Course Description

　Shigenobu Okuma (1838-1922) played an important role in the formation of Japan's modern state, serving as Prime Minister twice during the Meiji and Taisho periods, and founding Waseda University. Next year (2022) will mark the 100th anniversary of Okuma's death, but not much is known about his life, achievements and ideas. In this class, we will read the speeches and talks that Shigenobu Okuma published in his later years to understand the background of the times, and to consider the contemporary significance of the ideas he left behind.