilities in Japan.
1983	Librarian/Teacher Librarian Training Course established.
1985	Department of Children’s Culture established.
1988	Information Science Course established.
1989	Celebration of the 25th anniversary of the university’s founding.
1990	Department of Developmental Psychology and Department of Children’s Literature (Master’s Programs) established in the Graduate School of Liberal Arts.
1992	Department of Developmental Psychology (Doctoral Program) established in the Graduate School of Liberal Arts.
1994	Department of Japanese Language and Literature and Department of French Language and Literature (Master’s Programs) established in the Graduate School of Liberal Arts. Department of Japanese Literature, Department of French Literature, and Department of English Literature renamed as the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, Department of French Language and Literature, and Department of English Language and Literature, respectively.
1995	Department of Children’s Literature (Doctoral Program) and Department of English Language and Literature (Master’s Program) established in the Graduate School of Liberal Arts.
1996	Japanese Language Education Minor Program established.
1997	Department of Language and Literature (Doctoral Program) established in the Graduate School of Liberal Arts. Department of Children's Culture divided into the Division of Children’s Literature/Culture and the Division of Developmental Psychology.
1999	Childcare Worker Training Program established.
2001	Department of Developmental Psychology (Master’s Program) in the Graduate School of Liberal Arts divided into the Developmental Psychology Course and the Clinical Developmental Psychology Course.
2005	Kindergarten/Elementary School Teacher’s License Program established. Lifelong Learning Program established.
2014	Megumi-so, a building on the Shirayuri University campus, named a Tangible Cultural Property.
2015	Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the university’s founding.
2016	Faculty of Human Studies established. Academic offerings reorganized into two faculties and six departments.
2018	Curriculum for Certified Public Psychologist established.
2022	Shirayuri Mathematics, Data Science, and AI Education Program established.