Keio's Ginkgo Trees: Adorning the Seasons and History

2024/03/26

When one thinks of a tree that symbolizes a university campus, the ginkgo is likely what comes to mind for many. Keio University is, of course, no exception. From the towering Great Ginkgo Tree (Ōichō) in the Mita Campus courtyard to the magnificent avenue of around 100 ginkgo trees that serves as the "face" of the Hiyoshi Campus, these trees have been with Keio students since the campuses' founding. This article shines a spotlight on the ginkgo, our closest "schoolmate," which has watched over Keio's history for more than a century.

From the 1911 graduation album. The Great Ginkgo Tree is in the background on the left (Photo courtesy of the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies).

After passing through the main gate of the Mita Campus and climbing the stairs of the South School Building, the towering Great Ginkgo Tree in the courtyard comes into view. The benches surrounding it, donated by The Iji-kai (Support Group), provide a place of relaxation for Keio students, and its arching branches seem to protect them from the harsh sun, wind, and rain.

It is not known exactly when this Great Ginkgo Tree was planted. It does not appear in illustrations from the early Meiji era, but a young tree that appears to be it can be seen in a corner of a photograph presumed to be of the Mita Campus from the Meiji era. In addition to the Great Ginkgo Tree, Mita has many other ginkgo trees, some of which are believed to have withstood wind, rain, and disasters since the Edo period, when the site was the middle residence of the Shimabara domain.

The ginkgo trees on the Mita Hilltop Square also left a strong impression on literary figures. One such person was the poet Haruo Sato, who enrolled in 1910 (Meiji 43). Although Sato left the university a few years later, about 20 years later he published "Sake, Uta, Tabako, Mata Onna" (Wine, Song, Tobacco, and Women Again) with the subtitle "A Song of My Student Days at Mita." One passage reads, "The leaves of a lone ginkgo have withered and fallen, blanketing the garden. The winter exams are near, and I can't understand a single sentence of French." While it is uncertain whether the ginkgo mentioned here is the Great Ginkgo Tree, it is clear that he strongly associated the ginkgo with the Mita Campus as a symbol.

Furthermore, in May 1949 (Showa 24), when Sato visited the Mita Campus as a lecturer for a public course titled "A Survey of Modern Literature" hosted by the Mita Bungaku-kai (Mita Literary Society), he addressed the verdant Great Ginkgo Tree as follows: "(Omission) I look up at the fresh green of the ginkgo in the schoolyard where I once trod on fallen leaves, a gentle breeze rustling through. Then, approaching and touching its trunk, I say to this robust old friend: O great friend, your green turns yellow each year, then green again. My hair turns whiter each year, but never green again."

Mizuho Aoyagi, who studied French literature at Keio and later taught French to Keio students, was also an accomplished poet. In 1928 (Showa 3), Aoyagi wrote the lyrics for the college song "Oka no Ue" ("On the Hilltop"). The lyrics include the lines, "On the hilltop, the sky is blue, a bird sings in the ginkgo tree, it sings." In the autumn of the year this song was completed, Keio achieved a remarkable feat of 10 wins in 10 games in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. Because the song perfectly matched the mood of savoring victory with arms linked, "Oka no Ue" has since become established as the victory song for the Waseda-Keio rivalry.

The avenue of ginkgo trees on the gentle slope leading from the entrance of the Hiyoshi Campus to the Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall in front. This scene, composed of about 100 ginkgo trees trimmed into conical shapes as if reaching for the sky, is the "face" of the campus. They were planted in 1935 (Showa 10), the year after Hiyoshi opened, and are now nearly 90 years old. Every year, they welcome new students heading to the entrance ceremony held at the Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall, and in the fall, they adorn the campus with their magnificent yellow foliage.

Many Keio students have likely heard of the "ginkgo legend," which states that "if you don't find a romantic partner by the time the ginkgo leaves fall after you enroll, you won't have one for all four years." Of course, this is a kind of urban legend, and it is unclear who started it or when, but it continues to be whispered among Keio students as if it were true.

The ginkgo trees on campus are aging along with the history of Keio University. In recent years, surveys and maintenance have been actively carried out to protect the campus environment where these ginkgo trees grow. For the avenue of ginkgo trees at Hiyoshi, areas at risk of falling trees are inspected daily. When pruning is necessary, a master arborist is commissioned. After pruning, they wait a year to confirm there are no adverse effects before trimming other trees, taking every possible precaution.

At the Mita Campus as well, efforts are being made to maintain a pleasant campus environment surrounded by trees, including the Great Ginkgo Tree. During the leaf-fall season, frequent cleaning is carried out to prevent accidents from slipping on wet fallen leaves.

The alumni association of the Keio Girls Senior High School, adjacent to the Mita Campus, is named the "Ginnan no Kai" (Ginkgo Society). This name is said to derive from the lyrics of the aforementioned college song "Oka no Ue," and thus from the ginkgo trees on the Mita Hilltop Square. The ginkgo has been beloved through the ages by those who study at Keio University. As a symbol tree, we hope it will continue to age along with the history of Keio.

This article was originally published in the "Stained Glass" section of "Juku" AUTUMN 2023 (No. 320).