"It is not enough that a university be founded simply by money; there has also to exist a spirit to seek after truth and to love wisdom. The classrooms may not even provide shelter from the rain, and there may not be enough desks, but so long as the teachers and students have the spirit to search for truth, then the university is a true university". (From a speech given by University President Kiichi Honma at the third entrance ceremony in 1949.)

"We used the tables of the old military academy as desks. There were no cupboards and the window panes were broken, so books and papers were blown away by the wind and we needed pieces of wood and stone to hold them in place. In the campus compound we raised domestic cattle and planted sweet potatoes...... but the students and professors were full of hope and they were happy in their minds..." (From the History of Aichi University: First Twenty Years.)

The founders said that the old academic system had no power to prevent a hopeless war, and it was therefore necessary to create a new system. gA university should be a palace of Truth, and there should be freedom of thought and freedom of study". Upon this the founders were determined. (From the History of Aichi University's First Ten Years.) In April 1947 there were thirteen junior department students, twenty one sophomore students, and one hundred and seventy four freshmen, bringing the student numbers to a total of two hundred and seven. The school uniform consisted sometimes of geta (Japanese Sandals), sometimes of towels sewn together, sometimes of army greatcoats and navy trousers, and the students did not mind wearing worn out shoes...... it was in this manner that Aichi University got started after the war.

Aichi University's Emeritus President Kiichi Honma was the Father of the University. He had been the last President of the Toa Dobun Shoin in Shanghai, and he put his whole heart and soul into the foundation of Aichi University. He was both the second and fourth President of Aichi University. Professor Joh Koiwai who had been Head of the Faculty of Law and Literature at Toa Dobun Shoin also played an important part in the founding of Aichi University. He was the University's third President in 1955. Without the devoted efforts of these two men it is unthinkable that Aichi University could exist now.

In December 1955 a delegation led by the Vice President of Canton's Zhong Shan University Mr Feng Nai Chao came to visit Aichi University. At a reception given in his honour by the students Mr Feng gave his impressions of Aichi University at that time. gI could hardly have imagined the close relationship between the President, the Professors and the students in this college, and the lively tradition here. I think there must be very few colleges like this in Japan. I think that the way of thinking at Aichi University is appropriate to the present circumstances, and that the work and study here is closely related to the needs of the real world." This was the first step of many in the exchanges between our university and China after the war.

The combined efforts of teacher and students have created a truly democratic university, which is run entirely by elected representatives of the academic and administrative staff, and where academic freedom and student rights are carefully maintained.

A Landmarks in the History of the University

Teachers of the former Toa Dobun Shoin University, Seoul Imperial University and Taipei Imperial University take the first steps to establish a campus in Toyohashi.

The Law and Economics Faculty opens.

The Institute of International Affairs is established.

After the Educational Reforms of this year, the Law and Economics Faculty sets up a Law Department and Economics Department, and a Sociology Department is opened in the Faculty of Literature.

The Faculty of Literature is formally established, and a Literature Department set up.

The Community Research Institute is established.

The Research Institute of Industry in Chubu District is established.

The Comprehensive Chinese-Japanese Dictionary Editing Centre is established.

The Management and Accounting Research Centre is established.

The Law and Economics Faculty adds a Business Administration Department to its Daytime School.

A Doctorate Course of Private Law begins in the Graduate School of Law.

The Law and Economics Faculty opens a night school in Toyohashi Campus. In October the Research Building and the Library are completed on Toyohashi Campus.

The Comprehensive Chinese-Japanese Dictionary is published.

A Doctorate Course is started in the Graduate School of the Economics Department.

The 30th anniversary of the founding is celebrated with the opening of the Memorial Hall on Toyohashi Campus.

A Doctorate Course begins in the Graduate School of Business Administration.

200,000 square meters of building land is purchased in Miyoshi Town.

Aichi University concludes an educational exchange agreement with Tianjin's Nankai University, and with Peking Gogen Gakuin.

Aichi University concludes educational agreements with Peking's Second Foreign Language School, the Shanghai Foreign Language University and Fudan University.

A Revised Edition of the Comprehensive Chinese-Japanese Dictionary is published.

Aichi University concludes an educational exchange agreement with Reading University in England.

The new Nagoya Campus opens at Miyoshi.

The Law and Economics Faculty is divided into three, with the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Business Administration going to the new Nagoya Campus at Miyoshi, and the Faculty of Economics remaining behind in Toyohashi with the Faculty of Literature.

Master's Courses of Chinese Studies and Humanities open in the Graduate School.

Doctorate Courses of Chinese Studies and Humanities open in the Graduate School.

THE IDEALS OF THE UNIVERSITY ARE EXPRESSED ON A STONE MONUMENT AT TOYOHASHI CAMPUS

"We must rebuild the new Japan as a land of culture and honesty. We must give up our militaristic and aggressive ideas, and democratize our society. The new Japan must contribute to world peace and world culture.

To accomplish all these things it is our urgent task to train young people to be educated and concerned with study and culture, and considerate of each other. We have to try to find solutions to many problems.

The most important reason for establishing Aichi University is in short to train young Japanese people so that they can make a contribution to world peace".

The BELL of Freedom and Suffering

The original Bell of Freedom and Suffering was presented by the graduates of 1951 to commemorate their graduation. The bell was hung from a branch of a pine in those days, and an old janitor used to ring it every day to inform the students of the time. The students started and ended classes at the sound of the bell. Next some graduates decided that they would make a tower for the bell, or at least put up some pillars for it to hang on. They got the idea of the words (freedom) and (suffering) from Professor Koiwai's book and these they carved on the wooden pillars.