Emerging from the bustling streets of Osaka, we find ourselves before the Faculty of Economics at Osaka University. Did you know this institution’s story begins not with economics, but with a near-disaster? Established in 1932 as the Naniwa Higher Commercial School, the institution faced imminent closure just a few years later. A generous donation by Dr. Iwao Kokusho in 1935 breathed new life into the struggling school, renaming it the Showa Higher Commercial School. The Faculty of Economics, Osaka University’s first faculty, emerged as a cornerstone of the newly chartered university in 1949. This resilience continued throughout World War II. With most students enlisted, the focus shifted. The Osaka Women’s College of Economics was established in 1944, later becoming a co-educational institution known as the Osaka College of Economics in 1946. Today, the Faculty of Economics stands as a testament to this legacy of perseverance and adaptation. The faculty has seen remarkable growth, adding graduate programs in 1966, a doctoral program in 1968, and continues to shape economic thought in Japan and beyond.
旧守口市立下島小学校
Shimojima Elementary School’s bell echoed one last time in March 2024. This marked the end of its 49-year history. It