Kumamoto University
Faculty of Law

Kumamoto University was established under the National School Establishment Law in 1949, incorporating the six schools of the Fifth High School, Kumamoto Technical College, Kumamoto Pharmaceutical College, Kumamoto Medical University, Kumamoto Teachers College, and Kumamoto Normal School for Youth. Kumamoto University started with six faculties – the Faculties of Law and Letters, Science, Engineering, Pharmacy, Medicine and Education. The Faculty of Law and Letters grew out of the Humanities and Social Sciences Departments of the Fifth High School, where celebrated professors including Jigoro Kano, Lafcadio Hearn (Yakumo Koizumi), and Soseki Natsume taught. In 1979, the Faculty of Law and Letters was reorganized into two faculties, the present Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Letters.

The Graduate School of Law (Major of Law) was established in 1972. Then, in April 2008, the new Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences, comprising the Master's Program and the Doctoral Program, was created by reorganizing and integrating the existing Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences (master's and doctoral programs), the Graduate School of Letters (master's program), and the Graduate School of Law (master's program).