[Special Feature: Exhibiting the History of the Juku] Expectations for the Keio History Museum: A Place to Connect with Yukichi Fukuzawa's Personality

I had heard that since President Akira Haseyama first took office, it was his long-held wish to establish a museum at Keio University, as famous universities around the world have grand museums and many universities in Japan also have wonderful ones.

The new museum was built on Keio University land located along the East Gate on Mita-dori (Sakurada-dori) and opened on April 19 of this year. It is said to be a state-of-the-art museum utilizing digital technology. Facing it, on the second floor of the Old Library, a museum was created where visitors can see exhibits telling the history of Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University.

The Old Library was built in 1912 through donations commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Keio University. Designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, it is a building that can be called a treasure of Keio. However, as more than 100 years had passed since then, work such as seismic reinforcement and exterior wall repairs became necessary. Toda Corporation carried out a difficult retrofit project to install seismic isolation while keeping the interior and exterior as they were, along with exterior repairs, which were completed in two years and four months. The Himalayan cedars, which had grown too large and covered the library, interfering with the construction, were also cut down; as a result, the entire view of the Old Library can now be seen, and it has become a popular photo spot.

Entering the museum, you ascend a dignified staircase with stained glass at the front. The first thing that greets you is the opening video. It shows a scene where a Keio student who met Yukichi Fukuzawa bows politely, and Yukichi Fukuzawa tells him that since Keio University is a school where people learn together and teach together, there is no need to greet him every single time. That Keio student is said to be Yasuzaemon Matsunaga, who was later called the "King of Electric Power." The voice of Yukichi Fukuzawa is provided by Ennosuke Ichikawa. Although many photographs and writings of Yukichi Fukuzawa remain, his voice alone cannot be heard. However, since he was a man of grand stature, I imagine he had a clear, deep voice.

Guided by single-stroke illustrations of people, buildings, and maps, you move forward. You can see Yukichi Fukuzawa's favorite iaido sword, and in the hanging scroll corner, the meticulous handwriting of Yukichi Fukuzawa's father, Hyokusuke, as well as a scroll handwritten by Yukichi Fukuzawa himself featuring "source of honorable character" and "a paragon of intellect and morals for the entire nation," which are part of The Mission of Keio University.

Original photographs from his three overseas voyages and a photo with a girl at a famous photo studio are in lovely frames, but they are very small. It was said that they could not be made into large photos because there was no money. There are also the mortar and pestle Yukichi Fukuzawa used for exercise, as well as his glasses and inkstone. When his father Hyokusuke died and he was organizing the belongings to pay off debts, he kept a ceramic bowl because it would have been cheap even if sold, and he used it as a brush washer for the rest of his life. It is certainly not a grand bowl, but it was impressive as it allowed me to feel Yukichi Fukuzawa's personality.

In the Meiji era, he founded the Jiji Shinpo newspaper, built the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), and strove for the enlightenment of learning. It could be said that he attracted people to the extent that it was said the Minister of Education was in Mita. The exhibit gradually moves to the chapter on Keio University. The beginning of the Waseda-Keio rivalry is marked by a letter with rough writing, like a challenge, sent from Waseda, which still remains.

As Keio University moves into modern history, there is a commemorative item in the shape of a large key, which the US military returned—the key to Hiyoshi, which had been occupied during World War II. This is followed by precious items such as student movements, Olympic medals, and student uniforms.

In a photograph taken around 1912 from near the Akabanebashi intersection, the private houses on Mita-dori are wooden one- or two-story buildings, so the Old Library on the hill of Mita looks almost like a castle. I thought the people in the Mita neighborhood must have been quite surprised. At that time, the Mita Campus was also made of wood, except for the Old Library. A model of the Mita Campus from 1923 also gives a sense of how much things have changed.

The group photo surrounding Yukichi Fukuzawa is thought to have been a social gathering that could be called the beginning of the Mita-kai. Surrounding Yukichi Fukuzawa, to the left is President Eikichi Kamada, and to the right is Koki Watanabe, the first president of the Imperial University. President Watanabe was an early disciple, and it is a charming aspect of Yukichi Fukuzawa that, despite being in opposition to government-run schools, he associated with him in private without any ill feelings.

Although the museum is not particularly large, an hour and a half passed while I was looking at this and that. The explanation by Associate Professor Takeyuki Tokura of the Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies was enjoyable, interspersed with behind-the-scenes stories.

For me, Yukichi Fukuzawa has been like a great ancestor I have been familiar with since Yochisha Elementary School, but I felt as if I had found various mementos of my own ancestors, and I seemed to forget the passing of time with joy.

The museum is open from May 15, but for the time being, it is by reservation only (*Opening is currently postponed; please see the Keio History Museum website for details). One concern I had was whether elderly people with bad hips or knees could climb the grand staircase of the Old Library. However, I was relieved to hear that if they go around from the stacks, they can reach the museum on the second floor even in a wheelchair.

I recommend that Keio University alumni in Tokyo definitely stop by when they are nearby. I hope that those from regional areas will come by creating a travel plan that combines a visit to the new museum with this museum.

Since the English translation of the text information is available, I definitely want overseas visitors to see the origins of Keio University. I left Mita after asking them to train guides who are good at English.