[Special Feature: Exhibiting the History of the Juku] Expectations for the Keio History Museum: A Place to Connect with Yukichi Fukuzawa's Personality

2021/05/11

I had heard that since President Akira Haseyama first took office, it was his earnest wish to create a museum at Keio University, as famous universities around the world have grand museums and many universities in Japan also have wonderful ones.

The new museum was built on Keio University land along the East Gate on Mita-dori (Sakurada-dori) and opened on April 19 of this year. It is said to be a state-of-the-art museum making full use of digital technology. Facing it, on the second floor of the Old Library, a museum was created where one can see exhibits telling the history of Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University.

The Old Library was built in 1912 through donations commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Keio University. It is designated as a National Important Cultural Property and can be called a treasure of Keio. However, as more than 100 years had passed since then, work such as seismic reinforcement and repairs to the exterior walls became necessary. Toda Corporation performed difficult retrofit work to install seismic isolation while keeping the interior and exterior as they were, along with exterior repair work, which was completed in two years and four months. The Himalayan cedar trees, which had grown too large and covered the library, interfering with the construction, were also cut down; as a result, the entire view of the Old Library can now be seen, and it has become a popular photo spot.

Entering the museum, you climb a dignified staircase with stained glass at the front. You are first greeted by an opening video. It shows a scene where a Keio students who met Yukichi Fukuzawa bows politely, and Yukichi Fukuzawa tells him that Keio University is a school where people learn together and teach together, so there is no need to greet him every single time. That student is said to be Yasuzaemon Matsunaga, who was later called the "King of Electric Power." The voice of Yukichi Fukuzawa is provided by Ennosuke Ichikawa. Although many photos and writings of Yukichi Fukuzawa remain, his voice alone cannot be heard. However, since he was a man of grand stature, I imagine he had a clear, deep voice.

Guided by single-stroke illustrations of people, buildings, and maps, you move forward. In the corner featuring Yukichi Fukuzawa's favorite iaido sword and hanging scrolls, you can see the meticulous handwriting of Yukichi Fukuzawa's father, Hyakusuke, and a scroll handwritten by Yukichi Fukuzawa himself containing "source of honorable character" and "a paragon of intellect and morals for the entire nation," which are part of The Mission of Keio University.

The originals of photos from his three overseas voyages and a photo with a girl from a famous photo studio are in lovely frames, but they are very small. It was said that they couldn't make large photos because they didn't have the money. There are also the mortar and pestle Yukichi Fukuzawa used for exercise, as well as his glasses and inkstone. When his father Hyakusuke died and he was organizing the belongings to pay off debts, he kept a bowl because it wouldn't sell for much, and he used it as a brush washer for the rest of his life. It is certainly not a grand bowl, but it was impressive as it allowed me to feel Yukichi Fukuzawa's personality.

After the Meiji era began, he founded the Jiji Shinpo newspaper, built the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), and strove for the enlightenment of learning. It could be said that he attracted people so much that it was said the Minister of Education is in Mita. The exhibition gradually moves to the chapter on Keio University. Regarding the beginning of the Waseda-Keio rivalry, a letter written in a rough style, like a challenge from Waseda, remains.

As Keio University moves into modern history, there is a commemorative gift in the shape of a large key, which the US military returned as the key to Hiyoshi, which had been occupied during World War II. Precious items such as student movements, Olympic medals, and student uniforms follow.

In a photo taken around 1912 from near the Akabanebashi intersection, the houses on Mita-dori are either one-story wooden buildings or two-story buildings, so the Old Library on the hill of Mita looks almost like a castle. I thought the people in the Mita neighborhood must have been very surprised. At that time, the Mita Campus was also made of wood, except for the Old Library. A model of the Mita Campus from 1923 also gives a sense of how much things have changed.

The group photo surrounding Yukichi Fukuzawa is thought to have been a social gathering that could be called the beginning of the Mita-kai. Surrounding Yukichi Fukuzawa, to the left is President Eikichi Kamata, and to the right is Koki Watanabe, the first president of the Imperial University. President Watanabe was an early disciple, and it is a charming aspect of Yukichi Fukuzawa that he maintained a social relationship without any resentment, even though he was in conflict with government-run schools.

Although the museum is not particularly large, an hour and a half passed while I was looking at this and that. The explanation by Associate Professor Takeyuki Tokura of the Keio University Keio Institute of Fukuzawa Studies was enjoyable, including behind-the-scenes stories.

For me, Yukichi Fukuzawa has been like a great ancestor I have been familiar with since Elementary School (Yochisha), but I felt as if I had found various mementos of my own ancestors, and I seemed to forget the passing of time with joy.

The museum is scheduled to open on May 15, but for the time being, it will be by reservation only (*The opening is currently postponed; please see the Keio History Museum website for details). One concern I had was whether elderly people with bad hips or knees would be able to climb the grand staircase of the Old Library. However, I was relieved to hear that if they go around from the stacks, they can reach the second-floor museum even in a wheelchair.

I recommend that Keio University alumni in Tokyo definitely stop by when they are nearby. I hope that those from regional areas will come with a travel plan that includes a visit to the new museum and this museum.

The English support for text information is ready, so I definitely want overseas visitors to see the origins of Keio University. I left Mita after asking them to train guides who are good at English.