Waseda University is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. It was founded in 1882 by samurai scholar and Meiji-era politician and former Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu, with the motto "independence of learning." The School of Political Science and Economics has had significant influence on Japanese society. There are many prominent alumni including six post-war prime ministers, corporate leaders, and seven of the Fortune Global 2007's CEOs. One of Okuma's greatest desires was to create an academic cap that would immediately identify the wearer as a Waseda student. He called upon the chief tailor of Takashimaya, Yashichiro, to create a cap in three days. What resulted was a square brimmed cap with a gold-braided badge. On the inside of the cap was stamped with the student's name, department, school seal and the legend, 'This certifies that the owner is a student of Waseda.' The cap immediately became a form of identification and a status symbol.