Doctorate Day

What Is Doctorate Day?

Every May 7th is "Doctorate Day" (博士の日, Hakase no Hi) in Japan. On May 7, 1888 (Meiji 21), Japan's first doctoral degrees were conferred on 25 scholars, including botanist Itō Keisuke, mathematician Kikuchi Dairoku, and physicist Yamakawa Kenjirō. The degrees were based on the Degree Ordinance (Gakui-rei) enacted the previous year, in 1887, and the occasion became a symbol of the Meiji government's efforts to build a modern academic system. Today, the day is an occasion to appreciate a passion for learning and the benefits that specialized knowledge brings to society.

Doctorates in Modern Japanese History

In those days, a doctorate was a highly prestigious title given to the scholars who supported the country's modernization.

• A system based on the Degree Ordinance: Under the 1887 Degree Ordinance, doctoral degrees were conferred by the Minister of Education. They were granted to those who passed the prescribed examinations in graduate school, or to those with equal or greater scholarly ability after deliberation by the Imperial University Council. The first 25 recipients were scholars who had already achieved much in their fields.
• Five fields, five people each: The first doctorates came in five types -- law, medicine, engineering, literature, and science -- with five recipients in each.
• "Hakase" and "hakushi": As the name of an ancient official post, 博士 was read "hakase." As an academic degree it is generally read "hakushi," but "hakase" is also widely used in everyday speech, and both readings coexist today.

The First 25

The first doctorate holders included many figures who went on to lay the foundations of Japanese scholarship and society.

• Medicine: including navy surgeon Takaki Kanehiro, known for his work on preventing beriberi.
• Engineering: including civil engineer Furuichi Kōi, who was involved in modern river and harbor works.
• Science: including botanist Itō Keisuke, pharmacologist Nagai Nagayoshi, physicist Yamakawa Kenjirō, and mathematician Kikuchi Dairoku.
• Law: including Hozumi Nobushige, who helped draft Japan's Civil Code.
• Literature: including Katō Hiroyuki, who also served as president of the University of Tokyo.

Fun Facts About Doctorates

• Itō Keisuke, one of Japan's first Doctors of Science: A scholar of herbal medicine active since the Edo period, he is also known for coining the Japanese words for "stamen," "pistil," and "pollen" in his translations. He was in his mid-80s when he received his doctorate.
• Where "doctor" comes from: The English word "doctor" is said to derive from a Latin word meaning "teacher." The doctoral degree system is said to have begun at medieval European universities.
• "T-shaped" and "π-shaped" people: Someone with one deep specialty is sometimes called "T-shaped," and someone with two is called "π-shaped" -- an idea that values both depth of expertise and breadth of vision.
• The Ig Nobel Prize: Awarded for research that "makes people laugh, and then think," it has been won by many Japanese researchers. Even humorous research can hold serious discoveries.
• Postdocs: Researchers who continue their work in fixed-term positions after earning a doctorate. How society can make the most of their knowledge and experience remains an ongoing topic of discussion.

Tips for Doctorate Day

• Pick a subject you love and go beyond summary articles -- look at specialist books or materials from public institutions that the information is based on.
• When a news story catches your eye, make a habit of checking information and data from experts in that field.
• Try asking "why?" five times. Questioning things we take for granted can plant the seeds of new ideas.
• Even without a degree, the work or hobbies you've pursued for years are real areas of expertise. Try writing down your strengths and taking stock of them.

People Who Dig Deep Expand the Horizons of Knowledge

May 7th is a day to recognize the value of being absorbed in something and pursuing it. Japan's first doctors in the Meiji era were people who had spent many years building up knowledge in their fields. A doctor is not simply someone who knows a lot, but someone who faces questions no one has answered yet and keeps experimenting. Even if answers don't come quickly, that process of trial and error becomes an asset of your own. Trust your curiosity, and why not dig deep into one thing today?