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Chronological Table

Meiji Era (1868~1912)

1880 Feb. Return of Tatsuo Kishimoto from study in France (Kozo Miyagi in June)
Dec. Application to set up Meiji Law School
(Set up within the premises of Kozo Miyagi's home at Kami 6-36, Kojimachi-ku)
1881 Jan. Opening of Meiji Law School
(In former Shimabara Clan Residence in Sukiyabashi, 3-1 Yurakucho)
1886 Aug. Official promulgation of Special Regulations Supervising Private Institutions
Dec. Relocation to new building at 11 Minami Kogacho, Kanda Surugadai from former Shimabara Clan Residence in Yurakucho)
1888 Jul. Principal and vice-principal system established. Tatsuo Kishimoto appointed as first principal and Kozo Miyagi as vice-principal
Aug. School of Law and School of Politics approved in accordance with Special Regulations Supervising Private Schools
1900 Feb. Revision of school regulations and "Meiji Law Graduate" title approved for graduates
1901 May. Adoption of school uniform and caps
1903 Aug. Meiji Law School renamed Meiji University (in accordance with the Vocational School Ordinance)
1904 May. Establishment of the School of Law, School of Politics, School of Arts and Letters, School of Commerce, and their respective departments and professional courses in each school in accordance with the revision of school regulations.
1905 Jul. University reorganized as a legal Foundation
1911 Oct. Completion of first Memorial Hall (present Surugadai Campus).
30th anniversary commemorative ceremony
1912 Apr. Death of founder Tatsuo Kishimoto
Jul. School of Politics renamed School of Politics and Economics

Taisho Era (1912~1926)

1920 Apr. University status authorized by University Law
Nov. Official declaration of the university's school song (Lyrics by Kagai Kodama, music by Kosaku Yamada)
1921 Feb. Completion of University Preparatory Course Building (Surugadai)
Apr. Establishment of an evening division of the Department of Law
1923 Apr. Establishment of an evening division of the Department of Economics
1925 Jul. School of Politics and Economics authorized

Showa Era (1926~1989)

1928 Apr. Authorization of the establishment of a Department of Law for women (Opening as Women's College the following year)
1929 Apr. Establishment of an evening division of the Department of Commerce
1930 Apr. Establishment of the Meiji University School of Commerce
1931 Dec. Department of Economics (evening division) renamed Department of Politics and Economics
1932 Apr. Establishment of the Department of Arts and Letters professional course
1933 Aug. Start of construction for relocation of the Preparatory Course to the Izumi Campus(Relocated the following year)
1939 Sep. Establishment of a new Asian Development Department, and four departments: Business Management, Trade, Agricultural Policy, and Welfare
1944 Mar. Reorganization of the Women's College as Meiji Women's College
Apr. Establishment of Tokyo Meiji Industrial Vocational School and redesignation of the Department of Commerce professional course as the Department of Business Administration
1945 Sep. Asian Development Department renamed Department of Industrial Administration
1946 Jun. Establishment of Meiji Agricultural Vocational School
1949 Feb. Reorganization of Meiji University in accordance with School Education Law, and establishment of the School of Law, School of Commerce, School of Political Science and Economics, School of Arts and Letters, School of Engineering, and School of Agriculture
Mar. Establishment of evening divisions for the School of Law, School of Commerce, School of Political Science and Economics, School of Arts and Letters
1950 Mar. Establishment of evening division to the School of Engineering
Apr. Establishment of a Two-Year Junior College (the Women's College)
1951 Mar. University reorganized as an Educational Foundation
Ikuta Campus constructed
1952 Apr. Establishment of the Graduate School
1953 Apr. Establishment of the School of Business Administration
Dec. Completion of the Graduate School Building
1957 Mar. Establishment of the Graduate School to include a Graduate School of Arts and Letters approved
1959 Apr. Establishment of the Graduate School of Agriculture and the Graduate School of Business Administration approved
1960 Mar. Departure of Alaska Scientific Survey Mission as an 80th anniversary event
1961 Mar. Approval of doctoral degree program and an Architecture degree for the Graduate School of Engineering
1963 Apr. Approval of economics doctoral degree program for the Graduate School of Politics and Economics
1965 Mar. Completion of Ikuta Campus Buildings 2-2 and 2-3
1966 Mar. Establishment of Industrial Chemistry master's and doctoral degree programs to the Graduate School of Engineering
1974 Jan. Formation of Parents Association Union
1978 Apr. Addition of master's and doctoral degree programs to Graduate School of Agriculture in Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultura Landscaping, and Agricultural Economics
1980 Nov. 100th anniversary celebration
1983 Mar. Completion of Ikuta Campus Building 3-3
1984 Apr. Completion of 100th Anniversary Memorial Library
1985 Jul. Completion of 100th Anniversary Memorial Hall
1987 May. Completion of Izumi Building Library extension
1988 Oct. Completion of Izumi Campus Building Number 1

Heisei Era (1989~2019)

1989 Feb. Completion of Ikuta Campus Building 1-4
Apr. Establishment of the School of Science and Technology (formerly the School of Engineering)
Jun. Completion of Ikuta Campus Building 2-6
1991 Jan. Completion of Ikuta Campus Central Building
1993 Apr. Establishment of the Graduate School of Science and Technology of a degree in Science and Technology and a master's degree program in Basic Science and Technology
Sep. Completion of Izumi Campus New Student Hall Number 1 (New Students' Dining Room)
1994 Mar. Completion of Surugadai Building Number 12
Oct. Compilation of "Meiji University 100 Years of History"
1995 Apr. Establishment of a doctoral degree program in Basic Science and Technology to the Graduate Department of Science and Technology
Nov. Placement of a memorial stone at the site of the founding of Meiji University(2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda Ward)
1996 Sep. Completion of Izumi Campus Gymnasium
1998 Jul. Completion of Ikuta Campus High-Tech Research Center
Completion of Ikuta Campus Building 1-5
Sep. Completion of 120th Anniversary Commemorative Hall - Liberty Tower
1999 Mar. Completion of Kiyosato Seminar House
Completion of Ikuta Campus Structural Testing Facility
Apr. Establishment of Liberty Academy
2000 Mar. Completion of Ikuta Campus Dining Hall (Square 21)
Apr. Establishment of the Department of Life Sciences in School of Agriculture
Establishment of Certification Programs for Librarians and Library Teachers
Aug. Completion of Ikuta Campus Building 1-2
Oct. Establishment of the Intellectual Properties Center
Completion of Surugadai Campus Building New Center library
2001 Nov. Events to celebrate 120th Anniversary of founding and 150th Birthday of Founders
2002 Apr. Establishment of a Department of Regional Administration in daytime division of the School of Political Science and Economics, a Department of Social Psychology in daytime division of the School of Arts and Letters, and Departments of Accounting and Administration of Public Businesses in the School of Business Administration
2004 Jan. Completion of Academy Common
Mar. Completion of Ikuta Campus Building 2-A
Apr. Establishment of the School of Information and Communication
Establishment of Graduate School of Governance Studies
Establishment of Graduate School of Global Business Research
Opening of the Law School
Establishment of Center of Clinical Psychology
Sep. Celebration events for the 100th anniversary of the School of Commerce
Nov. Celebration events for the 100th anniversary of the School of Political Science and Economics
2005 Mar. Completion of the Izumi Media Building
Apr. Dissolution of the chancellor system, and reorganization as a two leader system with a chairman of the board of trustees and president
Establishment of the Graduate School of Professional Accountancy
May. Establishment of the Research/Intellectual Properties Strategy Organization
Oct. Establishment of the Akihabara Satellite Campus
2006 Mar. Closure of Meiji University Junior College
Dec. Completed Meiji University Shikonkan Alumni Center
2007 Feb. Administration of a Joint-faculty entrance examination in 5 metropolitan locations in Japan(Tokyo/Sapporo/Sendai/Nagoya/Fukuoka)
Apr. Establishment of the Department of Electronics and Bioinformatics(Restructuring of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Department of Electronics and Communications)
2008 Apr. Establishment of the School of Global Japanese Studies
Establishment of the Graduate School of Information and Communication
Establishment of the Graduate School of Educational Design
Establishment of Innovative Research Fields Degree in Graduate School of Science and Technology
Department of Agricultural Economics of the School of Agriculture renamed the Department of Agri-food & Environmental Policy
Meiji University High School and Junior High School become coeducational and move to Chofu
2009 Mar. Completion of Izumi International House (accommodation for exchange students)
Jul. Selection of Meiji University for Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 2009 Project for Establishing Core Universities for Internationalization (Global 30)
Oct. Establishment of International Collaboration Division
Opening of Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subculture
Dec. Meijiro is chosen as the university's official mascot
2010 Apr. Opening of  the defunct Imperial Japanese Army Noborito Laboratory Museum for Education in Peace
Nov. Participation in United Nations Academic Impact
2011 Mar. Establishment of Meiji University Advanced Plant Factory Research Center
Apr. Establishment of Graduate School of Advanced Mathematical Science
Jun. Establishment of Meiji University Earthquake Reconstruction Support Center 
Jul. Opening of Meiji University Beijing Satellite Office in Beijing, China
Oct. Opening of Aku You Memorial Museum
2012 Jan. Completion of Kurokawa Field Science Center to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the founding of the university
Feb. Establishment of Meiji Institute for Global Affairs (MIGA)
Mar. Completion of new Izumi Library to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the founding of the university
Apr. Establishment of Graduate School of Global Japanese Studies
2013 Jan. Completion of Global Front (Surugadai Campus) to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the founding of the university
Construction of the Nakano Campus completed
Apr. Establishment of School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences
Aug. Opening of Meiji University ASEAN Center in Bangkok, Thailand
2014 Apr. Establishment of Graduate School of Global Governance
Sep. Selection for the Top Global University Project as a leading-global type (type B) university by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
2015 Feb. Establishment of Center for Gender Equality and Diversity
Apr. Start of Smart Career Program (Certificate Program in Career Development & Life Management for Women)
2016 Sep. “Creation of Innovative Educational System for Sustainable Society and Urban Growth” was selected under the Re-Inventing Japan Project (Type B, ASEAN) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Nov. "Meiji University Doing Mathematical Sciences -Elucidation of Complex Phenomena by Modeling" was selected under the Private University Research Branding Project (Type B) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
2017 Apr.  Adoption of New Instruction Timetable (A six-period timetable with 100 minute slots)
Nov. “Meiji University Academic Festival” held for the first time
2018 Feb. Graduate School of Global Business granted “EPAS accreditation,” an international evaluation for graduate schools of business
2019 Mar. Completion of Meiji Global Village (MGV)

Reiwa Era (2019~)

2020 Oct. The 100th anniversary of the birth of Meiji University's school song
2021 Jan. Completion of Mental Health Clinic for Children and Adolescents to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the founding of the university
2022 Mar. Completion of Izumi Learning Square