Jo Niijima's Story

Synopsis

During the final years of the Edo period, Jo Niijima took every risk to journey to America in pursuit of freedom. With the help of compassionate people in his new homeland, he gained a progressive, democratic education at three separate schools. While studying overseas, Niijima understood that Japan needed a system of learning that cultivated self-reliant citizens with strong ethical principles in order to evolve into a modern nation. After coming back to Japan, he committed himself to establishing an American-style institution, taking up the immense challenge of creating the country’s first private university. Although Niijima never witnessed his university dream become reality during his own life, his aspiration persists through the students, graduates, and faculty of today’s Doshisha.