Speech Text

To all new students here today at Keio University, welcome. I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the family members and others gathered for this special occasion.  At today's ceremony, we are joined by Keio alumni who graduated from this university fifty years ago. They have come to show their support for you. 

As we begin, I would first like to read "The Mission of Keio University" as articulated by our founder, Yukichi Fukuzawa. It reads as follows.

"Keio Gijuku is more than a mere place for academic pursuit. Its mission is to be a constant source of honorable character and a paragon of intellect and morals for the entire nation; and for each member to apply this spirit to elucidate the essence of family, society, and nation. They will not only articulate this essence in words, but also demonstrate it in their actions, and by doing so make Keio a leader of society."

In line with this mission, each of you will, from this point on, diligently apply yourselves to your studies, pour your heart into extracurricular activities, and meet lifelong friends here, fueled by this desire to achieve excellence as sources of honorable character and paragons of intellect so that you may lead society, and the wider world, in the right direction. Your upcoming life as Keio students will be spent in the company of your wonderful peers. You will rely on each other for help and push each other to ever increasing and impressive achievements. However, for this to happen, you must stand on your own two feet. Each of you, as individuals, is responsible for upholding your own resolutions and principles. This is the Keio spirit of independence and self-respect; it will be a staunch ally in maintaining your personal integrity and ensuring that you aspire and commit yourself to greater heights. This ethos is also what drives you to esteem the dignity of your fellow students and strive alongside them to further society. Our philosophy at Keio University means that each and every one of you here is a member of a "leaders' club" where you will seek to understand higher ideals and recognize that this is intrinsically connected to creating a better world. This is the pursuit of the very tenets of democracy. We look forward to seeing you all work together toward this mission.

When you enroll at Keio University, the school sends you a copy of The Autobiography of Fukuzawa Yukichi. When you read this book, you can see how freely he lived his life. However, this freedom was not something handed down to him. For those with the ambition to study, work, build up their skills, and produce results, the feudal system in which he spent his youth was a highly restrictive environment. No matter how hard you tried, your position in society was fixed. Yet in spite of these circumstances, Fukuzawa pushed forward in his learning in order to gain his personal freedom and independence. From an early age he would study voraciously. At the age of 19 he came across Dutch studies, or "Western studies," and went to further his learning at "Tekijuku," an academy in Osaka founded by the Japanese physician and scholar of Dutch studies Kōan Ogata. In 1858 Fukuzawa opened a private school for Western studies in the Nakatsu Domain's residence in Edo. This was the beginning of Keio Gijuku. Fukuzawa was only 23 years old. The following year in 1859 he visited Yokohama, which had just opened its port, and was greatly disheartened to find that all the foreigners there used English. He felt that the Dutch language he had worked so hard to learn was completely useless. However, the next day, he set off to learn English, thinking, "Now that our country is opening up through the signing of new treaties, English will surely be needed in the future." This swift pivot paid off. In fact, the very next year the Edo shogunate decided to send its warship, the Kanrin Maru, to the US. It was the 25-year-old Fukuzawa who convinced the government that he could be of value to them with his English ability. And so, he went to America. Two years later, now 27, he joined the Japanese government's delegation to Europe as an interpreter, visiting many more countries. Then, at 31, he published the first installment of Things Western, in which he chronicled what he saw during his visits to Europe and the United States. Together with the subsequent volumes of the series, Things Western was one of the first Japanese perspectives on the West for the Japanese public, becoming such a bestseller that you could even find pirated copies. What did Fukuzawa do with the money he earned from this bestseller? He put it into the management of Keio Gijuku. This was Fukuzawa's most valued undertaking. By the end of the Edo period, Fukuzawa was tired of the rigid feudal system. In the 1870s, the Meiji government abolished the class-based system. It began to modernize, modeling itself after the Industrial Revolution in the West, a development that greatly inspired him. About 5% of the population were nobility or samurai. In contrast, over 90% were commoners. In theory, the new era was one in which, if they made the effort, farmers and merchants could work hard to become government officials or politicians. Fukuzawa struck upon an idea. Until that point, Japanese society had deferred all matters to its leaders. The people had been reliant on those in power. However, Fukuzawa said that true national power and independence could not be achieved unless the middle class, consisting of over 90% of the population, worked to improve themselves. So, in 1872, at the age of 37, he published An Encouragement of Learning. He stressed that with the dissolution of the class-based system, an individual person's value would be determined by whether or not they engage in learning. If someone learns, they will gain freedom and independence, and their lives will become richer. Likewise, if everyone in a nation learns, the nation will develop and gain national freedom and independence. This now commonplace idea was an eye-opener for the general public at the time, and An Encouragement of Learning sold incredibly well, with one out of every 170 people getting a copy, either official or otherwise. This book, now adapted for a modern audience, is still selling well more than 150 years later. After publishing An Encouragement of Learning, Fukuzawa devoted the rest of his life to developing the nation through the power of the people.

Now to turn things back to you students gathered here, there is only one reason for introducing Fukuzawa's life at today's entrance ceremony. I know that by enrolling at Keio University, you hope to become the modern Yukichi Fukuzawa. Fukuzawa wrote that freedom and independence are not simply handed down to us, but things that we must earn ourselves. Moreover, just because you win once does not mean you have reached the finish line. What matters is maintaining your own freedom and independence through a lifetime of effort, and then sharing that freedom and independence with others. To this end, Fukuzawa began his dizzying sequence of activities at the same age as you all now-going to Nagasaki at 19, then to Osaka after 20, Edo at 23, America at 25, and Europe at 27. The world has changed since Fukuzawa's time 150 years ago, but we haven't changed much biologically. There is no difference between the 20-year-olds of the past and the 20-year-olds of today. What determines a person's life is the learning and experiences they gain between their late teens and 20's. With the very low birthrate that Japan is facing today, companies are eager to recruit college students. Meanwhile, there is this false belief among many Japanese university students and their parents who see university as a preparatory school for entering the corporate world. But you are the Yukichi Fukuzawa of our time. It is immensely important for you to take your time for the next five or ten years to study, engage your communities, enjoy your hobbies, and see the world. This is the season in your life to learn and challenge yourself so you can reap a lifetime of independence. It is a time to open your eyes to the world. Do not let this chance pass. Consider entering the workforce after going into graduate school and becoming the type of person employers will want to hire by gaining the skills and compassion that will make you stand out from the crowd. This is the Fukuzawa way of life.

Keio University provides meticulously thought-out curricula for you, as well as extracurricular activities like the athletic association and other student groups. It offers opportunities to hone your global mindedness by hosting lectures by prominent figures from abroad and offering exchange programs. Please make the most of the resources provided by Keio. On top of that, or apart from that, I hope that you will lead free and independent lives as Keio students, transcending all boundaries like Fukuzawa did, voraciously deepening your studies, immersing yourself in books from the world's largest libraries, and actively engaging with the community. Human society is truly complex and cannot be expressed through a social media platform that limits what you can say by character count, or in a video that incites the public with simplistic arguments. You must develop the ability to gather information grounded in facts and data from sources such as books and newspaper articles, understand the diverse historical and social backgrounds behind each issue, consider various possible responses, and, through traveling the world and learning about different cultures and languages, arrive at your own conclusions and decisions while taking a long-term perspective. Continue to take on real challenges during your time as an undergraduate and graduate student while you enjoy the privilege of youth, with a flexible mind, good health, and the leeway to fail. This is what it takes to continue learning throughout your life. Even amidst the rapid advancement of AI technology, it is critically important to uphold the tradition of humans making key decisions in our complex society while continually updating our effectiveness in using AI.

My speech has focused on the positive aspects of life at Keio up to now, but I would like to make one final note of caution. At Keio, we do not tolerate any infringements upon the dignity of others. Recall that Keio's purpose is to be a "source of honorable character." The standard required here is thus extremely high, and the university will take strict action against any inappropriate behavior, even if it is not punishable by law. Be role models for society even when enjoying your freedom. With the support of your community, spread your wings, and take flight!

Today, I am delighted to stand together with all of you incoming students here on the hilltop of Hiyoshi Campus to deliver these words of encouragement. This is the starting line for your leadership journey. Enjoy your college life to the fullest. Congratulations to you all!