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Message from the University
President

Message from the University President

Practicing the school motto of "shaga-shojin", and striving to become an open-minded, compassionate and capable person.

Den-en Chofu University specializes in "social welfare" education and research to cultivate and foster talented young people who can work in welfare services that support all life stages, from "early childhood to late adulthood".
Our university strives to accomplish its goal of nurturing welfare professionals who can address the welfare needs of the future. Our university has its origins in Chofu Girl's School (established in 1926) and has throughout its history based its educational practices on the school motto of "shagashojin" (a Japanese phrase that means in today’s context putting aside one’s self to diligently help society). This phrase guides our basic principle of "nurturing human beings with caring and kind hearts who are open-minded, competent, and rich in humanity, and who also have the capability to think and actively contribute to the local and international communities".
Currently, Japan is facing the serious problem of a declining birthrate and aging population. Japan's population is aging at a rapid rate, exceeding that of the EU and the United States. One outcome is an increasing non-working elderly population. At the same time, Japan is battling a declining birthrate. If the total fertility rate does not increase and no progress is made toward accepting more foreign workers, it is predicted that Japan's present population of 127 million people could decrease by 65% over the coming 100 years. These demographic changes point to the need to nurture professionals in the social welfare and child care fields who can support people affected by significant social transition. At Den-en Chofu University, we are endeavoring to become a leading and trusted educational institution in these academic areas.
Although we are a modest university in enrollment numbers, we are proud of our comfortable and friendly small-class educational environment, in which instructors are able to interact with all students and guide them with individual care and consideration.