Komazawa University is one of the oldest universities in Japan. Its history starts in 1592, when a seminary was established to be a center of learning for the young monks of the Soto sect, one of the two main Zen Buddhist traditions in Japan. The university itself is comprised of eight faculties and twenty-four departments. Also for students who wish to pursue advanced studies, each department has a graduate school except Faculty of Global Media Studies and Faculty of Arts and Sciences. There are also eight research institutes. There is a total of 16,000 students and the university is particularly strong in the arts.