- BUNKA FASHION COLLEGE History
- BUNKA GAKUEN UNIVERSITY History
1919
Namiki Women's and Children's Dressmaking School established.
1922
Bunka Sewing School opened.
Isaburo Namiki established the Bunka-style pattern cutting method and authored Lecture Notes on Women’s and Children’s Clothing (Fujin Kodomo Fuku Kogiroku).
1923
School name changed to Bunka Sewing School for Women. Accredited as Japan's first school of Western-style sewing. Decision that June 23 be the anniversary of the school's founding.
1927
Bunka Sewing School for Women moved to the current location in Yoyogi, Tokyo.
1934
Complete Book on Dressmaking (Yosai Zensho) and fashion magazine Fashion Culture (Fukuso Bunka) published.
1935
Incorporated Foundation Namiki Gakuen authorized.
1936
Six-volume Bunka Dressmaking Course (Bunka Yosai Koza) completed.
Fashion research magazine Soen launched.
Bunka Sewing School for Women changed its name to Bunka Fashion College (Bunka Fukuso Gakuin).
1946
Bunka Fashion College’s opening ceremony held following the end of World War II. Morning, afternoon, and evening (every other day) three-session system established.
1947
Bunka Fashion College Chain School System established.
1950
Bunka Women's Junior College opened.
1953
Bunka Fashion College established Japan’s first Fashion Model Training Department.
Fashion shows held at the school and in Tokyo (Tokyo Kaikan), Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka, inviting Christian Dior and his delegation from France.
1954
Bunka Fashion College covered in the New York Times.
Fashion show held, inviting Howard Greer and his delegation from the USA.
1955
Circular school building completed.
1956
Soen Award, considered a gateway to success for fashion designers, established in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Soen.
1957
Male students enrolled in Bunka Fashion College’s instructor course for the first time since the school opened.
Bunka Fashion College Correspondence Education Division set up.
1958
French designer Pierre Cardin visited Japan and held a show at Bunka Fashion College’s auditorium.
1960
Fashion magazine High Fashion launched.
Namiki Gakuen sends its first clothing research delegation to the West. Second and third delegations sent later.
1961
Show of French designers, Maggy Rouff and Jacques Griffe, held.
Pierre Cardin visited Bunka Fashion College again and was made an honorary professor of the school.
High Fashion’s Pierre Cardin Prize established.
Women’s magazine Mrs. (Misesu) launched.
1962
Hokuryuko Lodge and Bunka Hokuryuko Ski Area opened.
1963
Design awards Endo Award and Namiki Award established in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Bunka Gakuen.
1964
Bunka Women's University opened.
Bunka Women's Junior College becomes Bunka Women's University Junior College.
1966
Paris Branch of Soen opened in Paris, France.
1967
Karuizawa Lodge opened.
1969
Bunka Women's University Muroran Junior College opened.
Bunka Women's University Library (currently Bunka Gakuen Library) opened.
British Fair Fashion Show, co-organized by the British government, held at Toranomon Hall in Tokyo.
Bunka Fashion College’s partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), State University of New York in New York City, USA established.
1972
Bunka Women's University Graduate School established.
Sumire Kindergarten affiliated with Bunka Women's University opened.
1973
Corporate name changed to Educational Foundation Bunka Gakuen.
London Fashion Festival, co-organized by the British government, held at Toranomon Hall in Tokyo.
1974
Suginami Senior High School affiliated with Bunka Women's University opened.
1975
Pierre Cardin visited Bunka Fashion College again and held a fashion show at the school auditorium.
1976
Bunka Fashion College approved as a vocational college under a special training college system.
Kindergarten affiliated with Bunka Women's University Muroran Junior College opened.
1979
Endo Memorial Hall completed.
Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum opened.
1980
Bunka Institute of Language opened.
Fashion Creation Department, Fashion Technology Department, and Fashion Marketing and Distribution Department established as part of Bunka Fashion College’s education system reforms.
1983
Bunka Fashion College’s Fashion Accessories and Textiles Department established.
Nagano High School and Nagano Vocational School affiliated with Bunka Women's University opened.
1985
Kodaira campus completed.
1986
Suginami Junior High School affiliated with Bunka Women's University opened.
1989
Graduate school’s Doctoral Program in Environmental Clothing Studies established.
1991
University’s Faculty of Literature established at the Kodaira campus.
1994
Bunka Fashion College started new curriculum system and transferred to credits system.
1996
Bunka Fashion Open College opened.
1998
A 21-story skyscraper (A, B and C Wings) completed as the new school building.
Graduate school’s Master’s Program in Living Environment Studies established.
1999
Bunka Gakuen Fashion Resource Center opened.
Bunka Research Lab for General Study of Fashion, the Bunka Research Lab for Style and Function of Fashion, and the Bunka Research Lab for Future Fashion established.
2000
The Plaza completed.
University’s Faculty of Home Economics divided into the Faculty of Fashion Science and the Faculty of Art and Design under a new education and research system.
2002
Bunka Gakuen International Communication Center completed.
2003
Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building completed.
Bunka Fashion Business School opened.
Bunka Research Lab for Clothing Environment and the Bunka Research Lab for Dwelling Environment opened.
Bunka Fashion College opened Japan Bunka Fashion College at Donghua University in China.
University’s BUNKA Festival selected as “Support Program for Distinctive University Education” of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.
2004
Bunka Fashion College’s review board meeting convened for the Endo, Namiki, and Men’s Fashion Awards that were renamed the Bunka Fashion College Fashion Contest.
University’s Faculty of Literature name changed to Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
History of Japan’s Fashion exhibition held at the Nagano Prefectural Shinano Art Museum in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Bunka Gakuen and the 20th anniversary of Bunka Nagano Gakuen.
2005
Bunka Gakuen Intellectual Property Center opened.
University hosted the annual conference of the 7th International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes (IFFTI).
2006
Bunka Fashion Graduate University (BFGU) opend.
2007
Bunka Fashion College’s four-year Creative Design (Advanced Diploma) course established.
2008
Bunka Fashion College Hiroshima opend.
Bunka Fashion Research Institute opened.
University’s admission quota for international students established.
Bunka Gakuen Academic Archive Center completed.
2010
Bunka Fashion Incubation completed.
2011
Binka Women’s University and Bunka Women’s University Junior College changed its name to Bunka Gakuen University and Bunka Gakuen University Junior College.
Bunka Gakuen International Institute of Fashion in Industry and Academia established.
2012
University and Junior College’s male-female co-education started at all faculties and departments. The first class of male students enrolled.
Bunka Fashion College’s second collaboration school in China, Lumei & Bunka International Fashion College, opened at the Dalian campus of LuXun Academy of Fine Arts.
2013
Bunka Research Lab for Fashion Textiles,
Laboratory for Japanese Dress Culture opened.
Former Fuji Student Hall renovated and opened as Shion Student Hall.