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Doshisha University (Private)

同志社大学

Last modified: 2024-02-17 by zachary harden
Keywords: doshisha university | doshisha | triangles |
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Doshisha University
image by Shunsuke Omachi, 02 June 2023


  • About the flag and symbol
  • Sport flags
  • Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts

    • See also:

    External links:

    About the flag and symbol

    Doshisha University at Kyoto (JP) helpfully explains the emblem (adopted 1893), the colours, and the flag.

    The emblem of Doshisha, which consists of three triangles, is a stylized Assyrian letter meaning a nation or a land. It was designed by Doshisha alumnus Hangetsu Yuasa, a poet and a scholar of the Ancient Orient. Hangetsu was a professor of Theology at Doshisha University when the emblem was made. Since then, it has been interpreted as a symbol of Doshisha’s educational philosophy aiming at the harmony of three elements of education: intellectual, moral and physical educations.

    Our school colors are purple and white. The royal purple of Doshisha, which is a medium color between Tyrian purple and Edo purple, is the same school color as that of Amherst College in America where the founder, Joseph Hardy Neesima, studied. The field of the school flag is royal purple with the emblem in white.

    History highlights found on this page: http://www.doshisha.ac.jp/english/information/overview/chronology.php

    • Joseph Hardy Neesima, returning from an illegal stay in the US, founds Doshisha Academy in 1875.
    • Hospital and nurse school founded, 1887. Having hoped to found a university, Neesima dies in 1890; three-faculty university opened in 1912 and approved 1920.
    • After WWII many faculties are added and doctoral programmes established.
    Jan Mertens

    Located in Kyoto City Kyoto Prefecture and established in 1920. The university flag has purple background with a white emblem. The emblem was established in 1893. This mark, consisting of three equilateral triangles, is based on the Assyrian character "Mutsu," meaning "country" or "soil. The inventor, Yuasa Hangetsu, was a poet (his masterpiece "Twelve Stone Mounds") and ancient Orient scholar born in Doshisha. At the time of its enactment, Hangetsu was a professor at Doshisha Theological Seminary. Since its establishment, it has been interpreted as an expression of Doshisha's educational philosophy, which aims to achieve harmony among the three elements of knowledge, virtue, and body. The school colors are purple and white. The school colors are also the same as those of Amherst College in the U.S., where the founder, Joseph Hardy Neesima, studied.
    Nozomi Kariyasu, 2 June 22023

    Sport flags

    [Doshisha University]
    image by Shunsuke Omachi, 6 November 2023

    Speed skating club; The club flag has purple background with a white emblem and horizontally written kanji university and club name in white.
    Nozomi Kariyasu, 6 November 2023

    Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts

    Located in Kyotanabe City Kyoto Prefecture and established in 1949. The college flag has purple background with a white Doshisha Mutsu mark, same as Doshisha University.
    Nozomi Kariyasu, 3 June 2023

    [Doshisha University]
    image by Shunsuke Omachi, 6 November 2023

    Hardball tennis club; The club flag has purple background with a white emblem and horizontally written kanji college and club name in white. D.W.C.L.A. on the emblem is an abbreviation of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts. Adopted in 1949. The design is based on the Doshisha emblem, which expresses Doshisha's educational ideals of harmony among the three elements of wisdom, virtue, and body.
    Nozomi Kariyasu, 6 November 2023