Successive Emperors and Keio University

2019/05/10

Photo: On March 31, 1981, Prince Hiro (the current Emperor) views the Sagara Family Documents on display in the Memorial Room of the Mita Media Center (Keio University Library). On the far left is Professor Koichi Murayama of the Faculty of Letters, and to his right is Harutake Iikura, Chief Researcher of the Archives and Mausolea Department of the Imperial Household Agency. On the far right is current President Haseyama, and to his left is Professor Masahiko Takahashi of the Faculty of Letters.

Although not widely known, the relationship between Keio University and the Imperial Family is deep. More than half a century after Yukichi Fukuzawa wrote "On the Imperial Household" (Teishitsuron) to illustrate the Emperor's role as the guardian of tradition and culture, Shinzo Koizumi became the tutor for Crown Prince Akihito (now Emperor Emeritus). Using "On the Imperial Household" as one of the texts, they together explored what the symbolic Emperor should be in a new Japan based on popular sovereignty.

Emperor Showa personally attended the 90th Anniversary Ceremony of the Juku at Mita Campus, which was still in the midst of post-war reconstruction with piles of rubble remaining. He also attended the 100th Anniversary Ceremony at the Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall, a symbol of that reconstruction.

In 2008, for the 150th anniversary of the Juku, we welcomed Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress to the commemorative ceremony at Hiyoshi Campus. I was on the stage as the Dean of the Faculty of Letters, and in his remarks, His Majesty praised the historical role Keio University played through human resource development during Japan's modernization since the Meiji era. It was quite cold around the time of the ceremony in November, but we received a request from the Imperial Household Agency beforehand asking those on stage to wear coats, stating, "If you do not wear them, His Majesty will also take off his coat." I remember feeling that I had caught a glimpse of His Majesty's kind character at that moment.

"Months pass and stars move"; on May 1, 2019, the new Emperor ascended the throne, and a new era began. In 1981, before his accession as Crown Prince, Prince Naruhito (Prince Hiro) visited Mita Campus. Prince Hiro, whose specialty is history, viewed the Sagara Family Documents, an Important Cultural Property dating back to the Kamakura period held by the Juku. Chief Researcher Harutake Iikura of the Imperial Household Agency and Professor Masahiko Takahashi of the Faculty of Letters provided the overall explanation, while several graduate students at the time, including myself, took turns explaining the contents of the ancient documents. Prince Hiro viewed the documents intently, occasionally asking questions. Looking at the photo, on the far left is my mentor, Professor Koichi Murayama of the Faculty of Letters, who also served as the principal of Chutobu Junior High School, and in the background is Toru Urushihara, now a professor at Musashino University. Later, when dorayaki sweets embossed with the Imperial Chrysanthemum Crest arrived for the graduate students from the Empress with a message saying, "Thank you for taking care of Prince Hiro," we were humbled, but as young students, we enjoyed them without hesitation.

I sincerely hope that the Reiwa era will be a peaceful and good era.