Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

The 60-Year History of "Waseda Weekly"

It was launched as a B4-sized, 4-page, monochrome free paper (click to enlarge).

Waseda Weekly, launched in March 1966 under the name "Waseda," was published during a period of intense student unrest at Waseda University. The unrest stemmed from issues such as the management of the Second Waseda University Student Center and opposition to tuition fee increases, leading to student strikes and barricade blockades. "Waseda" was published amidst these conflicts, serving as a platform for communication between the university and students, and a forum for discussing common issues. The inaugural issue, titled "Future Challenges for the University," included interviews with the then-President and Executive Vice President, as well as messages from Dean of each faculty to students and their guardians. The text conveys the tense atmosphere on campus at the time.

Issue 17 (left), which includes the subtitle "WASEDA WEEKLY," and Issue 194 (right), which changed the name to "Waseda Weekly" (click to enlarge).

From around issue 10, published in June 1966, the publication schedule became weekly, and from issue 17, published in September after the summer break, the subtitle "WASEDA WEEKLY" was added next to the title "Waseda." The name was changed to "Waseda Weekly" from issue 194, published in October 1973.

During the peak of the student movement in 1968, the magazine published many news articles related to university issues. However, from the mid-1970s onward, as the student movement began to decline, the focus shifted to articles with a more narrative element, such as reports on student club activities.

Left: Issue 357, which featured the "Ebicha-Zone" for the first time. It also includes information on the recipients of Azusa Ono Memorial Award
Right: Issue 494, which shows the class schedule at the time. There were also articles stating that basketball court of the Memorial Hall (now Waseda Arena) was decoriated with the former university mascot character "Fukuchan" . 
*Click to enlarge

The "Ebicha-Zone" column, featuring columns by faculty members from various specialized fields, which continues to this day, began in issue 357 in April 1980. Currently, members from each faculty write anonymously, but it seems that at the beginning, the then head of the communication and Public Relations Section (a staff member) wrote it alone for three years. The memorable first column touched upon the businesses known as "Banzai-ya," "Toss-up-ya," and "Rickshaw-ya," where current students cheer, lift up, or parade successful applicants around campus on a rickshaw during the announcement of entrance exam results held on campus, and described it as "ridiculous, but a fun sight."

Furthermore, in issue 494 from June 1985, there was a notice titled "Regarding Changes to Class Schedules." It reveals that up until then, the first class period started at 8:20 a.m., and evening classes continued until 10:05 p.m., marking the eighth class period. In this way, Waseda Weekly, which has conveyed the "present" of the university, is also a valuable record for understanding the atmosphere and activities of Waseda at that time.

Issue 1150, published April 1, 2008, featured 8 color pages in A4 format (left), and the cover design and logo were revamped in April 2013 (right) (*Click to enlarge)

After that, it was revamped in April 2008 as an A4 size, 8-page color magazine, and after a cover design change in April 2013, it was reborn as a web magazine on April 1, 2016 (issue 1390). Currently, only the "Entrance Commemorative Issue" distributed to new students and the "Graduation Commemorative Issue" distributed to graduates are published in print.

Ten years have passed since it became a web magazine, and it has grown into a publication read not only by Waseda University students and faculty but also by the general public. However, Waseda Weekly will continue to deliver information useful to Waseda students. We will use feedback and opinions from our reader monitors, as well as information provided by you, to improve the magazine, so please feel free to send us your contributions. Don't forget to follow us on social media (Instagram, X, Facebook)!

Waseda Bear - Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Waseda Weekly

A special 60th-anniversary design has been added to the Waseda Bear, a design based on the Waseda Weekly magazine! The Waseda Weekly editorial office has several 60th-anniversary projects planned for 2026, so you might see it somewhere on campus in the future. You might even be able to get your hands on limited-edition novelty goods featuring this design at events and exhibitions!