Entrance Ceremonies at Keio University—Past and Present

In the early years just after Keio was established, there was no particular set timing for students entering the school, and therefore entrance ceremonies were not held during this period. It is unclear when entrance ceremonies similar to those of today—where all the new students come together to celebrate—actually started. However, the verifiable mention of an ‘opening’ ceremony conducted at Keio was on January 27, 1890, for the students of the newly established university departments of literature, economics, and law (it was also in 1890 that Keio University and Waseda University became the first private comprehensive universities in Japan).
Keio welcomed 59 students that year, and the head of the university, Yukichi Fukuzawa, greeted them with the words, “It is my deepest pleasure and joy to meet all of you here today.” It is uncertain whether ceremonies continued to be held thereafter, but the Keio University Bulletin (the present Mita-hyoron) published in 1910, makes mentions of an entrance ceremony held on April 23 on Keio Foundation Day, and later issues indicate that entrance ceremonies have been held almost every year since 1933.

Official admissions of female students began in 1946 just after the end of the Second World War. Until then, there were a number of female students auditing classes, but women were formally admitted to Keio University for the first time in 1946. The year 1950 was the first year that Keio produced female graduates after New University System was implemented, but the number of female graduates was only 17 out of a total of 1,297. Compared to then, we are now living in a very different age where female students comprise a third of the total Keio student population.

After the Grand Lecture Hall on Mita Campus was burned down during the war, Keio had to hold entrance ceremonies outdoors until the completion of the Hiyoshi Memorial Hall in 1958. Ever since the entrance ceremony of 1959 in the following year, the Hiyoshi Memorial Hall has been the venue for entrance ceremonies at Keio University.

Starting with protests against the revision of tuition fees, student movement intensified in 1972, leading to the cancellation of the commencement and entrance ceremonies in 1973. Until Hiyoshi Campus restarted classes in June of that same year, guidance sessions and other activities were held for the new students on Mita Campus.

Every year Keio invites 50th anniversary alumni to the entrance ceremony, a tradition that started in 1994. Originally, 25th anniversary alumni and 50th anniversary alumni were invited to the commencement ceremony, but as the number of alumni has steadily grown over the years and the Hiyoshi Memorial Hall reached the limit of its capacity, the university decided to invite 50th anniversary alumni to the entrance ceremony. This year, almost 2,000 alumni celebrating their 50th anniversary (graduates of 1965) were present at the ceremony, and they watched over the new students from the gallery seats.

In 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck Japan, Keio decided to postpone the entrance ceremony until May 1, taking into consideration the numerous aftershocks that followed and the effect the disaster had on power supply and the transportation system. Whilst some universities cancelled their entrance ceremonies, Keio decided to observe its tradition (this was also the first year Keio conducted morning and afternoon ceremonies on the same day). During the ceremony, President Atsushi Seike expressed his deep sorrow for those that lost their lives and his heartfelt sympathy to all the victims who suffered harm or were affected by this disaster. He then affirmed the university’s strong commitment stating: “The most significant contribution Keio University can make to Japan is to continue providing sound education to develop and nurture its students. Japan needs talented and capable people to recover from this harsh situation and further develop its society.”