November 30, 2023
Keio University
As a customary New Year event, the Fukuzawa-related Materials Research Center will introduce materials newly acquired in 2023. At Keio University, the tradition of holding a commemorative gathering on Yukichi Fukuzawa's birthday, January 10, has continued for over 100 years since the end of the Meiji era. The origin of this exhibition was to celebrate the New Year by displaying items such as calligraphic scrolls handwritten by Fukuzawa at the venue. After the war, it became an annual event to unveil materials newly acquired by Keio University. Previously, it was a one-day-only event on January 10, but since the opening of the museum, it has been made available for viewing over a longer period.
This year, various materials will be exhibited, including a calligraphy by Yukichi Fukuzawa titled "Jushin Saki ni Narite Jinshin Hattatsu" (The Body Develops First, Then the Mind); a letter from Yukichi Fukuzawa to Koji Sugi, known as the father of Japanese statistics, inquiring about the currencies of various countries; a stopwatch used in the early Showa era by Hisashi Koshimoto, a former manager of the Athletic Association's baseball club; a commemorative item from the Juku's only victory in the Hakone Ekiden; and a size 100 oil painting titled "Hanki" (Flag at Half-Mast), depicting a scene from Maboroshi no Mon, painted by students of the Palette Club in memory of the late former President Shinzo Koizumi.
Dates: Wednesday, January 10–Saturday, February 10, 2024 *Closed on Sundays
Venue: Special Exhibition Room, Keio History Museum, 2nd floor, Old University Library
Hours: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Admission: Free and open to the public
*Please check the museum website for the latest information.
For the full press release, please see below.