Vol. 4: The History of the Keio University Athletic Association / Juku Athletes Who Perished in the War

2020/08/14

Image: Takashi Katayama (right) and Hiroshi Takahashi with a Tokyo Olympics pennant in the background (Courtesy of Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Archives)

"Track and Field Athlete Suzuki Killed in Action." On July 15, 1939, the evening edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun brought the first report of a war death. Bunta Suzuki (Class of 1937), a graduate of the Juku who had been dispatched to Henan Province, China, as an Army probationary officer during the Sino-Japanese War, had met a heroic death in battle. This was only three years after he had competed as an active student in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the Berlin Olympics in August 1936.

Sueo Oe (Class of 1938), a pole vaulter and close friend who entered the Juku in the same year as Suzuki, is famous for the "Medals of Friendship" episode at that same tournament. While stationed in Kumamoto after joining the Army, he composed a poem reminiscing about the fallen Suzuki: "Alone, I think deeply of my departed friend amidst the rising smoke of Mount Aso." Oe himself continued training for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for 1940, but the Tokyo Games were forfeited due to the impact of the Sino-Japanese War. The substitute Helsinki Olympics were also canceled due to the outbreak of World War II, and Oe joined the Army. In December 1941, shortly after the outbreak of the Pacific War, he was hit by enemy fire and killed in action during the landing battle at Lamon Bay on Luzon Island in the Philippines as an Army second lieutenant.

Olympians who died in the war like Suzuki and Oe are called "fallen Olympians," and 38 have been confirmed in Japan to date. Among them, graduates of the Juku account for nine, the highest number of any school in the country.

Among fallen Olympians, Takeichi Nishi, known as "Baron Nishi" and the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics equestrian gold medalist who died on Iwo Jima, is famous, but another medalist also died on Iwo Jima. This was Tatsugo Kawaishi (Class of 1935), captain of the Juku Swimming Club, who won a silver medal in the 100m freestyle at the same games. Already over 30 years old, he was called up again in 1944 and assigned to the defense of Iwo Jima as a member of the 17th Independent Mixed Regiment. A son was born while he was in service, and he looked forward to the child's future, but his return was not to be. In March 1945, the Iwo Jima garrison was "annihilated," and Kawaishi was declared killed in action.

Additionally, Yasuhiko Kojima (Class of December 1941), who competed in the Berlin Olympics as the youngest member of the Japanese swimming team, placing 6th in the 100m backstroke, and who had been selected for the Helsinki Olympics, joined the Navy. He was assigned to the Okinawa Naval Air Group as a naval paymaster and was killed in action in June 1945.

Tokutaro Ukon (Class of 1937) is also a fallen Olympian; he scored the equalizing goal to make it 2-2 in the match known as the "Miracle of Berlin," where Japan achieved a comeback victory over Sweden in soccer at the Berlin Olympics. Ukon joined the Army and was killed in action on Bougainville Island in the Solomon Islands in March 1944. Other fallen Olympians from the Juku include Iwao Abu (5th in the 4x100m relay), Hidekatsu Ishida (8th in high diving), Matayoshi Murayama (coxed four rowing), and Eiichi Nakamura (field hockey silver medal), all of whom competed in the Los Angeles Olympics.

Beyond Olympians, there are many fallen athletes from the Athletic Association. Takashi Katayama (Class of September 1943), who was active in long-distance swimming, was selected as a candidate for the Helsinki Olympics in the 1500m freestyle. However, the Olympics were canceled, and he became a pilot as a Navy flight reserve student, dying in a kamikaze attack from Yilan, Taiwan, to the area around Okinawa.

Those one year below Katayama were part of the student mobilization, joining the Army or Navy while still affiliated with the university. One of them, Taro Tsukamoto, had been active as a water polo goalkeeper since his days at the Commercial and Industrial School and was selected for the Japanese national team for the East Asian Games. He became a Navy reserve student and died in a kamikaze attack in January 1945 in the Ulithi waters of the South Sea Islands as a crew member of the so-called human torpedo "Kaiten." There were five war dead from Keio University involving the Kaiten, which is also the highest number by school.

On the other hand, fallen athletes also include veterans. In the Soccer Club, the name Yukichi Hamada (Class of 1929) cannot be forgotten. The eldest son of Chosaku Hamada, a student of Yukichi Fukuzawa, he was the one who named the Soccer Club and served as its first captain. He also died in action on Mindanao Island in the Philippines in August 1944. Furthermore, Shinji Kirihara (Class of 1925) of the Baseball Club, who was called up as the head of the newspaper section of the military press department, was already over 40 years old. This former captain, who played a major role in the restoration of the Waseda-Keio rivalry in 1925 after a 19-year hiatus, died of illness during the war on Luzon Island in the Philippines in June 1945.

In this way, various athletes from the Juku, from active students to alumni, lost their lives in the war. While the exact number of those from the Athletic Association among the 2,229 currently identified war dead related to Keio University is not certain, it is thought to be a considerable number. With what feelings did they face their sports, and how did they respond to the call to the Army and Navy? In this summer marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the war, facing these issues may be deeply meaningful for reaffirming the value of sports in society.