Notre Dame Seishin is a private, women-only university in Okayama, Japan. The institution is run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a worldwide Roman Catholic sisterhood.
The university celebrates its 70th year of operation in 2019, having opened in 1949. However, the relationship between the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and Okayama dates back to 1924, when six sisters from Massachusetts took over the local girls’ high school. Several Christian luminaries have visited Notre Dame Seishin over the years, including Helen Keller and Mother Teresa.
There are two faculties at the university, literature, and human life sciences. Graduate courses are offered by both. All first-year students must take a class called “On the Human Being”, which involves instruction based on the Christian ideals of the sisterhood’s 17th-century French founder St Julie Billiart.
Students at Notre Dame Seishin can embark on half-year or year-long exchange programmes with several universities abroad. These include Liverpool Hope in the United Kingdom and the university’s sister school Notre Dame de Namur in California. A three-week long English learning excursion to the University of Victoria in Canada is also possible during the summer months.
There are around 50 clubs offering extracurricular activities, including cultural, volunteering and sports groups. This includes Japanese and English-language drama societies.
Okayama is a city with a population of over 700,000, which is about an hour away by train from Osaka. It is best known for Kōraku-en, a traditional Japanese garden that was originally completed in the early 18th century, Other attractions include the city’s large 16th-century castle and two hot springs near to the city centre.
The folk tale of Japanese hero Momotarō, which means “Peach Boy”, is thought to have originated in Okayama, Momotarō, the story goes, was born out of a giant peach and gained his friends by giving them a type of dumpling called kibi dango. A snack with this name is now a regular offering of souvenir shops in the city.
