SHOKEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY

History of Shokei Gakuin University

Ms. Annie S. Buzzell
Founding Principal

The roots of SHOKEI go back to 1892 in the steady missionary activities in Japan of a group of women missionaries by the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society.

Chronological History

1890
Ms. Lavinia Mead , the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Missionary, arrived at Sendai.
1892
Shokei Jogakkai (Shokei Christian Girls’ School Home) was opened with four-year General Course and four-year Bible Course.
1896
First school building "Ella O. Patrick Home" was constructed.
1899
Formally established as an accredited school (Shokei Girls' School), according to the Private Schools Law of the Ministry of Education. Annie S. Buzzell became the first principal.
1902
School Emblem was created.
1903
Alumni Association was founded.
1909
Four-year General Course was reformed to five-year Regular Course.
1917
School song and school flag were created.
1918
Supplementary Course was renamed to Research Course.
1919
Shokei Practice Kindergarten was opened.
1920
Higher Department called Koutouka was established with three-year English Course and Homemaking Course, One-year English Preparatory Course and Post-Graduate Special Course.
1921
Music Course was opened in Koutouka.
1936
  • Regular course was reformed to Four-year Women’s Higher School called Koutou-Jogakubu.
  • Koutouka was reformed to two-to-three-year Post-Graduate Department with Kindergartener Course and Commercial Course.
1940
Post-Graduate Special Course was reformed to Special Homemaking Course.
1941
Kindergartener Course was renamed to Early Childcare Course.
1942
50th Anniversary of the school.
School name was changed to Sendai Shokei Jogakkou (Sendai Shokei Girls' School).
1943
Name was changed to Sendai Shokei Koutou Jogakkou (Sendai Shokei Girl’s Higher School).
1946
Two-year English Course was re-established in the Post-Graduate Department.
1947
In accordance with the education reform, Junior High School under the new system was established.
1948
In accordance with the education reform, High School under the new system was established. Physical Education Course and Western Sewing Course was opened in the Post-Graduate Department. School Name was changed to Shokei Jogakuin (Shokei Girls’ School). School structure was divided into Junior High School Department, High School Department and the Post-Graduate Department.
1950
Post-Graduate Department was reformed to Shokei Women’s Junior College with a Home Economics Department and an English Department.
1955
Early Child Care Department for Kindergarten Teacher Training was newly established in the Junior College.
1956
Shokei Kindergarten was re-established.
1960
The Support Society was formed.
1964
Homemaking Department at the Junior College was divided into Food and Nutrition Dept. and Home Economics Dept. One-year Advanced Course of Early Childcare was established.
1967
English Department was re-established in the Junior College.
1968
Early Child Care Department for Kindergarten Teacher Training was moved to newly completed building on Nakayama College Campus.
1989
College campuses (Hachiman and Nakayama) were integrated on the Natori college campus in Natori City. Department of Human Relations was established.
1992
100th Anniversary of the school.
1993
Home Economics Department was renamed to Home Life Science Department.
1994
Advanced course of Early Childcare was granted by National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation. One-year Advanced Course of Food Nutrition Science and one-year Advanced Course of Human Relations were established, both granted by National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation.
1995
The Kindergarten was moved to Natori Campus.
2000
110th Anniversary of the school.
2002
The name Shokei Jogakuin was changed to Shokei Gakuin.
2003
  • Shokei Gakuin College, a four-year co-educational college, was established with the Faculty of Comprehensive Human Sciences consisting of the Department of Human Health and Nutrition and the Department of Human Psychology.
  • Home Life Science Department at Shokei Women's Junior College became the Department of Home and Creative Life Study.
2004
Institutional Song was created.
2005
College Club House Building was built.
2007
Three new departments - the Department of Culture and Communication Activities, the Department for the Study of Contemporary Society, and the Department of Life Environment Studies were added. In addition, the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences was established with two courses - Master's Course in Psychology and Master's Course in Nutritional Science. The school's name was changed to SHOKEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY.
2009
University Library Building and Gardening Laboratory was completed and opened.
2010
  • SHOKEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY added a new department - the Department for the Study of Children. Lifelong Learning Center was established. New Institutional Song was created.
  • The oldest school building, Ella O. Patrick Home, moved from Shokei High School campus in Sendai to university campus in Natori. It was rebuilt partially using the original wooden materials.
2012
  • The120th anniversary ceremony was held.
  • University chapel was built.
2015
The Department of Life Environment Studies was renamed to the Department of Environment Planning.
2016
Clinical Psychology Counseling Center “Tikvah” was opened.
2017
The Graduate School added the Master's Course in Humanitics.
2018
New brand concept “Passion with Mission” was introduced.
2019
The University changed its organizational structure into three colleges and five department – College of Humanities and Social Studies, College of Psychology and Education, College of Human Health and Nutrition, Department of Humanities and Social Studies, Department of Psychology, Department of the Scientific Study of Children, Department of School Education, and Department of Human Health and Nutrition.
2020
Gymnasium No.2 and Training building were built.
2022
130th Anniversary of the School.

Partner Institutions / Government

2004
Judson University (USA)
2007
  • Natori City: Coping with emergency disaster
  • Education Board of Sendai City
2009
Natori City: Collaboration of industry, government and academia
2012
Dalian University of Technology (China)
2015
Hungkuang University (Taiwan)
2016
  • The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (USA)
  • Pai Chai University (Korea)
  • The Khabarovsk Regional College of Arts (Russia)
  • Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Language (China)
2017
  • Education Board of Miyagi Prefecture
  • Kawasaki Town
  • State Institute of Art Studies (Russia)
2018
  • Aomori Prefecture: UIJ-turn placement promotion
  • University of Danang – University of Science and Education (Vietnam)
  • Olympic College (USA)
2019
  • Kanto Gakuin University
  • The Herzen State Pedagogical University (Russia)
  • Lingnan Normal University (China)
2020
  • Sendai University
  • Education Board of Watari Town
  • Ohira Village
  • Education Board of Yamamoto Town
2021
  • Education Board of Shiogama City
2022
  • Southern Cross University (Australia)