Former President Shinzo Koizumi, 40 Years After His Death

2006/07/01

"Juku" No. 251 (2006)

Shinzo Koizumi fulfilled the heavy responsibilities of President of Keio University during the difficult times before and after the Pacific War.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of his death, and a commemorative lecture was held on May 11, the anniversary of his passing.
This article looks back on the life of this man who not only dedicated himself to the development of Keio University but also had a profound impact on Japanese society.
Furthermore, we wish to shed light on his character from various perspectives, highlighting his many roles as an educator, researcher, sportsman, writer, and father.

On May 4, 1888 (Meiji 21), Shinzo Koizumi was born in Mita, Shiba-ku, Tokyo, to Nobukichi Koizumi, a former samurai of the Kishu-Tokugawa clan, and his wife, Chika. His father, Nobukichi, was the President of Keio University at the time of Shinzo's birth but passed away when Shinzo was six years old. The young Shinzo and his family were then taken in at the Fukuzawa residence on Mita Hilltop Square, where he grew up enveloped in the deep affection of Yukichi Fukuzawa, who had also lost his father at an early age. He studied at Keio from the Keio Futsubu School, graduating from the political science department of the Keio University college in 1910 (Meiji 43), and was hired as a faculty member. From 1912 (Taisho 1), he studied abroad in Europe at universities in Great Britain, Germany, and France. After returning to Japan in 1916 (Taisho 5), he lectured on principles of economics and the history of social thought at Keio, making a name for himself as a Ricardo scholar and a theorist critical of Marxism.

In May 1932 (Showa 7), Keio held a ceremony to commemorate its 75th anniversary. The President at the time, Kiroku Hayashi, is said to have trusted Koizumi so deeply that he ordered him to accompany him everywhere. The following year, Shinzo Koizumi was appointed President. What awaited the 45-year-old new President was the major undertaking of opening the Hiyoshi Campus, a project inherited from former President Hayashi.

President Koizumi immediately began to travel energetically around the country, visiting Mita-kai and supporters to ask for their cooperation and encouragement. The Hiyoshi Campus opened in the spring of 1934 (Showa 9), and classes for the university preparatory course began. On the Hiyoshi plateau, the First School Building and other school buildings and facilities were gradually developed. In 1936 (Showa 11), the Yochisha (Elementary School) was newly built and relocated to Tengenji, and the following year, the university building in Mita (now the First School Building) and the Kitasato Memorial Medical Library in Shinanomachi were completed. Starting with the opening of Hiyoshi, a comprehensive improvement of the educational environment for all of Keio University was promoted. Furthermore, with the vision and investment of Ginjiro Fujiwara, a Keio University alumni and president of Oji Paper, the Fujiwara Institute of Technology was established in 1939 (Showa 14), reflecting Keio's philosophy of jitsugaku (science). A school building was constructed on the Hiyoshi Campus, and Koizumi became its first president. In 1944 (Showa 19), the Fujiwara Institute of Technology became the Keio University Faculty of Engineering.

Under the President's leadership, Keio's structure as a comprehensive university began to take shape, but the era was becoming increasingly militaristic. In 1940 (Showa 15), President Koizumi distributed a booklet titled "Juku no Kisho (The School Emblem)" to Keio students. This was a compilation of his lectures to students, calling on them to protect the brilliance of the school emblem—in other words, for students to be conscious of not damaging Keio's honor through cooperation and to raise their standards of personal appearance and courtesy. He also printed his "President's Instructions," a set of precepts for daily life that famously concludes with "Be brave in doing good," on small slips of paper, had students carry them at all times, and posted them in every classroom. In an era with a strong wartime atmosphere, the content, which was distinct from it, is said to have deeply impressed the students.

In 1943 (Showa 18), as the war situation worsened, an imperial edict was issued to suspend the draft deferment for students in the humanities, and the student mobilization began. At Keio as well, many young men had to leave for the battlefield in the middle of their studies. Understanding the feelings of these students, President Koizumi approached Waseda, and in October, the "Send-off Waseda-Keio Rivalry Game for Mobilized Students" was held at Waseda's Totsuka Stadium. This episode, known as the "last Waseda-Keio rivalry," can be said to have been the best possible send-off for the Keio students heading to war. Of the mobilized students, about 500 never returned to their studies. His eldest son, Nobukichi Koizumi, also went to war and never returned.

In 1945 (Showa 20), the air raids on the Japanese mainland by US aircraft 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 campus were also burned down, and President Koizumi himself suffered severe burns to his face and hands in the Great Tokyo Air Raid on the night of May 25. When the war ended, Keio University had become the most heavily damaged university in the country.

In May 1947 (Showa 22), two years after the end of the war, His Majesty the Emperor was welcomed to the ruined Mita Hilltop Square, the first time for a private university, and a grand ceremony was held to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Keio University's founding. Prior to this, in January of the same year, President Shinzo Koizumi resigned after completing his heavy responsibilities of about 13 years. Afterward, he declined various offers for public office and devoted himself to the education of His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Akihito (the current Emperor) as a regular tutor to the Crown Prince.

He also engaged in vigorous writing activities as an author and dedicated himself to Fukuzawa studies. He enthusiastically undertook the research and annotation of Yukichi Fukuzawa's letters and works himself, and strongly supported the publication of "The Complete Works of Yukichi Fukuzawa." The last book published by Koizumi during his lifetime was the Iwanami Shinsho edition of "Yukichi Fukuzawa."

In 1959 (Showa 34), Shinzo Koizumi became the first economist to receive the Order of Culture for his contributions to the development of economics in Japan. He passed away from a myocardial infarction in 1966 (Showa 41). As a pioneer of modern economics research, a master writer, an educator revered by many of his students, a sportsman who loved tennis and baseball, and a father figure not only to Keio University but to modern Japan... Shinzo Koizumi's life continues to send a passionate message to our hearts today.

In 1902 (Meiji 35), Shinzo Koizumi entered the Keio Futsubu School and immediately became passionate about tennis, soon playing alongside college-level members. "At the tennis club, it was said that Koizumi was the one who put away the net last after sunset and rolled up the frost-protection mats on winter mornings" (from "A Biography of Shinzo Koizumi" by Takeo Imamura). This image of him practicing on the court from early morning until dusk brings to mind the origin of his famous quote, "Practice makes the impossible possible," which is engraved on a stone monument beside the tennis courts on the Hiyoshi Campus. When Koizumi started playing tennis, the sport in Japan used a rubber ball, so-called "soft tennis." The pioneer was Tokyo Higher Normal School (now the University of Tsukuba), followed by Tokyo Higher Commercial School (now Hitotsubashi University). Eventually, Keio University and Waseda joined, ushering in an era of the "big four." It is said that this was the first time athletes were treated as stars, and one of them was Shinzo Koizumi, who was known for his powerful forehand stroke and served as the captain for Keio despite being a Futsubu student. His form was even featured in newspapers.

Even after advancing to the college, his passion for sports did not wane. Although Koizumi initially opposed the switch to hardball tennis, he had a change of heart during his studies in Great Britain after playing at a local club and watching Wimbledon. In 1913 (Taisho 2), he sent a copy of Wilding's "The Art of Lawn Tennis" from abroad to his juniors who had decided to adopt hardball tennis. Subsequently, the Keio tennis club produced international players such as Kazuya Kumagai (who later became Japan's first Olympic medalist), Jiro Yamagishi, and Takeichi Harada (both Davis Cup players), making Japan's tennis prowess known to the world.

From 1922 (Taisho 11) until 1932 (Showa 7), the year before he became President, Shinzo Koizumi spent a great deal of time with the members of the tennis club as its director.

He humbly stated, "The method I used to encourage the players was simple; it was nothing more than always being with them" ("Shin Bunmei," October 1951 issue). However, during Koizumi's time as director, Keio University put an end to Waseda's golden age and came to be known as the "Tennis Kingdom of Keio."

Shinzo Koizumi loved many sports besides tennis, but he was known as a particularly enthusiastic baseball fan. He was most fond of college baseball, stating, "The idealism of student-athletes fighting not for their own personal gain, but for the honor and disgrace of their alma mater, appeals to me" ("Hochi Shimbun," January 1, 1963). He also demanded sportsmanship in spectators' attitudes and manners, as seen in his writing: "There are those who make a fuss when their team is doing well, but start to leave one by one when things turn bad. This is truly unreliable behavior" (from "Daily Precepts" by Shinzo Koizumi).

The year before he passed away, in 1965 (Showa 40), just before his 77th birthday, he took the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Tokyo Big6 spring league game and threw a perfect strike. At that moment, the crowd in the stands, who had been watching with bated breath, erupted in applause, and newspapers across the country reported on his magnificent form. In 1976 (Showa 51), the 10th anniversary of his death, the Special Selection Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum unanimously decided to induct Shinzo Koizumi into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Koizumi identified "three treasures that sports give" as "the experience of making the impossible possible through practice," "the spirit of fair play," and "friends" (from a commemorative lecture at the 70th anniversary ceremony of the Keio University Athletic Association in 1962). These "treasures" are not limited to sports; they also show a way of life for an individual.

Shinzo Koizumi as an educator overlaps with his image as a sportsman. The figure of this mentor, full of indomitable spirit and a sense of fair play, captivated the hearts of many young people and inspired their reverence. Daikichi Ito, who studied in the Koizumi seminar and later became the Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Keio University, spoke of his teacher, Shinzo Koizumi, as follows.

"'Professor Koizumi was a teacher who only gave to his disciples. Even if we wanted to repay his kindness in some way, he was so fulfilled, so full of ability and confidence, that there was no opportunity. We could only think that there was no way to repay him other than to make what we learned from him our own' ('Omoidasu Kotodomo' [Recollections], published in 'Izumi,' No. 20, 1978)."

"'Professor Koizumi's attitude in guiding us, his students, in terms of thought or scholarship was truly democratic and liberal. He rather disliked those who were sycophantic to his opinions. Above all, he welcomed any criticism of his views as long as it was in the attitude of pursuing truth and in a debate seeking the truth' (ibid.)."

Although Koizumi was a sharp critic of Marxism, he greatly loved and enjoyed debating with students who boldly challenged his theories. Of course, these courageous young people often had to bite their tongues in frustration before their teacher's calm and thorough refutations.

On Thursdays, a gathering called the "Mokuyokai" (Thursday Club) was held, where teacher and students would talk late into the night in a room on the second floor of the Koizumi residence. He encouraged not only his seminar students but also students who had come to Tokyo from the provinces to enter the university preparatory course to attend, and the number of participants gradually increased. It is said that up to about 70 students would cram into two connected rooms, one eight-mat and one ten-mat, to debate, and Koizumi tried to let the less frequent participants speak as much as possible.

Among these disciples of Koizumi were Marxists who were ideologically opposed to their teacher. Eitaro Noro, the author of "History of the Development of Japanese Capitalism," was one of them. Noro, who became involved in the activities of the Japan Communist Party, eventually came under the scrutiny of the authorities, but Koizumi always welcomed him when he visited his home. And when Noro was released, Koizumi arranged for him to use the university library so that he could devote himself to research and writing without worry. He extended a warm, educational hand to students with outstanding talent and character, transcending ideology. He was also a great judge of character who helped not only in academics but also in bringing out the wide-ranging talents and potential of Keio students.

"'...What the professor encouraged was not just academic research, but the vigorous blossoming in all fields of student life, be it sports, music, literature, or other hobbies and arts. Although his time as President was when the sound of military boots grew heavier, student life at Keio was nevertheless quite bright and rich' (Masafumi Tomita, 'Remembering Professor Koizumi,' from 'In Memoriam: Professor Shinzo Koizumi')."

Shinzo Koizumi was the father of three children: Nobukichi, Kayo, and Tae. The short life of Nobukichi, who died in the war at the age of 25, is described in full by his father in "Navy Paymaster Lieutenant Nobukichi Koizumi." On the other hand, the warm figure of their father, Shinzo, thinking of his children, was vividly depicted by his two daughters after his death.

According to "My Father, Shinzo Koizumi," their father often took his daughters with him when dining out or traveling, but after becoming President, he never allowed Nobukichi to accompany him. One reason was that it was not appropriate for the President to be seen with a specific Keio student, even if it was his son. Furthermore, it seems he had a fatherly thought that while a boy could forge his own destiny in the future, a girl's circumstances after marriage were uncertain, so he wanted to give them various experiences. Also, when he played catch or wrestled with Nobukichi, his father would mercilessly throw hard balls and use his large frame to throw his son down. From the daughters' perspective, their brother's situation seemed pitiful, but the results of this home education seem to have turned out as the father had hoped. "I think my father was inwardly very happy to see my brother, whom he had trained in this way, grow up to be more and more reliable and become someone he could talk to" (Kayo Akiyama, "My Brother, Nobukichi," from "My Father, Shinzo Koizumi").

However, after Nobukichi's death, around the time he began writing "Navy Paymaster Lieutenant Nobukichi Koizumi," it is also recorded in "My Father, Shinzo Koizumi" that he once lamented with a somber expression, "I did nothing for my boy. I took the girls out, but I told the boy to do it on his own. I did a pitiful thing."

At the Koizumi family dinner table, the father was the center of the happy gathering.

"'We ate while listening to my father's stories. I was so used to it that when I was invited to someone else's house as a child and sat at a table with a quiet father, I felt like I had gone to a country where I couldn't understand the language' (Tae Koizumi, 'The Letter That Never Arrived: Days with My Father, Shinzo Koizumi'). 'My father ate a lot. And he talked a lot. So meal times were long, and by the end, everyone else had finished, and we would often just watch our father's hands and mouth' (Kayo Akiyama, 'The Dinner Table,' from 'My Father, Shinzo Koizumi')."

He was also a prolific letter writer. In Tae Koizumi's "A Calendar of My Parents," it is written that he sent a postcard to his three-year-old daughter from a trip to Shanghai, which read, "TAEKO-SAN, HOW ARE YOU? IT IS BETTER NOT TO CRY SO MUCH. SHINZO KOIZUMI." This was likely his father's concern for his youngest child, who often cried out of a competitive spirit towards her older brother and sister.

For the busy father, the dinner table and letters seem to have been precious opportunities to communicate with his children. And the exchanges between the children and their father always contained a considerable amount of humor. For example, when he answered a phone call from his eldest daughter, Kayo, who had experienced life in England after her marriage, he would respond in English, "Oh!! Have I the honor to speak to Duchess A-ki-ya-ma," "deliberately stuttering in an Oxford accent" (Kayo Akiyama, "The Telephone," from "My Father, Shinzo Koizumi"), and seemed to enjoy it very much.