Founder: Shigeki Morimura

Shigeki Morimura, founder of our university, was born on March 21, 1916 (Taisho 5) in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. In 1937 (Showa 12), he entered School of Medicine at Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) to follow in the footsteps of his father, a psychiatrist, and graduated in 1941. In the autumn of the year he graduated, his father, who had been working hard in his medical practice, passed away at the young age of 53. This was a time of turmoil as the Second Sino-Japanese War gave way to the Pacific War. Morimura was assigned to the front lines as a military doctor, and after a period as a prisoner of war following Japan's defeat, he was appointed director of Mukogawa Brain Hospital in May 1947 (Showa 22).

Morimura was very quick to take an approach to community medicine and social welfare medicine, and the Ninmeikai Foundation established a pediatric ward for severely mentally and physically disabled children at Akaihane Hospital. It donated land to the social welfare corporation "Koyama Welfare Center" and took over the medical care and operation of the "Mukogawa Children's Garden," a facility for mentally retarded children. It also devoted itself to social welfare activities, such as establishing "Koyama Gakuen" for mentally retarded children, "Kojuen," a special nursing home for the elderly, and "Sunako Rehabilitation Center," Hyogo Prefecture's first facility for severely mentally and physically disabled children.
While engaged in medical care and various support activities, Morimura felt the limitations of the hospital as a psychiatric hospital alone, and began working to turn "Shin-Mukogawa Hospital" into a general hospital in 1959. A new hospital wing was added in 1961, and in 1968, "Shin-Mukogawa Hospital" was expanded to five floors and a general medical building was also completed, marking the start of the hospital's path to comprehensive medical care.

With the help of many people who were attracted by Morimura's personality, the school was built step by step and a system for education, research and medical treatment was established. Hyogo Medical University opened in April 1972, and the first entrance ceremony for Hyogo Medical University was held on the 10th of the same month.
Even after the university opened, the professors and other staff were full of enthusiasm, with new dreams, hopes and desires welling up in their hearts. Morimura enjoyed discussing the future of the university and the nature of education and research with them, and he treated students as if they were his own children, talking to everyone and looking forward to talking with them.