The Lack of Daimyo Residences and the Influence of Private Railway Networks?

Enjoying campus life in the city center—such a dream may be difficult to realize in Osaka. The number of universities headquartered in Osaka city is only about 10% of those in the 23 wards of Tokyo. Even Osaka University’s main campus is located outside the city. Why are there so few universities in Osaka city? The answer can be found by looking into history.

One hour by train from Osaka’s Umeda Station. Upon exiting the Osaka Monorail station, you are greeted by the Osaka University Suita Campus. Located in a peaceful hilly area adjacent to the Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, the 1 million square meter campus is home to Osaka University’s origins, including its medical school.

On campus, students were spending their time as they pleased, spreading out lunches or books on the grass or benches.

Osaka University, which traces its origins to the Tekijuku, founded by Ogata Koan in the Edo period, was established in 1931 as Osaka Imperial University with two faculties: the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science. In 1933, the Faculty of Engineering was opened in Higashino (now near Kyobashi).

In the 1960s, the number of students increased. The campus in the city center, surrounded by existing buildings, had limited room for expansion. As a result, the Faculty of Science was moved to Toyonaka City in 1966, and the Faculty of Engineering was relocated to Suita City in 1970.

When speaking with Professor Makoto Suga of the Osaka University Museum Links, he explained, “Due to the Factory and Other Restrictions Law (1964–2002), which limited the expansion of university facilities in urban areas, the only way to build new classrooms and laboratory facilities was to move the campus out of Osaka city.”

The Factory and Other Restrictions Law was designed to prevent population concentration in the city center and restricted the construction of facilities such as universities. The impact was significant, leading to the outflow of universities from the city during the 1960s to 1990s, and many universities were newly established in the suburbs.

According to the 2023 Basic School Survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, only 15 universities are headquartered in Osaka city, far behind Tokyo’s 23 wards (101 universities) and even below Kobe city (17 universities).

Despite the Factory and Other Restrictions Law being applied to other cities like Tokyo, why are there fewer universities in Osaka city?

Professor Taro Amano of Doshisha Women’s University explains, “Osaka city originally had a small land area, and unlike Tokyo’s 23 wards or Kyoto city, there were no large public lands such as former samurai residences. Even before the shift of campuses to the suburbs, there were few universities in Osaka city.”

When looking at universities like the University of Tokyo, which has a vast campus in Tokyo’s 23 wards on the site of the former Kaga Domain residence, or Kyoto University and Doshisha University, which also utilized former samurai and government-related facilities, this explanation makes sense.

Professor Amano also points out, “Private railway networks such as Hankyu Railway and Keihan Railway, which connect Osaka with Kyoto and Kobe, were developed early, making it unnecessary to build campuses in the cramped Osaka city center.”

Kwansei Gakuin University, which opened in 1922, also originated in Osaka city but established its campus in the suburban area of Senriyama. Kentaro Sato, a curator at the university’s annual history compilation office, states, “Senriyama, with good access to the city and the ability to secure a large area of land, was likely a convenient location.” The university’s relocation was also tied to private railway line developments, such as the extension of the Kita-Osaka Electric Railway the year before the university opened.

Of the eight major private universities in the Kansai region known as “Kankan Douritsu” and “Sankin Kouryo,” only Kansai University and Kinki University have their main campuses in Osaka Prefecture. In contrast to many of the leading private universities in the Kanto region, such as “Wako Gakusho” (Wako University) and “GMARCH,” which have their main campuses in the 23 wards of Tokyo, the dispersion of universities in Kansai at the prefectural level is striking.

Professor Takeaki Obara of Hosei University states, “Because of the region’s characteristic focus on commerce, there may not have been as many universities focused on academics and human resource development.” It may be interesting to explore and visit universities while researching the origins of their campuses.

Return to the city center with satellite campuses

The trend of universities returning to the city center is advancing nationwide. In Tokyo, universities such as Toyo University, Chuo University, and Aoyama Gakuin University have relocated their campuses to the city center. Hiroshi Kobayashi, Director of Recruit’s Higher Education Research Institute, explains, “With the decreasing young population, universities are focusing on transportation convenience to secure students.”

In Osaka, more universities are establishing satellite campuses. In September 2024, Ritsumeikan University and Osaka University set up bases as tenants in the complex facility “Grand Green Osaka,” directly connected to Osaka Station.

Keira Kuroki, Director of the Regional Collaboration Promotion Division at the Kinki Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry, points out, “The main purpose is to create a hub for industry-academia-government collaboration.” Ritsumeikan University’s event space is also available for business professionals. The goal is to create a space where students can casually consult about entrepreneurship, job hunting, and other related topics.

Original Article: https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUF2945S0Z21C24A0000000/

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