Notes from the President's Office No. 19: Over a Month Since the Koshien Victory, and on to the Waseda-Keio Rivalry—Reflections on the President's Invitational Reception Commemorating the Senior High School Baseball Team's Championship
October 11, 2023
Vice-President
Keita Yamauchi
[Portfolio] affiliated schools,
Athletic Association, etc.
Over a month has passed since the Keio Senior High School baseball team won the championship at Koshien, and I can still instantly recall the indescribable feeling of being in a dream. However, as time goes by and I have had a chance to calmly reflect on the significance of this victory, new emotions have begun to surface.
On September 27, we held the "President's Invitational Reception Commemorating the Senior High School Baseball Team's Koshien Championship" at the Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), inviting the players and all third-year members of the Keio Senior High School baseball team, as well as members of the school's cheering squad, brass band, and the Keio Girls' Senior High School baton twirling team. The deep crimson championship banner displayed on the stage was a beautiful sight, perfectly matching the atmosphere of the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall).
The Baseball Team's "Rebellious Spirit Against Convention"
The feeling that has deepened over time is that this championship was the result of inheriting and developing "Enjoy Baseball" in its truest sense, embodying the approach to sports that Keio University has cherished for over a century as a Juku.
It was Yukichi Maeda, a former manager of the Athletic Association baseball team and a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, who reaffirmed the essence of Keio baseball as "Enjoy Baseball." In his notebook, there is a memo about Enjoy Baseball. It reads:
1. Each person does their best
2. Be considerate of teammates
3. Create something original
4. Win brightly and with dignity
On another page, instead of "3. Create something original," he wrote, "The joy of originality, a rebellious spirit against convention." This means not taking for granted what everyone accepts as common sense, but questioning it, overturning it, and finding joy in winning by doing so. The phrase "changing the conventional wisdom," which was often heard this time, perfectly aligns with Maeda's memo.
It is said that when Maeda summarized the essence of Juku baseball into the single phrase "Enjoy Baseball," he also spoke with those who led the baseball team in its early days. In the writings of Hisashi Koshimoto, the manager of the Keio Futsubu School team that won the championship 107 years ago, and Daisuke Miyake, the first manager of the university baseball team, one can find the philosophy of Enjoy Baseball, which clearly distinguished itself from the "spirit-first" baseball of the time. Going back even further, I believe this connects to the philosophy of jitsugaku (science) of Yukichi Fukuzawa, which emphasizes scientific thinking and a spirit of inquiry.
The Great Success of the Three Cheering Groups
Regarding the championship, we must not only praise the baseball team but also the great efforts of the "three cheering groups": the Keio Senior High School cheering squad, the brass band, and the Keio Girls' Senior High School baton twirling team.
During the Spring Invitational Tournament, measures against COVID-19 were still in place, and even putting arms around each other's shoulders was forbidden, so we had to sing "Wakaki-chi" standing at attention even when our team scored. However, for this summer's main tournament, that ban was lifted, and it finally felt like Koshien had returned to its pre-COVID state.
On the other hand, cheering at Koshien also requires complying with a seven-page document of "Cheering Guidelines" distributed in advance. The members of the cheering groups carefully read it, clarified any questions, and then worked hard to create a style of cheering that was uniquely Keio. As a result, they led a truly magnificent and uplifting cheer section.
What made me even happier was that so many people from all over Japan gathered at Koshien to support the Keio Senior High School baseball team. This included not only many Keio students from elementary school to university and graduate school, Keio University alumni of all ages, and their families, but also many people with no direct connection to Keio University. Others cheered from outside the stadium via television, radio, and, for those overseas, through internet streaming.
To the Keio History Museum
The Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) was the place where Yukichi Fukuzawa once repeatedly spoke to Keio students about the spirit of inquiry and the ethos of the Keio Gijuku Shachu. Feeling a connection between that history and the performance of our baseball team and the efforts of the three cheering groups, I thought the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) was the most fitting place to celebrate this championship. Holding the event there truly added to our joy.
After the reception, we moved to the Keio History Museum on the second floor of the Old University Library, where we had the opportunity to see firsthand the aforementioned notebook of Yukichi Maeda and the stopwatch that manager Hisashi Koshimoto used during practice at the time of the championship 107 years ago.
We want to share the joy of this victory with everyone who supported us, regardless of whether they have a direct connection to Keio Senior High School or Keio University. Therefore, the "deep crimson championship banner" will be displayed at the Keio History Museum on Mita Hilltop Square. I hope you will come to see it, along with Maeda's notebook.
On to the Waseda-Keio Rivalry
For 120 years, Keio University has cherished the spring and autumn Tokyo Big6 Baseball League's Waseda-Keio rivalry games as an occasion for Keio students and Keio University alumni to feel that they are part of the Keio Gijuku Shachu. Cheering at the Waseda-Keio rivalry provides a shared experience that transcends generations, campuses, faculties, and schools, and it has maintained and solidified the Keio University spirit. I believe this is why, this summer, everyone, regardless of their direct connection to Keio Senior High School, was able to share in the ups and downs as if it were their own.
This past spring, for the first time in four years, pre-COVID style cheering was possible at the Waseda-Keio rivalry. For university students of all years, it was their first such experience, and it seemed to be a precious and enjoyable time for them to feel a sense of unity as a Juku and what it means to be Keio students. It was also memorable to see Keio students and Keio University alumni everywhere, delighting in chance reunions with old friends.
The Tokyo Big6 Baseball Waseda-Keio rivalry will take place at the end of this month. I look forward to seeing many Keio students and Keio University alumni there. In particular, fourth-year university students have had a student life full of restrictions due to COVID since their enrollment. I truly hope they will come with friends from their seminars and clubs to enjoy cheering at their final Waseda-Keio rivalry as Keio students. In that time, we can create memories of campus life that cannot be gained from daily classes or club activities alone. And that experience may become a precious seed that enriches the long life that awaits after graduation.
[References]
Hiroshi Yokoyama, "The Great Manager Hisashi Koshimoto"
Hiroshi Yokoyama, "Yukichi Maeda and Enjoy Baseball"
Keita Yamauchi, "People Around Yukichi Fukuzawa: Daisuke Miyake"