The predecessor to Toyo University was Shiritsu Tetsugakukan (私立哲学館) (Private School of Philosophy), which was founded at Rinsho-in Temple by Enryo Inoue in 1887.

Inoue felt that the subject of philosophy was neglected in Japanese schools of higher learning at the time.

[1] In 1906, the school was moved to its present site (Hakusan Campus) and its name was changed to Toyo University.

[2] Originally, courses were offered in philosophy, religion, ethics, education, Japanese, and classical Chinese, and the school continued to expand over time.

In 1949, there was a substantial restructuring of the university, and faculties of Literature, Economics, Law, Sociology, Engineering and Business Administration were established.