A Visit to the Shinzo Koizumi Exhibition | Jun Murai (Dean, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
May 8, 2008
On April 30, I attended the general meeting of the SFC Athletic Association. It was very impressive that despite the Omega 12 classroom being filled to capacity with students from the Athletic Association, there was absolutely no chatter. I truly hope they will strive for excellence in both academics and sports. Without your efforts, we cannot reclaim the title of "Kings of the Land."
On May 7, after the Golden Week holidays, a private viewing of the " Shinzo Koizumi Exhibition: Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of His Birth " was held on the second floor of the Old University Library in Mita. The President, other officials from within Keio, and from the Koizumi family, Tae Koizumi, the second daughter of Shinzo Koizumi, were in attendance, and she gave a guest speech. The exhibition venue is divided into seven zones, featuring a variety of items such as his posthumous manuscripts, student notebooks, and personal belongings, which together provide a very well-organized portrait of Shinzo Koizumi. For those of us who were on the tennis team during our time at Keio Futsubu School, Mr. Koizumi's famous words, "Practice makes the impossible possible," are all too familiar. A piece of calligraphy with this phrase in his own hand is also on display. Speaking of calligraphy, I also discovered another unique exhibit. It was a sheet of *hanshi* paper on which Yukichi Fukuzawa had written "Heaven Earth Sun Moon East West South North, Shinzo Koizumi," which he reportedly gave to Shinzo Koizumi as a calligraphy model he had personally written for him. I was surprised that such a piece of *hanshi* paper has survived, and it is a sheet where one can feel the brushstrokes of Yukichi Fukuzawa. Additionally, in the sixth zone, when I encountered his feelings for his eldest son, Nobukichi, who died in the war at the young age of 25, I felt my eyes well up with tears. The Shinzo Koizumi Exhibition is being held from May 8 to May 21. Why not stop by Mita to see it?
Now, for this entry's topic: first love. What a difficult topic I've been given. I hear that starting this fiscal year, a new rule allows writers the freedom to decide whether or not to stick to the topic, but this is a topic that makes one think a little. Looking back, my time at Keio Futsubu School was an all-boys environment, so I had no contact with girls at all. Yes, it was a time when I did nothing but play tennis. A "sweet first love" would have to be from an earlier time, perhaps elementary school, or even kindergarten. My memory isn't that clear, but I do remember the indescribable feeling I had in kindergarten when I had a sumo match with a teacher I admired and ended up defeating her.
I can almost hear the members of my lab asking, "What about your university days?" but let's save that for an "offline occasion," like a ski trip.
(Date Published: 2008/05/08)