Mt. Fuji as Seen from Yagami Campus

2025/01/31

"Ichi-Fuji, ni-taka, san-nasubi" (One Fuji, two hawks, three eggplants) are auspicious items said to bring good luck if seen in the first dream of the new year. Mt. Fuji, in particular, has been considered a symbol of good fortune due to its "suehirogari" (widening toward the bottom) shape and its association with the words "buji" (safety) and "fushi" (immortality). This auspicious symbol of Japan, Mt. Fuji, can also be seen from the Yagami Campus on clear days when the air is crisp.

The Yagami Campus is located on a small hill less than 30 meters above sea level. The approach to the campus has a rather steep slope, which is sometimes called "Teinen-zaka" (Retirement Slope) by the faculty of the Faculty of Science and Technology, as the difficulty in climbing it is said to signal one's approaching retirement age. Thanks to this location, the view from the campus is excellent. From the top floor (7th floor) of the Sosokan (Building 14, completed in 2000), the symbolic tower of the Yagami Campus, you can see Mt. Fuji beyond the Tanzawa Mountains.

For the Faculty of Science and Technology, Mt. Fuji is not just a part of the daily scenery but also an object of research. Since 2007, Keio University has had a partnership agreement with Fujiyoshida City and Yamanashi Prefecture, developing projects for environmental conservation and regional revitalization. "Keio Water," planned and commercialized as part of regional revitalization, uses soft water that springs forth in Fujiyoshida City. It was the research of Professor Emeritus Naotatsu Shikazono (a late former professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology) that revealed this water travels through the strata of Mt. Fuji from an altitude of around 2,000 meters, taking a remarkable 25 to 40 years to emerge in the town at its base.

While Mt. Fuji brings a rich life to the region, there are also concerns about disasters if it were to erupt. To ensure that voluntary disaster prevention organizations formed by residents can function during a wide-area disaster, Professor Masayuki Kohiyama of the Faculty of Science and Technology and his colleagues are engaged in joint research with the Mt. Fuji Research Institute of Yamanashi Prefecture. Their work includes creating a Mt. Fuji volcanic hazard map using augmented reality and developing a framework for tabletop exercises and training tools aimed at cultivating the next generation of volcanic disaster prevention leaders. The training tools can be accessed from various digital devices and incorporate game elements to enhance motivation and learning effectiveness. Demonstration experiments with local residents have confirmed that the training tools enable residents to train autonomously, contribute to the development of multiple disaster prevention leaders, and help improve participants' understanding and learning outcomes.

Finally, I would like to turn back the clock about 85 years to the beginning of the Faculty of Science and Technology. The Fujiwara Institute of Technology, the predecessor of the Faculty of Science and Technology, opened on the Hiyoshi Campus in 1939. In "Sekishun no Fu: Hatagumo," the song for the first anniversary festival of the Fujiwara Institute of Technology, there is the following passage.

In the evening sky over Hiyoshi Hill, what does Mt. Fuji speak of?

Mt. Fuji, which our predecessors who pursued science and technology and spent their distant youth amidst the hardships of wartime must have gazed upon with various emotions, stands there today in its beautiful form. I hope that this year will be a peaceful one and that Keio students will be able to devote themselves to their studies.

(Masato Nakamura, Manager, General Affairs Section, Faculty of Science and Technology)

*Affiliations, job titles, etc., are as of the time of this publication.