News

Keio University held its annual commemoration of founder Yukichi Fukuzawa's birthday on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Mita Campus's West School Building Hall. Keio marks the beginning of every new year by coming together as a community to celebrate its founder's birthday.

The ceremony began with choral performances of "Here Stands Yukichi Fukuzawa" by students from the Keio Yochisha Elementary School and the Keio Yokohama Elementary School, and "Nihon no Hokori" (Pride of Japan) by the Wagner Society Male Chorus. Next, President Kohei Itoh rose to deliver his New Year's address.

President Itoh reflected on the achievements of the preceding year, including producing the highest number of successful Certified Public Accountant Examination test takers of any Japanese university for the 50th consecutive year, and hosting visits by world leaders from across the globe. He also emphasized just how important Yukichi Fukuzawa's philosophies of dokuritsu-jison (independence and self-respect) and chitoku (intellect and morals) are in a world of rising nationalism that bears resemblance to the period when Fukuzawa wrote his seminal work, An Outline of a Theory of Civilization. President Itoh said that he was determined to ensure that the legacy inherited from his predecessors would be passed on to the next generation, encouraging the continued evolution of the Keio University spirit.

President Itoh's remarks were followed by a commemorative lecture delivered by Dr. Toshimitsu Anzai (Professor Emeritus, Konan University), titled "Yukichi Fukuzawa's Theory of Chitoku and its Relationship to John Stuart Mill." Dr. Anzai explained how Fukuzawa referenced John Stuart Mill's ideology to stress the importance of transforming an individual's self-regarding intellect and morals into other-regarding intellect and morals that function for the benefit of society as a whole. He invoked Fukuzawa's philosophy, stating that the act of breaking free from the shackles of custom and convention in the never-ending quest to cultivate one's intellect and morals is the foundation on which civilization is built.

After the lecture, Fukuzawa's descendant Taiki Koyama greeted the Keio community on behalf of the Fukuzawa family. This was followed by a presentation of awards for the Koizumi Shinzo National High School Essay Contest, a Keio University–sponsored essay competition for high school students from across Japan that was established in honor of former university president Shinzo Koizumi. At the ceremony's conclusion, participants joined together to sing the "Juku-ka," Keio University's school anthem.

After the ceremony, the university held its "New Year's Name Card Exchange" networking event in the Co-op Cafeteria, where members of the Keio community met in a congenial atmosphere. Visitors could also be found enjoying new exhibitions on offer around campus, including the Keio Museum Commons' (KeMCo) New Year Exhibition 2026 "Where the Horses Are," and the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies' "2026 Exhibition of Newly Acquired Materials," which was held at the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum. Mita Campus was enveloped in the festive spirit of Keio's New Year's traditions on this clear winter's day.