On the Morning of the 150th New Year's Day | Naoyuki Agawa (Dean, Faculty of Policy Management)
2008.01.09
Happy New Year. The year 2008, the 20th year of the Heisei era, has arrived. It is the memorable 150th anniversary of the founding of Keio University. The young Yukichi Fukuzawa, who gathered a few students in a small room of the Nakatsu-Okudaira domain's residence in Tsukiji Teppozu to read Dutch books, surely never imagined that 150 years later, it would be celebrated on such a grand scale.
The year 1858, when the Juku was born, was also the year Japan concluded treaties of amity and commerce with the United States, the Netherlands, Russia, Great Britain, and France, beginning its full-fledged engagement with the world. The following year, Yokohama was opened as a port, and in 1860, Yukichi Fukuzawa sailed to San Francisco aboard the Kanrin Maru as a member of the shogunate's mission to the United States to deliver the ratified Japan-U.S. Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The Ansei Purge also occurred in 1858, making it a tumultuous and dangerous era.
From that time to the present, spring has come 150 times, bringing cherry blossoms; people have endured the summer heat 150 times; autumn has arrived 150 times, turning the ginkgo leaves yellow and bearing fruit; and the cold winter winds have blown 150 times at the start of winter, leaving the trees bare. And so, New Year's has come 150 times. So much has happened.
As is customary, the deans of the faculties and graduate schools at SFC gathered in front of the security guard station before 9:00 a.m. on New Year's Day. This was to attend the New Year's party for the Endo district. The area in front of Shonandai Station was deserted, and no taxis came for a while. On the way to SFC after finally catching a cab, Mount Fuji appeared from the top of a hill. Elegantly capped with snow from its peak, it burst into view in the clear New Year's air. It was so divine and noble; Mount Fuji is truly the greatest mountain in Japan.
The Endo district community hall is right next to the campus. When we arrived, many of the district representatives had already gathered. At the back of the room sat local dignitaries, including Fujisawa Mayor Yamamoto, prefectural and city assembly members, and mayoral candidates. On the tables, beer, sake, oolong tea, dried squid, and mandarin oranges were neatly arranged, even though it was still morning. After a toast, there were speeches from the guests, and as representatives of Keio, we were also called upon to say a few words. Just as the speeches were finishing, Dean Yamashita of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care came in. She said she had arrived early and gotten lost while taking a walk because the weather was so nice. What a day for her.
The people of the Endo district have warmly watched over the birth and development of SFC ever since Keio University decided to open a new campus in this area. For that reason, their expectations for Keio are high, and sometimes they have complaints. The cooperation of the local community is essential for the future development of this campus. I returned after promising, "This spring, let's fly the region's traditional giant kite together on the SFC grounds."
After parting with everyone, Dean Tokuda of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies and I took a short walk through the deserted campus. The New Year's Day air was crisp under the clear winter sky. The two of us, Dean Tokuda and I, prayed at the Sengen Shrine next to the junior and senior high school, saying, "May good things happen at SFC again this year." This shrine has also been quietly watching over the campus and its students since SFC was founded.
Although I left home grumbling that I had never woken up so early at the start of the year in my first New Year's as dean, gathering with the people of Endo early in the morning and visiting the Sengen Shrine with Dean Tokuda made for a surprisingly refreshing and not-so-bad New Year's Day. The campus was silent, with none of the Shinsengumi sword fights or the festive atmosphere of Meiji Jingu crowded with New Year's visitors, but this is how we welcomed the New Year of Keio's 150th anniversary and SFC's 18th year.
(Posted: 2008/01/09)