[Special Feature: Exhibiting the History of the Juku] Expectations for the Keio History Museum: From the Reality of the Mita Campus Visit by Keio Yokohama Elementary School Students

2021/05/11

"I have made many mistakes, but that is exactly why my days were fun and fulfilling."

These are part of the words spoken by a 6th-grade student from the third graduating class of Keio Yokohama Elementary School, who stood on the podium at the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) on the Mita Campus and gave a speech to the classmates he had spent six years with. He had practiced many times in preparation for the day of the presentation. As his homeroom teacher, I felt his certain growth as he spoke slowly and powerfully while reflecting on his school life at the elementary school, despite his tendency to get nervous when speaking in public.

In March 2021, with graduation fast approaching, the 6th-grade students of the third graduating class of Keio Yokohama Elementary School were blessed with the opportunity to learn at the Keio University Mita Campus. They visited various locations, including not only the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) but also historical sites on campus such as the Old Library, and the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum, which was nearing its opening. This activity was the first of its kind for Keio Yokohama Elementary School, and while measures and considerations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were required, a day of irreplaceable and fulfilling learning for the students was realized through coordination and cooperation with various people.

In this article, I will introduce the reality of the Mita Campus visit where Keio Yokohama Elementary School students deepened their learning through experience. While reflecting on the process leading up to this day and the events of the day itself, I would also like to consider the possibilities for learning at the Keio History Museum, which is expected to be newly utilized.

In November 2020, due to the spread of COVID-19, we were forced to cancel the school trip (to Nagasaki and Nakatsu) that the students were looking forward to the most. Although it was unavoidable given the current state of the pandemic, the anxiety that had been in the back of our minds since the school closure in April became a reality, and the students were visibly disappointed.

Up until then, students had been learning in their weekly "Yukichi Fukuzawa Time" classes about the birth of Yukichi Fukuzawa, his childhood and youth spent in Nakatsu and Nagasaki, and the flow of opening a Dutch studies school in Edo which later became Keio University, using "The History of Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University" (chronology) in "The Almanac of Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University" (written by Hidehiko Saito, Izumibundo) as the primary material. That is why we at the elementary school had planned to visit sites associated with Yukichi Fukuzawa (such as the Former Residence and Memorial Museum of Yukichi Fukuzawa in Nakatsu and Kofukuji Temple in Nagasaki) during the school trip as the culmination of such learning. However, as that became impossible, the faculty and staff always felt, "Isn't there something we can do for the students?"

On the other hand, at Keio Yokohama Elementary School, the concept of a "Mita Campus stroll by elementary school students" had been discussed since before its opening. Seeing the place where they will one day study with their peers when they enter the university is significant in primary education, both from the perspective of having aspirations and goals, and from the point of being able to feel the history of the Juku firsthand. However, amidst daily school management and classroom practice, that concept had remained on hold. Therefore, by overlapping the situation of the cancelled school trip with the concept from before the opening, we set out to realize the "Mita Campus visit by elementary school students" in order to ensure that the learning of each individual student would not stop now.

The development from there was very speedy, and through coordination and collaboration with the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies and the Keio University Office of Facilities and Property Management and Administrative Affairs Office, we proceeded to a concrete implementation plan. In addition, we received advice from Vice-President Masahito Omori from the perspective of infection control, and it was decided to divide the grade group into three groups, and further divide each group into two or three for activities. This resulted in activities in small groups of 12 to 18 people. This was a moment where the strength of Keio University, which prides itself on integrated education, was fully demonstrated, and the ideas and thoughts of many people came together to move the visit forward toward realization.

Next, I would like to share the details of the visit. On the day, activities were divided into five parts: A: Visit to the Old Library and Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum, B: Campus stroll, C: Speeches at the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), D: Lunch, and E: Visit to Zenpukuji Temple. Here, I will describe the visits A through D, which were the activities within the Mita Campus, in order.

In A: Visit to the Old Library and Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum, we acted under the guidance of Takeyuki Tokura, Daiki Shiraishi, and Hiroshi Yokoyama from the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies. The visit locations were the exterior and interior of the Old Library, the seismic isolation devices in the basement, and the Keio History Museum, and we visited each location in rotation in small groups. During the tour of the exterior and interior of the Old Library, we saw actual items such as the large clock (by Kazumasa Numata) featuring the inscription "Time Flies" (TEMPUS FUGIT), the marble sculpture "Tekona" (by Shikai Kitamura) which bears painful traces of war damage, and the stained glass (original drawing by Eisaku Wada, produced by Sanchi Ogawa, restored by Ryuzo Otake) at the top of the stairs. While listening to the explanations, the students looked closely at the actual objects and learned while taking notes.

In particular, looking at the image depicted in the stained glass, they spoke with surprise, saying, "It's about the pen being mightier than the sword!" Also, being able to see the framework of the first stack room's attic, which remains bent due to the fire from the air raid in May 1945, was a valuable experience for the students. During the tour of the seismic isolation devices in the basement, guided by staff from the Office of Facilities and Property Management, they actually went underground to see more than 50 seismic isolation devices. Learning that the building's earthquake resistance was improved by lifting the building itself using the seismic isolation retrofit method, one student shared their impression, saying, "I was surprised that there is such latest equipment underground."

We also had an interesting tour of the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum before its official opening. Seeing the statue of Yukichi Fukuzawa in his walking attire beyond the door, we were instantly drawn into the world of the museum. The students listened intently to Mr. Tokura's explanation and showed particular interest in the part where the history of Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University continues to the present day, depicted with "one-stroke" graphics. When they discovered the figures of elementary school students wearing the same uniforms as themselves within the one-stroke drawing, they couldn't help but smile, and some students showed an increased awareness that they are part of the history of the Juku and that they will be the ones creating the future beyond that.

Furthermore, the students were very curious about the actual exhibits that they could not see in classroom lessons, and they discovered new ways of looking at and thinking about things from the explanations attached to the actual exhibits. In this way, I feel that the visit to the Keio History Museum solidified the learning of the students who had studied the history of Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University in "Yukichi Fukuzawa Time," and connected their own presence as Keio students to the future.

In B: Campus stroll, under the guidance of Naoko Nishizawa and Keita Yamauchi from the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies, we divided into two groups and visited Bungaku no Oka → Maboroshi no Mon → Fukuzawa Park (Place of Passing) → Ginkgo Tree in the Quad → Student Dining Hall → Noguchi Room in the South Building → Bronze Statue of Yukichi Fukuzawa in front of the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall). When looking closely at the "Democracy" mural (by Genichiro Inokuma) on the opposing walls of the Student Dining Hall, following Mr. Yamauchi's prompt to "first look slowly and imagine what this painting is depicting," one student, after looking closely and imagining, shared various thoughts such as, "Maybe it represents 'freedom'."

Also, in the Noguchi Room (created by Isamu Noguchi; building designed by Yoshiro Taniguchi), they actually walked around and saw various floor surfaces—Teppei stone, wood planks, and tatami—feeling the differences and questioning, "Why did they make the differences like this?" Also, being allowed to sit on the chairs and tatami and looking at the space from right to left, they felt as if time was passing slowly, experiencing the power of the space firsthand. While gazing leisurely at the windows and ceiling, one student discovered a fusion of Japanese and Western styles, saying, "Oh, it's like a fusuma sliding door." Also, when passing near Inariyama where the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) is located, the students felt the passage of time and were surprised by the difference upon hearing that "in the time of Yukichi Fukuzawa, you could see the sea from here."

In C: Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), each student was blessed with the opportunity to stand on the podium and present a speech of about 30 seconds, which they had prepared in advance, to their classmates. Upon opening the doors of the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), one sees "Yukichi Fukuzawa Giving a Speech" (original drawing by Eisaku Wada) directly ahead, depicting Yukichi Fukuzawa in Japanese clothing with his hands clasped while giving a speech. Amidst the atmosphere of the interior of the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), with its rows of dignified wooden chairs, an open ceiling, and second-floor seating, the students felt the joy of being in that space despite their nervousness. As mentioned earlier, each student earnestly presented the thoughts they were feeling now with graduation imminent. In one class, some students were even moved to tears while listening to their classmates' earnest speeches, partly due to the timing of graduation being so close.

For D: Lunch, everyone had the "Yamashoku" curry, which has been loved by many people associated with the Juku for over 80 years since its founding. Ideally, we would have liked to have lunch while discussing our impressions of the visit, but due to infection control measures, the students ate quietly in front of splash guards. Even so, the students, who had moved around a lot during the Mita Campus visit, finished their Yamashoku curry with satisfied looks.

Above, I have shared the reality of the "Mita Campus visit" by the 6th-grade students of the third graduating class of Keio Yokohama Elementary School. Through each visit activity, the students encountered various actual historical sites and learned parts of the history of Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University while making great use of their five senses. As can be seen from the way the Keio Yokohama Elementary School students learned, the Keio History Museum connected the learning at various locations on the Mita Campus and allowed them to perceive the history of the Juku as a line rather than just points. I look forward to further utilization after the opening and wish to continue exploring together from the position of being responsible for integrated education.

This "Mita Campus visit" could never have been realized without the coordination and cooperation of many people involved with the Juku. Through the visit activities, the students must have felt firsthand the enthusiasm of the people of the Juku and the way their hearts care for others. I believe that this realization itself is an important "another kind of learning." I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who supported this activity. Thank you very much.