"Do We Go to School Just to Learn Housework?"... Japanese Women's University to Abolish Its 100-Year-Old Flagship 'Faculty of Home Economics'

Japan Women's University Announces Restructuring of 100-Year-Old School of Home Economics
Departments such as Child Studies, Housing, and Food to Be Transferred to Other Faculties
A Move to Overcome Declining Popularity of Women's Universities a

Introduction photo of the Department of Home Economics at Japan Women's University.

A women's university in Japan with a history of more than 120 years has decided to abolish its flagship Faculty of Home Economics. The university will transfer the departments under this faculty to other faculties. This measure reflects a decline in the school-age population, the waning popularity of women's universities, and changing social trends.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun on the 17th (local time), Japan Women's University, located in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, announced on this day a restructuring plan to make all departments under the Faculty of Home Economics independent as separate faculties by 2028. The Mainichi reported, "The name 'Faculty of Home Economics,' which has been the representative brand of Japan Women's University and has provided education aimed at 'improving quality of life' for over 100 years, will disappear into history."

The Faculty of Home Economics was established when Japan Women's University opened as its predecessor, Japan Women's Graduate School, and has produced about 40,000 graduates to date. However, as times have changed, the image of "home economics" has also shifted, leading to a narrower perception of the field as merely "the study of household skills." The university explained that the purpose of this restructuring is to make the characteristics of each field more clearly communicated by making each department independent as a separate faculty.

Promotional photo of a Japanese women's university.

According to the university, the current departments under the Faculty of Home Economics are: Department of Child Studies, Department of Food and Nutrition (Plant Science Major), Department of Food and Nutrition (Registered Dietitian Major), Department of Housing Studies (Residential Environment Design Major), Department of Housing Studies (Architectural Design Major), Department of Clothing Science, and Department of Family Economics. Previously, the Architectural Design Major of the Department of Housing Studies became the Faculty of Architectural Design in 2024, and the Plant Science Major became the Faculty of Food Science in 2025. Of the three departments still recruiting students, the Department of Family Economics will be reorganized as the Faculty of Economics in 2027, and the Department of Child Studies will become the Faculty of Human Sciences in 2028. Lastly, the Department of Clothing Science, which was the final remaining department, will be relaunched as the Faculty of Fashion Design in 2028.

President Satoko Shinohara stated at a press conference, "As the fields in which women are active in society expand, there is increasing demand for practical and STEM-related studies directly connected to career development and requiring high levels of expertise. Under the Faculty of Home Economics system, the expertise of each major was not easily visible to outsiders, but after the restructuring, their distinctive features will become much clearer. Going forward, it will create a structure where higher levels of expertise can be cultivated in each field."

As of 2025, the number of women's universities in Japan has decreased by 30% compared to the peak in 1998, and 70% of them are reported to be under-enrolled. As a result, many are transitioning to coeducational institutions or suspending student recruitment.