Pre-war Keio University and Dormitories of Old-System High Schools

2023/04/07

Tattered hats and worn-out clothes—the so-called "heii-habo" style—paired with cloaks and hakama; futons left unrolled in Japanese-style rooms as permanent beds; torn shoji paper and graffiti from successive residents on the walls. Iwanami Bunko paperbacks and general-interest magazines scattered about, while residents warmed themselves by hibachi braziers against the drafts. They blew clouds of tobacco smoke while debating national and global affairs, and occasionally relieved themselves out the window. With unique customs and orders, such as the "storm" where students marched into town singing the Dekansho-bushi, the typical dormitory life of pre-war old-system high schools was considered a sacred space where teacher intervention was not permitted.

The Keio University dormitory stood at the opposite extreme. It turned its back on the "bankara" culture, viewing it as a distorted authoritarianism that ostentatiously mimicked poor students while actually flaunting elite status. Since the era of Fukuzawa, Keio prioritized hygiene with clean architecture, introducing Western-style rooms and steam heating early on. Living spaces were separated from study rooms, and faculty members lived alongside Keio students. At mealtimes, the President and others gathered harmoniously in the large dining hall to socialize. Takuzo Itakura, a resident when such a dormitory existed on the Mita Hilltop Square and who later became the Dean of the Faculty of Law, wrote, "The Keio University dormitory is Keio University itself." For the Juku, the dormitory was a space for living in a rational, study-friendly environment and cultivating bright, social common sense.

The Hiyoshi Kishukusha (designed by Yoshiro Taniguchi), completed in 1937, follows that tradition. It featured fully private Western-style rooms and floor heating throughout the building. Its thorough facilities, including shared flush toilets and a bathhouse with a grand view, were hailed as the best in the East, producing Keio students described as sociable and smart. The "Keio-ness" that society often tends to call soft is, in fact, a reflection of a strong rebellious spirit.

These two models represent different worlds: the old-system high school model is a room created by consolidating characteristics from many dormitory photo collections—a scene where six people gather in a two-person room to talk (bottom photo)—while the Hiyoshi model was meticulously crafted after numerous visits to the existing Kishukusha building—a scene where a friend visits a student's private room (top photo). Though they may not stand out much, they are among the most elaborate exhibits within the Keio History Museum.

(Takeyuki Tokura, Associate Professor, Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies)