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Monuments to Keio University Erected Across Japan
July 27, 2023
Keio University once had a presence beyond its campuses today, its legacy etched into several monuments across the country that bear witness to its past. These monuments are situated in locations such as Tsukiji Teppozu in Tokyo, the birthplace of Keio, as well as in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokushima, where branch schools were established in the 1870s during the early Meiji era. Below, we explore the stories behind each of the four monuments that stand as testaments to Keio University's connections with each area alongside photographs of each.
Where It All Began:
Monument to the Birthplace of Keio Gijuku
In 1858, Yukichi Fukuzawa, a samurai from the Nakatsu domain, embarked on his journey as a teacher of Dutch studies within the residence of the Nakatsu domain. This is believed to mark the beginnings of Keio University in a location thought to have been near the present-day St. Luke's International Hospital in Akashi-cho, Chuo City, Tokyo.
Originally erected in 1958 on the grounds of St. Luke's as part of the Keio centennial commemoration project, the monument was relocated to the intersection in front of the hospital in 1982 due to road construction.
The monument, designed by the acclaimed architect Yoshiro Taniguchi, features a granite book sculpture resting upon a black granite base. The book is inscribed with the initial lines in the same font of the first edition of Fukuzawa's An Encouragement of Learning: "Heaven, it is said, does not create one person above or below another." Interestingly, this very site is where Kaitai-Shinsho: New Text on Anatomy, one of the most influential medical texts of its time, was first translated from Dutch into Japanese during the 18th century by clan physician Ryotaku Maeno and others. Adjacent to the centennial commemoration stands a separate monument that celebrates the birthplace of Western learning in Japan, honoring this remarkable achievement. Collectively these two monuments honor the beginnings of modern culture in Japan.
Monument to Keio's First Branch in Osaka
During the 1870s, Keio University established three branch schools in western Japan, aiming to facilitate access to education for students there.
The first among these was Osaka Keio Gijuku. Historical records indicate that the school commenced operations in November 1873 within Maruya Zenzo Hikaeya, the 192th house located in the 3-chome block of Andoji-bashi-dori Avenue in the Sixth District of Minami-Ogumi. The following year, it relocated to the residence of Atsubei Kodera in 2-chome, Kitahama-cho. Although Osaka Keio Gijuku was only open for two years before closing in June 1875, it played a significant role in educating 86 students, 75 in English literature and 11 in translation.
In 2009, a monument designed by Nikken Sekkei, Ltd., was erected at the site of Atsubei Kodera's former residence (Kitahama 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka), with the gracious permission of the landowner. The monument takes the form of a white-glazed ceramic pagoda, and its surface bears the inscription dokuritsu-jison ("independence and self-respect") in the handwriting of Fukuzawa himself.
Monument to Kyoto Keio Gijuku
at the Kyoto Prefectural Office
Kyoto Keio Gijuku was founded in February 1874, shortly after the establishment of Osaka Keio Gijuku, at the request of Masanao Makimura, the governor of Kyoto Prefecture and a close friend of Fukuzawa. Kyoto Keio Gijuku rented space at Kyoto Junior High School, which was located within the former military commissioner's residence from the late Edo period, and commenced courses in English literature, Western arithmetic, and translation. Eventually, the Kyoto Prefectural Office was relocated to this very site.
In 1932, the Kyoto Keio Club erected a monument to commemorate its contributions. The granite monument bears the words dokuritsu-jison ("independence and self-respect") engraved in Fukuzawa's own handwriting, along with a message from Kiroku Hayashi, the president of Keio University at the time, which reads, "The Site of Kyoto Keio Gijuku in 1874." The monument is now situated at the left of the gate to the Kyoto Prefectural Office, just behind the guardhouse.
Monument to Tokushima Keio Gijuku,
the Successor to Osaka Keio Gijuku
In July 1875, Tokushima Keio Gijuku was established at the request and with the support of influential leaders in Tokushima Prefecture. Its opening followed shortly after the closure of Osaka Keio Gijuku, which shut its doors just a month prior. However, Tokushima Keio Gijuku only lasted until November of the following year.
The exact location of Tokushima Keio Gijuku remains unknown but is believed to be somewhere on the premises of a hotel that once housed the former feudal lord Hachisuka family's east palace, based on the place name specified in contemporary records documenting the school's establishment.
In April 2001, the Tokushima Keio Club spearheaded the construction of a spiraling black-granite monument with a stainless steel nameplate. The nameplate bears the inscription dokuritsu-jison ("independence and self-respect"), skillfully engraved in Fukuzawa's own handwriting. Following a change in land ownership, the monument was relocated to the prefectural government building in 2009.
Monument to the Fathers of Two Schools: Fukuzawa & Kondo
After the Nakatsu Domain's residence was designated as a foreign settlement by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868, Fukuzawa volunteered his personal wealth to purchase a portion of the Echizen Maruoka Domain's residence in Shiba-Shinzenza (present-day Hamamatsucho in Minato City, Tokyo).
This property served as the home of his school for nearly four years. Following the relocation of Keio University to Mita, the site became home to Kogyokusha, a school established by educator and philosopher Makoto Kondo. A monument now proudly graces the spot where the two men founded their schools to pay homage to these fathers of modern Japanese education.
*This article originally appeared in Stained Glass in the 2023 Winter edition (No. 317) of Juku.
