Sophia University was established in Tokyo in 1913 by the Society of Jesus. Beginning its educational efforts with a small staff and only a handful of students, the university confronted many difficulties in its early years. The decision in 1938 to undertake publication of Monumenta Nipponica despite these problems symbolized the founders' commitment to academic excellence, an international orientation, and a liberal spirit. Today, building on this tradition, Sophia has developed into one of Japan's leading private universities, with a student body of nearly 14,000 and a multinational faculty of some 1,500 as of 2019.