150 Years of Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall)

Image: Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) before relocation (Collection of the Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies)

Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) is Japan's first public speaking hall and was built by Yukichi Fukuzawa. It was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1967. Completed in 1875, it was built in the fourth year after Keio University moved from Shinsenza (now Hamamatsucho) to Mita in 1871. This year marks the 150th anniversary of its opening.

Yukichi Fukuzawa believed that "speech" and "debate," which he observed in the West, were essential for a modern society where people express opinions, exchange arguments, and form public opinion. At that time, Japan did not have a culture of stating one's own opinion in front of a large audience. Fukuzawa applied the translation "enzetsu" to "speech" and "tokuron" to "debate," introducing these concepts to Japan and attempting to root them there. Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) was constructed as a concrete venue for practicing these activities.

The Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) is not merely an educational facility for Keio students, but also a base for enlightenment activities aimed at society at large. Public speaking events were held on a wide range of themes, serving as a place to realize Fukuzawa's goal of "improving the knowledge level of the entire nation." The significance of Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) lies in the fact that it was the first place in Japan to give form to the modern value of "moving society through the power of words." It is not just an Important Cultural Property, but a historical symbol that can be called the starting point for the development of freedom of speech and democracy in Japan.

The Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) is a small two-story wooden building of 282 square meters, but it is of high architectural value. It is a pseudo-Western style building from the early Meiji era. The exterior is finished with plaster in the traditional Japanese "kura-zukuri" (storehouse style), which provides excellent fireproofing, moisture resistance, and theft prevention. The exterior walls of the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) employ the "namako-kabe" (sea slug wall) design, a unique style where square "flat tiles" measuring one shaku per side are attached diagonally, and the joints between the tiles are covered with plaster applied in a semicircular shape. Compared to standard earthen-walled storehouses, this method is more high-end and offers superior fire resistance due to the extensive use of tiles.

The Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) has undergone numerous preservation and repair projects over the past 150 years. Originally, it stood between the Jukukan-kyoku (Keio Corporate Administration) and the Old University Library on the Mita Campus. However, following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, it was relocated to its current site and underwent major repairs. Although the Mita Campus suffered immense damage during the war in 1945, the building managed to escape destruction by fire. Subsequently, in 1947, extensive repairs were made to aging and damaged areas. In 1996, a comprehensive major renovation was carried out over 15 months, which included seismic reinforcement. Currently, 144 seats are provided; these chairs were donated in 1975 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall).

The value of the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) spans historical, architectural, and educational dimensions. As a place to experience firsthand the importance of speaking in one's own words, and as a living educational heritage, its significance will continue to be passed on to the next generation.