Jingu Gaien, the School of Medicine, and the Hospital

2022/03/18

Image: Building 1 of the hospital has just been completed. To the south of the National Stadium, completed in 1958, Jingu Second Stadium, Jingu Stadium, and Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium can be seen (around 1965).

Construction of the new hospital building (Building 1), which began on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the School of Medicine, is underway. To the south of the New National Stadium, the same scenery as in the 1960s continues (November 2021). (The red line represents the boundaries of the Shinanomachi site.)

The area around Shinanomachi, where the Keio University School of Medicine and Hospital are located, is divided into north and south by the JR Chuo-Sobu Line running east-west, with the School of Medicine located on the north side. The south side is Jingu Gaien, which houses the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and the National Stadium. Construction of the Meiji Jingu Gaien on the site of the former Aoyama Parade Ground began in December 1919.

Looking at photos from around 1965 and 1966, the Jingu Pool (1930–2002) is visible in front of the National Stadium, which was the main venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and the Tokyo Toden streetcars (1906–1969) are running on Gaien-higashi-dori Avenue, which runs vertically in a "V" shape. On the road near Shinanomachi Station, there is a pedestrian bridge (1964), which was rare at the time and has become a "sacred site" for the film "Your Name." (directed by Makoto Shinkai).

The site of the School of Medicine and Hospital is a former Army site, and boundary stones marked "Land under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Army" still remain on Gaien-higashi-dori Avenue. Three bridges once spanned the area between the site and the parade ground, but today only one "Unnamed Bridge," which is closed to cars, remains. Classes in Shinanomachi began in April 1919, the same year as the development of the Gaien, but the opening ceremony for the school and hospital was held in November 1920, pending the completion of the hospital. Most of those buildings were destroyed in the air raid on May 24, 1945, but fortunately, more than 200 inpatients were safely rescued. Medical treatment resumed in a wooden hospital quickly after the war, and subsequently, starting with the "Ha" building constructed in 1950, Building 2, Building 6, and Building 7 were completed by 1954, followed by the Central Building in 1963 and Building 1 in 1965. Additionally, at the School of Medicine, the First School Building, East School Building, and Second School Building were constructed between 1956 and 1961.

Even in the photo from 2021, 55 years later, the basic structure of the city has not changed significantly, but the New National Stadium, which served as the main venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, stands out. Furthermore, compared to the era when there were no large buildings other than the School of Medicine and Hospital, many buildings of similar height can now be seen in the surrounding area.

Leading up to the completion of Building 1 in 2018, Building 2, Building 3, the Integrated Medical Education and Research Building, the Clinical Research Building, and Koyosha, among others, were constructed. Most of the buildings have been replaced, except for the Building for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, the Kitasato Memorial Medical Library, and the East School Building. This spring, all renovation work will be completed, and the hospital will celebrate its grand opening. It is as if this symbolizes the prosperity and development of "Keio Medical Science."

(Junzo Takeda, Professor Emeritus of Keio University and President of the School of Medicine Sanshikai)