About us | Confucius Institute at Ritsumeikan

Confucius Institute at RITSUMEIKAN
	On June 28, 2005, at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo the Office of the Chinese Language Council International and the Ritsumeikan Trust entered into an agreement on the establishment of the Confucius Institute at Ritsumeikan. In October of the same year, the Confucius Institute at Ritsumeikan was established as the first Confucius Institute in Japan. Jointly operated with Peking University, the Institute engages in activities aimed at contributing to regional society and promoting international exchange and international understanding. In the context of these aims, the Institute offers a wide-ranging program in the fields of Chinese language education and training and linguistic and cultural exchange for the benefit of students, researchers, professionals, and others. In June 2006, Tokyo Confucius Classroom (Tokyo Gakudo) was established as a base in the Kanto region and, in spring 2008, Osaka Confucius Classroom (Osaka Gakudo) was established as a new base in the Kansai region with Tongji University as its partner school. In addition to these, another facility, Biwako Kusatsu Campus Confucius Classroom (BKC Gakudo) opened in 2014.
Ritsumeikan University
Ritsumeikan University, grounded in its founding spirit of “freedom and innovation” and its educational philosophy of “peace and democracy,” has consistently advanced a wide range of educational reforms aimed at cultivating individuals who, upon a firm foundation of academic competence, are able to fully realize their unique potential. The University seeks to nurture graduates who can discern social demands through multifaceted and global perspectives and who possess the capacity to take independent and responsible action. In July 2006, the Ritsumeikan Charter was enacted and has since served as a guiding framework for the ongoing and future development of the Ritsumeikan Academy. As of April 2026, Ritsumeikan University stands as a comprehensive institution comprising four campuses—Kinugasa Campus, Biwako–Kusatsu Campus, Osaka Ibaraki Campus, and Suzaku Campus—encompassing 17 colleges and 22 graduate schools. The University continues to make steady and purposeful progress toward the creation of a dynamic educational environment and the establishment of distinctive research hubs that advance academic innovation. Guided by Ritsumeikan Vision R2030, the University has articulated two defining pillars for its future direction: 1. the realization of a next-generation research university capable of generating new value; and 2. the cultivation of innovative and creative human resources who will drive societal progress. To achieve these aims, Ritsumeikan University has formulated the Challenge Design initiative and is actively pursuing a broad array of undertakings and reforms that respond effectively to contemporary challenges.
Suzaku Campus	Kinugasa Campus	Biwako/Kusatsu Campus	Ritsumeikan Asia pacific Univ.
Origin of the name Ritsumeikan
The word ritsumei, which evokes the idea of ‘building one’s life’, is inspired by a passage in a classical Chinese work, Mencius, which says that the length of our life on earth is decreed by heaven and that our duty while on earth is to cultivate mind and body while patiently awaiting heaven’s decree. Ritsumeikan is thus a place where we fulfill this duty to educate ourselves and by doing so build our own future.
History of Friendship between Ritsumeikan University and China
	Ritsumeikan has long placed great importance on fostering exchanges between Japan and China. Even prior to the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the University received and extended its welcome to distinguished delegations from China, including the Chinese Red Cross Society Delegation headed by Li Dequan in 1954 and 1957, as well as the Academic Study Delegation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences led by Guo Moruo in 1955. Following China’s “Reform and Opening-up,” the advancement of internationalization at Ritsumeikan University led to a substantial increase in the number of students from China, with annual enrollment exceeding 1,900 students at its peak. Conversely, approximately 170 Ritsumeikan students participate each year in official university programs to pursue studies at partner institutions in China. Since 2004, the Special Training Program for University Administrative Leaders in China has invited a cumulative total of approximately 950 Chinese university faculty and administrative officials. In recent years, the University has also welcomed visits by senior officials of the Chinese government. These developments attest to the longstanding record of peaceful and scholarly exchange between Ritsumeikan and China, as well as the achievements of the Confucius Institute at Ritsumeikan, and have contributed to further deepening bilateral academic relations.