The Pen is Mightier than the Sword — Keio Students Creating New Stories

At Keio University, there are young people who dedicate their youth to literature.

Some write novels single-mindedly until late at night. Others compose tanka, condensing their feelings into 31 syllables. And some simply love reading, even if they don't write novels themselves.

Pen Club is a university-sanctioned literary circle where such students gather. It is a place where they can create various works without being bound by genre, including novels, tanka, poetry, and essays. The club has about 50 members in total. They publish a club magazine four times a year, with each member writing and contributing at their own pace.

The club magazines, which the members create entirely themselves—from the text to the cover art—feature different designs and textures depending on the season of publication. No specific theme is set for each magazine. Genres and themes are completely open. Because there are no restrictions, each member's imaginative power is put to the test.

The students in charge of editing look at the submitted works as a whole and arrange them according to a theme they have set for themselves. They showed their commitment to the craft, saying, "The opening piece sets the tone for the entire issue—it dictates whether a reader keeps turning the pages. That’s where our editorial judgment is truly put to the test."

The illustration on the cover of the Autumn 2025 issue reportedly incorporates elements from each of the included works. Opening the paperback-sized cover reveals a lineup of works that, while short, are deeply intriguing.

Writing is done almost entirely individually. In-person writing sessions are held about once every two months, and members usually interact using communication tools like Discord. So why join a club when writing is inherently solitary?

One member says they feel hesitant to tell friends that they like writing novels or composing tanka. However, they say that since joining Pen Club, they are "happy to be able to have people read my work casually and receive serious feedback."

Before a club magazine is published, there is a period where contributors proofread each other's work. During this time, they receive not only corrections for grammatical errors but also advice on overall structure and specific expressions, as well as impressions of the work. This feedback is often a driving force for their creativity.

While some students say that "interacting and appreciating each other's work provides good stimulation for my own writing / my creative process," others participate in circle activities with a competitive spirit, wanting to "know what level my writing has reached."

Beyond just contributing to Pen Club, students enjoy creation in various forms, such as applying for literary awards or posting online. Several students in Pen Club even compile their own works through self-publishing to create physical books.

"It’s wonderful to write whatever you want, whenever you want, across any genre you like," says the sophomore who serves as club president."

So says the second-year student who serves as the representative of Pen Club. Their words convey an attitude of enjoying literature at a relaxed pace. This freedom is likely what gives birth to the unique and diverse works across many genres.

With the rise of social media, more people are consuming short texts and videos, and many have likely had fewer opportunities to pick up a book. In such a world, Pen Club is a place where members search for expressions they couldn't have reached alone, while being stimulated by each other's words. There, one could catch a glimpse of the daily lives of students loosely connected through literature.

*This article was created based on information as of 2026.