FOUNDATION OF THE SCHOOL学校の創立

Our school was founded by Masako Urushi in 1925, who is the present principal's great-grandmother and whose father was a member of Diet. In those days in Japan, women didn't have the right to vote and had difficulty working in society. Moreover, they even had trouble in their marriages. At the time, a woman was supposed to marry a man decided by her parents, and Masako too married a man her father introduced her to. In such hard times, she thought about founding a school in which girls could acquire knowledge and skills to be active in a variety of fields in society. That's why she founded our school, Shinagawa Joshi Gakuin.
On September 1st, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake hit Tokyo and caused a lot of damage. It is said about 1.9 million people were injured and about 105,000 were killed or missing. Shinagawa city in Tokyo, where Masako and her family had lived, was also seriously injured. The group she was leading contributed to the reconstruction of the region by running the shelters for the refugees.　Her contribution was highly praised, and her spirit to bring up women who can play an active part in society became known to the municipal government, who later offered her the funds and the materials to build a new school. Our philosophy to produce women who can contribute to society has been the same all throughout the century.

Our school was founded in 1925 by Masako Urushi, the great-grandmother of our current chairperson. Her father was a member of the Diet. At that time in Japan, women did not have the right to vote and faced significant barriers to participating in society. They also had limited freedom in marriage, often expected to marry partners chosen by their families. Masako herself followed this path.

Amid such circumstances, she envisioned a school where girls could gain the knowledge and skills needed to play active roles in society. This vision led to the founding of Shinagawa Joshi Gakuin.

On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck Tokyo, causing devastating damage. It is estimated that about 1.9 million people were injured, and approximately 105,000 people were killed or went missing. Shinagawa, where Masako and her family lived, was also severely affected. Leading a volunteer group, she supported disaster victims and contributed to regional recovery by operating shelters for displaced people.

Her efforts were widely recognized, and her vision of empowering women to contribute to society drew the attention of the municipal government, which later provided support to establish the school. Since its founding, our philosophy of nurturing women who contribute meaningfully to society has remained unchanged.