On Monday, July 5, the Opening Ceremony for the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum was held, and the museum opened its doors to the public for the first time.
The Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum is an exhibition facility which traces the life of Yukichi Fukuzawa and the history of Keio University through an abundance of valuable "artefacts" and "words" from the times. Established within the Old Library on Mita Campus, an important cultural property, the museum incorporates a Temporary Exhibition Room for special programs of fixed duration and a café, in addition to a Permanent Exhibition Room for the permanent exhibition of over 150 resources. While the museum itself was completed in May, the opening had been postponed due to the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease).
At the opening ceremony, speeches by Keio University President Kohei Itoh and Professor Takashi Hirano of the Faculty of Business and Commerce, who will serve as the Director of the Keio History Museum, were followed by an introductory lecture from the museum's Deputy Director and Associate Professor at the Fukuzawa Memorial Institute for Modern Japanese Studies Takeyuki Tokura. To conclude, Dean Juro Iwatani of the Faculty of Law (scheduled to assume the role of Keio University Vice-President from August of this year), offered his closing remarks.
In the afternoon, the permanent exhibitions and first temporary exhibition, "May 15, 1868—The Day of Fukuzawa Yukichi's Lecture on the Writings of Francis Wayland" opened to the public, with visitors seen enthusiastically touring the displays. As part of the temporary exhibition, pieces such as the copy of "The Elements of Political Economy" by Francis Weyland, published in 1866, which Fukuzawa brought home with him from the United States; Fukuzawa's original manuscript for Yasegaman no Setsu ("The Spirit of Manly Defiance"); and "Fukuzawa Yukichi Gives his Francis Wayland Lecture" drawn by Yukihiko Yasuda were displayed.
A reservation will be required in advance to visit the museum. Please only come after confirming the details available on the website beforehand.
Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum