Keio University

150 Years of Carrying on the Tradition of Japan's First "Public Speaking"The 713th Mita Public Speaking Event, "The Young Men of Satsuma at the End of the Edo Period and Me: In Pursuit of the Satsuma Students," to be HeldA Portrait of Students Studying Abroad at the End of the Edo Period by Author and Scholar of Japanese Literature Nozomu Hayashi

Publish: October 29, 2024
Public Relations Office

10/29/2024

Keio University

It was Yukichi Fukuzawa and the early students of Keio University who introduced the methods of public speaking and debate to Japan as a means of conveying one's ideas to a large audience. In 1874 (the 7th year of the Meiji era), they organized the Mita Public Speaking Event and opened it to the public. They also worked to popularize these methods by publishing books and rules that provided instruction on how to engage in public speaking and debate. Keio University has carried on this tradition uninterruptedly and holds the Mita Public Speaking Event every year at the Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), Japan's first hall for public speaking.

The Mita Public Speaking Event, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, will feature a lecture by author and scholar of Japanese literature Nozomu Hayashi on Wednesday, December 4, titled "The Young Men of Satsuma at the End of the Edo Period and Me: In Pursuit of the Satsuma Students." We kindly request that you consider featuring this public speaking event in your event listings and providing media coverage.

[Event Details]

Date & Time: Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 2:45 PM - 4:15 PM (Doors open at 2:00 PM)

Speaker: Nozomu Hayashi (Author and Scholar of Japanese Literature)

Title: "The Young Men of Satsuma at the End of the Edo Period and Me: In Pursuit of the Satsuma Students"

Venue: Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) (Important Cultural Property), Keio University Mita Campus

Access: Approx. 8-minute walk from Tamachi Station on the JR Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tohoku Line

Approx. 7-minute walk from Mita Station on the Toei Asakusa Line and Mita Line

Approx. 8-minute walk from Akabanebashi Station on the Toei Oedo Line

https://www.keio.ac.jp/ja/maps/mita.html

Participation: Free admission, advance registration required via web form

Mita Public Speaking Event "The Young Men of Satsuma at the End of the Edo Period and Me: In Pursuit of the Satsuma Students"

*Registration will close once capacity is reached.

Press Release (PDF)