October 2, 2023
On Thursday, September 28, 2023, a graveside ceremony and a memorial service for body donors, hosted by the School of Medicine, were held at Tama Cemetery and Zojoji Temple.
Every year during the autumn equinox, the School of Medicine holds a memorial service for body donors to pray for the souls of those who graciously donated their bodies for the advancement of medical education and academic research. The service welcomes bereaved families and is attended by faculty, staff, and medical students. This service has been held at Zojoji Temple in Shiba Park, Minato Ward, since 1928 and is considered one of the most important events for the School of Medicine. For the past three years, due to the spread of COVID-19, it was held with only representatives from Keio University and medical students in attendance. However, this year, bereaved families were also invited, and the service was conducted with careful attention to infection prevention measures.
This year again, prior to the main memorial service, a graveside ceremony was held in front of the School of Medicine's charnel house at Tama Cemetery. Along with the chanting of sutras by monks from Zojoji Temple, incense was offered by affiliates of the School of Medicine, led by Dean Takanori Kanai.
Following this, the memorial service for body donors was held in the main hall of Zojoji Temple. At the service, approximately 400 bereaved family members, students, and affiliates attended, with a memorial address delivered by the Dean of the School of Medicine and sutras chanted by numerous monks, led by Chief Steward Shodo Kobayashi of the Zojoji Head Temple. Finally, on behalf of the faculty and staff, Professor Masayuki Fujita of the Department of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, expressed respect and gratitude to the deceased and their families, sincerely acknowledging their donations for the advancement of medicine. He also addressed the medical students, telling them that through anatomical dissection, they not only learn the structure of the human body but should also deeply reflect on the noble intentions of the deceased and the profound understanding of their families as they take their first important steps toward becoming physicians.
The service concluded with an address pledging to redouble efforts to apply the valuable knowledge gained from dissection toward medical progress and the safety of society.
Photo by Takeshi Kishi