The academic origin of Osaka University Graduate School of Letters, as well as the School of Letters, traces back to Kaitokudo, a private school established in 1724 by wealthy citizens of Osaka. For nearly 150 years until the end of the Edo Period (1603 - 1868), Kaitokudo contributed to the development of many outstanding figures. The Graduate School of Letters under the modern university system... originated in 1948, when Osaka University established the Faculty of Law and Letters, comprising three departments: Literature, Law and Economics. At that time the forerunner of the Graduate School of Letters was also established, comprising Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Japanese History, Japanese Literature and English Literature courses. In 1949, the Department of Literature of the Faculty of Letters and Law became independent as the School of Letters, which subsequently developed rapidly, increasing the number of courses from seven to 19 by 1952. Meanwhile, as a result of changes in the educational system by the Japanese government, the Graduate School of Letters was reorganized in 1953.