The Post-50th Reunion was held for Keio alumni at the Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall on Saturday, May 19.
Held for the 65th time, the Post-50th Reunion is a tradition that started in 1958 when Keio extended an invitation to alumni celebrating their 25th and 50th graduation anniversaries to attend the Commencement Ceremony. Currently, 25th anniversary alumni are invited to the Commencement Ceremony and 50th anniversary alumni to the Entrance Ceremony. Since 1986, the Post-50th Reunion has been held every year for alumni celebrating any anniversary of graduation after their 50th. At this year’s event, which was again held in Yokohama, more than 4,200 graduates who graduated in or before 1967 attended.
The reunion started with the singing of Keio’s Alma Mater "The Juku-ka," and then President Haseyama took the stage to thank the alumni for their continued support. Next, Ms. Hiromi Tanaka, the event organizer of the 1967 Mita-kai (Alumni Association), gave a toast, and afterwards, the alumni had a chance to catch up with one another. During this time, an interview was held with Noboru Suzuki (class of 1941; 99 years of age), the eldest person in attendance. Mr. Suzuki talked about his memories of his student days, including the time he was greeted by Shinzo Koizumi, the then president of Keio, when he was called to fight for his country while a student. Later, the Wagner Society performed a specially composed mixed chorus piece and the Keio Cheer Group performed university songs such as "Keio Sanka" and "Oka no Ue" on stage. After Vice President Keigo Komamura made a closing address, President Haseyama came back on stage to report that the Keio Baseball Club had won against Meiji University in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League game that took place on the day. While excitement filled the hall, the alumni joined shoulders, and led by the Keio Cheer Group, sang "Wakaki-chi," bringing the one-and-a-half-hour event to a close.
Although it was expected to rain on the day, the weather recovered by the time of opening, and in the pleasant May weather the alumni reunited with old friends and enjoyed talking about their memories at Keio as well as recent events.