March 1, 1997
From "Juku," 1997, no. 203
Since the campus was relocated in the fourth year of the Meiji era (1871), "Mita" has been the home ground of Keio Gijuku.
It has become such an essential keyword when discussing the existence and history of Keio Gijuku that it is even listed in the *Kojien* dictionary (4th edition) as "1. A district in Minato Ward, Tokyo. Located southwest of Shiba Park, it is home to Keio University. 2. A common name for Keio University."
Bounded by the Furukawa River to the north and west and Tokyo Bay to the east, this plateau-like area stretching north to south, known as Koyamaday and Mitadai, is composed of the neighborhoods of Mita, Tamachi, Toyookacho, Tsunamachi, Koyamacho, Akabanecho, Matsumotocho, and Shikokucho. To this day, in the Heisei era, it remains one of Tokyo's famous landmarks, cherished not only by the Keio Gijuku Shachu but also by the general public.
From Shiba Shinsenza to Mita
The area around Mita developed significantly after the beginning of the Edo period. With the establishment of the shogunate, samurai residences spread across the northern part of the Mitadai plateau and to the east and west of its southern part, and townhouses were formed along what is now Mita-dori Avenue. Additionally, shrines such as Kasuga Shrine and Tenso Shrine were scattered along the edges of the plateau.
After the Meiji Restoration, these areas changed with the development of modern industry. By the fourth year of the Meiji era (1871), when Keio Gijuku relocated to this land, many of the daimyo residences had become estates for former daimyo, aristocrats, politicians, and wealthy individuals. It is said to have been a quiet place, even during the day, on a high ground with an open view of the sea and abundant nature.
Changes After the Relocation
After Keio Gijuku's relocation, bookstores, restaurants, stationery shops, and clothing stores were established in the former Mita 1-chome and 2-chome (present-day Mita 2-chome), developing into a student town (shopping district). Subsequently, this area facing Mita-dori Avenue became the liveliest place in Mita. Also in Tsunamachi, the 3,800-tsubo Tsunamachi Ground was established in the 36th year of the Meiji era (1903), and in November of the same year, the first game of the Keio-Waseda series, a memorable event in Japanese baseball history, was held. That same year also saw the opening of a streetcar line. A depot was set up in front of the Mita stop, and it became a familiar mode of transportation for Tokyo residents and Keio students until it was discontinued in the 44th year of the Showa era (1969).
Meanwhile, the area around Tamachi transformed into an industrial zone, partly due to the construction of the railway. The Murai Brothers & Co., one of the two major tobacco manufacturers of the time, was established here, and this area was also home to the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau's factory, considered one of Tokyo's major architectural structures at the time, as well as Morinaga's confectionery factory.
Entering the Showa era, another major change was the opening of a new, wide road cutting east-west at the southern end of the Keio Gijuku grounds around the 10th year of Showa (1935). Before that, Mita-dori Avenue was narrow, with a large ditch about half its width running along one side all the way to Akabanebashi.
From the Postwar Period to the Present
Mita suffered relatively little damage from air raids, and the cityscape immediately after the war was not much different from before the war. However, during the period of high economic growth, large private residences gradually disappeared, replaced by an increase in foreign legations and apartment buildings. Similarly, with the exception of Mita-dori Avenue and parts of Mitadaimachi, Teramachi, and Tsunamachi, both sides of the wide streets trended toward being built up with high-rise buildings, and the sea could no longer be seen from Mita Hilltop Square. And now, due to road expansion, the area around the Maboroshi no Mon is also about to lose its former appearance. This will likely be the last major change in the Mita neighborhood in the twentieth century.