The first Japanese students in the United Kingdom arrived in the nineteenth century, sent to study at University College London by the Chōshū and Satsuma domains, then the Bakufu (Shogunate). Many went on to study at Cambridge University and a smaller number at Oxford University until the end of the Meiji period. The primary motive for this was an effort to modernise Japan in the long run. Since the 1980s, Japanese students in the United Kingdom have become common thanks to cheaper air travel.
Chōshū Five (1863)
At University College London supervised by Professor Alexander William Williamson
Itō Shunsuke (later Itō Hirobumi) – Genrō, 1st, 5th, 7th, and 10th Prime Minister of Japan Inoue Monta (later Inoue Kaoru) – Genrō, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Commerce, Home, and Treasury Nomura Yakichi (later Inoue Masaru) – 1st Director of Railways (Tetsudō-chō) Endō Kinsuke – Head of Japan Mint (Zōheikyoku) Yamao Yōzō – Minister of Industry, Director of Cabinet Legislation Bureau
Satsuma students (1865)
15 Satsuma students, one from Tosa and one from Nagasaki, and 4 supervisors (ometsuke). This group also studied at University College London which was open to students of all religions. Niiro Hisanobu(Niiro Chuzō) - Leader of Students, Karō of Satsuma-Han Matsuki Kōan (later Terashima Munenori) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Education Godai Tomoatsu (Godai Saisuke) - Founder of Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Osaka Securities Exchange Mori Arinori - 1st Minister of Education, Founder of Hitotsubashi University Machida Hisanari - Ōmetsuke of Satsuma-Han, 1st Curator of Imperial Museum of Japan (later Tokyo National Museum) Machida Shinsirō - brother of Machida Hisanari Machida Seizō (later Takarabe Saneyuki) - brother of Machida Hisanari Hatakeyaka Hatanosuke (later Hatakeyama Yoshinari) - head of Kaisei Gakkō (開成学校, one of predecessor of University of Tokyo), member of Iwakura Mission Murahashi Hisanari - founder of brewery of Kaitakushi (Hokkaido Development Commission), later Sapporo Brewery Asakura Moriaki (later Asakura Moriaki) redeveloper of Ikuno Silver Mine Sameshima Naonobu - Envoy to France Matsumura Junzō - Vice Admiral of Imperial Japanese Navy, Director of Imperial Japanese Naval Academy Takami Yaichi (former Ōishi Danzō) formerly rōnin of Tosa-Han, assassin of Yoshida Tōyō Yoshida Kiyonari - Envoy to USA Isonaga Hirosuke (later Nagasawa Kanaye) - winemaker of Fountain Grove Winery in California Nakamura Hironari (or Nakamura Hakuai) - Ministry to Belgium, member of House of Peers Hori Takayuki - Interpreter of Dutch language in Nagasaki Nagoya Tokinari Togo Ainoshin - died in Boshin War
Bakufu students (1866)
Supervisors: Kawaji Taro Nakamura Keisuke
Students: (12) Naruse Jogoro Toyama Sutehachi, Mitsukuri Keigo Fukuzawa Einosuke (no relation of Fukuzawa Yukichi) Hayashi Tozaburo (later Hayashi Tadasu) Ito Shonosuke Okukawa Ichiro Yasui Shinpachiro Mitsukuri Dairoku (later Kikuchi Dairoku) Ichikawa Morisaburo Sugi Tokujiro Iwasa Genji
Students in the Meiji era
Cambridge University
Kikuchi Dairoku
Suematsu Kenchō
Inagaki Manjirō
Okura Kishichiro
Tanaka Ginnosuke
Oxford University
Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu
Hachisuka Mochiaki
Nanjo Bunyu - professor of Sanskrit at Tokyo University
Takakusu Junjiro
Naval trainees
Prince Arisugawa Takehito
Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito
Tōgō Heihachirō
Yuzuru Hiraga
Other
Hayashi Tadasu
Takamine Jōkichi
After World War II
Naruhito, Emperor of Japan, Oxford
Masako, Empress of Japan, Oxford
Aiko, Princess Toshi, Eton
Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan, Oxford
Mako Komuro, University of Edinburgh, University of Leicester
Princess Kako of Akishino, University of Leeds
Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, Oxford
Princess Tomohito of Mikasa, Rosslyn College
Princess Akiko of Mikasa, Oxford
Hisako, Princess Takamado, Cambridge
Princess Tsuguko of Takamado, University of Edinburgh
Katsuhiko Oku, Oxford
Hisashi Owada, Cambridge
see also: "For Japan’s royals, studying abroad is freedom"
See also
Rikkyo School in England
Teikyo School United Kingdom
Teikyo University of Japan in Durham
Gyosei International School UK (closed) Gyosei International College in the U.K. (closed) Japanese community in the United Kingdom Japan–United Kingdom relations