[2] The university has produced over 40 senior bureaucrats for the Japanese government, including Masayoshi Ōhira, who served as the prime minister of Japan.

Founded by Arinori Mori in 1875, Hitotsubashi was initially called the Institute for Business Training (商法講習所, Shōhō Kōshujo).

During his time in Europe, Shibusawa studied European banking and economic systems, which he later brought back to Japan.

The school's growth was supported by Shibusawa, Takashi Masuda, and other prominent business figures.

[3][4] There were plans to merge the institute into the University of Tokyo as part of the economics department in the 1900s, but alumni and students objected—the merger was not fulfilled.

[30] Hitotsubashi has provided seven presidents of the Japanese Economic Association in its 42-year history; this number is the second largest.