It was founded as a school for Buddhist priests of the Nishi Hongan-ji denomination in 1639, and became a secularized university in 1876. The university's professors and students founded the literary magazine Chūōkōron in 1887.
The school was initially founded as a Buddhist seminary in 1639 and later transformed into a secular university in 1876.  The university's faculty and students initiated the literary magazine Chūōkōron in 1887.