1995/09/01
Published in "Juku" No. 193, 1995
During the Pacific War, Keio University suffered the most extensive war damage of any university in Japan. Then the war ended.
In 1947, while the Hiyoshi Campus was still requisitioned, the 90th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony was held.
Later, following the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony in 1958, Keio University embarked on the path to reconstruction.
In 1945, US air raids on the Japanese mainland intensified, and in April, 80% of the Faculty of Engineering buildings at Hiyoshi were destroyed by fire. The following month, more than half of the facilities at the School of Medicine and the Mita area were also lost, and President Shinzo Koizumi was injured. On August 15, the war ended with Japan's defeat, but Keio University had become the most heavily damaged university in the country. In September, US forces moved into the Hiyoshi area and requisitioned it until the fall of 1949, hindering Keio University's reconstruction plans during this period.
In 1947, two years after the end of the war, Keio University celebrated its 90th anniversary and held a commemorative ceremony on the ruins of Mita Hilltop Square. With no buildings on campus to serve as a venue, the university welcomed the Emperor for the first time as a private institution to a tented stage set up in a burnt-out open area. He bestowed upon them the words, "I hope that you will take to heart the founding spirit of Yukichi Fukuzawa and redouble your efforts for the reconstruction of Japan."
For some time after the war, classes continued under difficult conditions, with buildings borrowed in various locations due to war damage and requisition. However, with the establishment of the new Constitution and the Fundamental Law of Education, which included language that resonated with Keio's educational philosophy, the names of Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University, which had been targets of criticism during the war, began to attract public attention.
In July 1947, when the new school system was implemented, the reconstruction of school buildings began with the completion of a wooden schoolhouse for the Keio Futsubu School on the Yochisha Elementary School grounds. In September of the same year, the main building of the School of Medicine hospital in Shinanomachi, said to be the largest wooden structure built after the war, was completed. In 1949, Hiyoshi was returned, and although it involved using the remaining school buildings and the Quonset huts left by the occupation forces, Keio University's facilities had largely been restored.
Subsequently, momentum grew both within and outside Keio for the 100th anniversary celebration, and various projects moved forward. On November 8, 1958, the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony was grandly held at the newly renovated Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall, once again welcoming the Emperor, as well as attendees including the presidents of Waseda and Tokyo universities, a representative from Harvard University, and Keio University alumni representative Shinzo Koizumi. The Emperor bestowed upon Keio the words, "Work together in greater unity to uphold this brilliant tradition and strive to contribute to the advancement of our nation's culture and learning."
Then, in 1962, the 100th anniversary projects achieved their initial goals, and the great task of post-war reconstruction was complete.