The Beginning of "Okashira Nikki" | Fumitoshi Kato, Chairperson of the Graduate School of Media and Governance
2019.10.01
It was around 4 a.m. when we were finally done. Unfortunately, we missed the deadline, but we somehow managed to launch the website safely. Fifteen years ago, in the spring. At the time, I was in charge of public relations for the faculty and was involved in the website renewal. The plan for that day was to switch over to the new website at the start of the new academic year, and I was coordinating with the representative from the production company, along with all the staff from public relations and ITC. The final check began in the evening. We went through each item, checking for broken links, page display issues, and more, crossing them off the list as we finished. But in the process, new problems kept arising. It was a very long checklist, and every time we crossed an item off, another would be added. Soon, the air in the room grew heavy, and I thought to myself (though I didn't say it out loud), "We might not make it." In the end, we gave up on going home and decided to work on it together all night. It rained continuously throughout the night.
And then, at dawn. Finally, Toyama-san pressed the return key, and the new website went live. "Okashira Nikki" was born at that moment. The memorable first post was on April 1, 2004 . During that academic year (until March 31, 2005), nearly 50 articles were published, which means it was updated at an almost weekly pace. The website has changed several times since then, but all past entries of "Okashira Nikki" can be read in the archives .
The reason I proposed "Okashira Nikki" 15 years ago was very simple. "Okashira" is a collective term for people on this campus whose roles include the character for "chief" or "head" (長), such as the Dean, the Chairperson of the Graduate School, and the Administrative Director. Official announcements and reports (and occasional apologies) by the "okashira" are published in various media, not just on the web, but most of them are formal. I wanted to hear the more unvarnished voices of these "okashira." I wanted to take advantage of it being web content to capture their fresh voices of the moment. Since the campus is an important place for us, I was sure that if we could preserve these voices, even little by little, they would eventually become a valuable asset. That's what I thought. In fact, just by looking at the titles in the archive, you can look back on the past 15 years. It makes you realize anew the obvious fact that the campus is a site of many happenings and a place where many people come and go. Above all, it's great that you can feel the polyphony of voices. Because it is these many voices that encourage communication and create a desire for change.
And now is a time of change. The campus, which was born and grew up with the Heisei era, is now at a major turning point. "Okashira Nikki" began around the time the Faculty of Policy Management and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies were approaching their 15th anniversary. If the campus were a junior high school student back then, it would be turning 30 soon. It may be entering a difficult and complex period. There are many things to consider. It was at this time that I took on the role of Chairperson of the Graduate School of Media and Governance. The Dean is also new. The fact that all three of us, including myself, are "newcomers" is surely unprecedented. So, there is both anticipation and anxiety. My first task, modest as it may be, is to breathe new life into "Okashira Nikki." First, we must raise our own voices. And so, it begins.