Founder of Waseda University : Shigenobu Okuma

In examining Ōkuma's accomplishments, one cannot underestimate the importance of Azusa Ono. Ono assisted Ōkuma in establishing the Rikken Kaishintō (Constitutional Reform Party) and in founding Waseda University. In addition, he wrote extensively concerning liberalism and democracy.

Ono's activities attracted a group of Tokyo Imperial University (present-day The University of Tokyo) students, which included Sanae Takata, Tameyuki Amano, and Kenkichi Ichishima. Another member of the group was Shōyō Tsubouchi, who had a close relationship with Takata. These young men were inspired by Ōkuma's dream to create a private university and took the initiative in helping to create Tokyo Senmon Gakkō (College). In the future, each of them made their own unique contributions to Waseda University's development and improvement.

Unfortunately, Ono died at the young age of thirty-three (at the age of thirty-five according to the traditional Japanese system of age reckoning).  Takata and the others were despondent over Ono's death, but they carried on his legacy by laying the foundation for the university's future development.

It is well known that a steady stream of guests visited the Ōkuma Residence at Waseda.

Ōkuma's love of guests was perhaps due to the influence of his mother, Miiko. Reminiscing about his mother, Ōkuma writes: “I was brought up under the sole care of my mother. When I reached the age of fifteen or sixteen I had become a veritable “boss” of my chums. Meanwhile the circle of my acquaintance widened; and many of my friends used to come to my house for social pleasures so that a sort of club life was created under my roof. This kind of life was welcome to my mother because she was always glad to show hospitality. Whenever I has such a party at my home, which was quite frequent, my mother would prepare with her own hand a meal or cakes such as would appeal to the young palate. ”
(from “Ōkuma-haku Hyakuwa (Marquis Ōkuma: A Hundred Stories)”).

The photographs on "Hakushaku Okuma-ke Shashin-cho (Photo Albums of Marquis Ōkuma Family)" reveal that the family had an elegant, spacious kitchen, extensively furnished with all sorts of cooking utensils. On the cutting edge of its day, the kitchen had an area of 25 tsubo (over 82 square meters). With skylights in the ceiling, it was bright and sanitary. Gas was used for cooking, so there was no need to store wood or charcoal. This was extremely practical.

According to the detailed records of Kenkichi (Shunjō) Ichishima, during the single year of 1912 (Meiji 45), Ōkuma had 22, 963 guests and served 3,714 meals.

(From “Episode—Ōkuma Shigenobu (Episodes in the Life of Shigenobu Ōkuma)”)