Yamanaka Mountain Villa and the Yamanaka District

2025/05/30

Photo: Athletic Association Yamanaka Mountain Villa

On the shores of Lake Yamanaka in Yamanashi Prefecture (Hirano, Yamanakako Village, Minamitsuru District), there is the Athletic Association's Yamanaka Mountain Villa, the library's Yamanaka Book Depository, and a cottage belonging to the Health Insurance Association. The relationship between Keio University and the Yamanaka District dates back to October 1926 (Taisho 15). At that time, approximately 10,000 tsubo was donated by Ryohei Horiuchi, president of Fujisanroku Land Co., Ltd., and together with donations from local volunteers, a total of about 20,000 tsubo was provided as land for athletic fields.

In response, Keio University began developing facilities. The following summer, a temporary athletic field and tent accommodations were set up, where the Rugby Football Club and the Kyudo (Archery) Club held training camps. By autumn, a bathhouse, boathouse, and well were also constructed. In 1928 (Showa 3), part of the lodging was completed and named the Yamanaka Mountain Villa, and on July 22, a commemorative tea party for the opening of the Lake Yamanaka Athletic Grounds was held. Although it unfortunately rained that day, it was reportedly a great success. Records show that an extremely large number of faculty and students spent the summer at Lake Yamanaka that year.

Ryohei Horiuchi was a figure who devoted himself to the development of the foothills of Mount Fuji, including planning the construction of a railway between Kofu City and Fuji City (now the JR Minobu Line), which was realized in 1928. He aimed to revitalize the area around Lake Yamanaka as a tourist destination and believed that attracting students would lead to that goal. Therefore, he lobbied for the construction of university dormitories. The fact that his son was a graduate of Keio University likely led to the aforementioned donation. Not only Keio University, but also the University of Tokyo, Tokyo University of Literature and Science (now the University of Tsukuba), and others built dormitories, making the area lively during the summer. Horiuchi was also the one who named the "Fuji Five Lakes." In 1927, he applied under this name for the "Lakes" category of the "Eight New Views of Japan" sponsored by a newspaper company. After campaigning for votes in the surrounding area, it won first place, and the Fuji Five Lakes were introduced nationwide through articles and films.

In 1936, the 10th anniversary of its opening, Building No. 3 from Mita was relocated to the Yamanaka Mountain Villa. After the war, in 1951, a two-story wooden annex was renovated, and a former storage shed was converted into a women's dormitory. The following year, a single-story wooden women's dormitory was added to the east side of the main building, and the year after that, 7,000 tsubo of adjacent land was purchased for environmental preservation. It has been used not only as a training ground for various clubs in the Athletic Association but also by general Keio students and for freshman welcome camps by clubs in the Federation of Cultural Groups. Many students have gathered around campfires on the lakeshore.

In 1982, as part of the Keio University 125th Anniversary Project, the Yamanaka Mountain Villa, which had aged over half a century, was rebuilt. Facilities such as a training camp building with a capacity of 200 people and additional grounds were added. To this day, it is used during the summer, primarily by the Rugby Football Club and affiliated schools.

In 1994, the Health Insurance Association's cottage opened on the site, and Building 1 of the library's Book Depository, which can house 500,000 volumes, was established. Subsequently, Building 2 began operations in 2016.

Furthermore, in 2007, a partnership agreement was signed between Yamanashi Prefecture, Fujiyoshida City, and Keio University, and initiatives began to utilize regional resources centered on the forest culture of the foothills of Mount Fuji. In 2013, "Keio Water" was created, utilizing soft water rich in vanadium that has soaked into Mount Fuji.

(Atsuko Ishiguro, Former Director of the Office of Communications and Public Relations)