[Mita-hyoron and the 100th Year of Showa] Naive and Idealistic, Mita-hyoron

The magazine Mita-hyoron is a naive thing; if it were not naive, it would not be Mita-hyoron.

When it was first published in March 1898, Mita-hyoron was named Keio Gijuku Gakuho. The name changed in January 1915. It is often written that this was a major turning point. In other words, the view is that during the "Gakuho" era, it had a strong character as a school public relations magazine, but through the name change, it took on the character of academic or journalistic essays and critiques.

Indeed, if the title represents the content, this is a clear understanding. However, is that really the case? The "Purpose of Issuing Keio Gijuku Gakuho" in the inaugural issue states the following: The spirit of Juku education is nothing other than "to maintain the principle of Western civilization from beginning to end, to perfect the independence of the individual and extend it to social and public affairs, thereby realizing the progress of the nation's civilization," and it is by no means satisfied with the status quo. This is also why the Juku's systems are being renovated with the aim of further spreading civilized education. And extending and spreading this principle is not limited to "classroom education." Anyone who graduates from Keio University and joins the ranks of Keio University alumni must "consider themselves a leader and advocate of civilized education," loudly advocate and act upon this principle, and strive to spread it further. This magazine is being launched for that very purpose—.

Those who have studied at Keio University must continue to be "leaders and advocates of civilized education." And it says that this journal is published to further spread that principle to society. The purpose of the founding may be written in a grand manner, but it is a great ideal. Internal stories such as "the state of academic affairs, news and movements of Keio University alumni" are positioned strictly as secondary.

That said, the inaugural issue contains many pages of articles on academic affairs, lists of donors, and even lists of Keio University alumni, and it is a fact that it has a fairly strong color as a public relations magazine to connect the Juku and Keio University alumni.

However, after that, the balance of this color continued to be exquisitely adjusted. Looking at the issue immediately after the death of Yukichi Fukuzawa (March 1901), at first glance of the table of contents, there is almost no Juku color to be found. The only things visible are a photo of "the place where Fukuzawa-sensei passed away" in the frontispiece and the corner name "Jukuho" at the end.

Among the editorials in this issue is a piece titled "Education of the Heart" by sociologist Kazusada Tanaka. If you wonder which heart he means, it is undoubtedly the "Heart." Reading this, upon Fukuzawa's death, he argues that "in a cold-hearted educational world, crying out for the education of the heart is indeed an urgent task of the moment," and explains as follows.

Who does not have a heart? There are only those that burn and those that do not yet burn. If so, what is the method to make it burn? Water cannot make fire burn; heat must be heated by heat. Fire must be lit by fire, people must be built by people, and the heart must be stirred by the heart.

In education without a heart, there is no influence, and words like discipline, command, and punishment run rampant. The result produces graduates who are listless and inactive. Moreover, that kind of educator "often preaches loyalty and teaches filial piety, advocates patriotism, shouts for reverence for the Emperor, and not satisfied with that, repeats the Imperial Rescript on Education, trying to borrow the tiger's authority to cover the fox's ugliness." In this current situation, "it is indeed the duty of the few educators of the heart to make spring return" to the educational world. Tanaka appeals that this is where the Juku's duty lies. It is very dazzling. It is full of carefree brightness and innocence. Isn't the uniqueness at the root of Keio University and Mita-hyoron this point—the innocent naivety of confirming the Juku's ideals and believing that they will change Japan and, by extension, the world?

The name "Mita-hyoron" was not invented in 1915, but was the name of a magazine that students used to produce. The editor-in-chief who pulled out the once-retired sign of Mita-hyoron as a title to replace Keio Gijuku Gakuho was Takuzo Itakura. He was known as an expert in international law and served as the Dean of the Faculty of Law. After the war, he was a figure regarded as a member of Shigeru Yoshida's brain trust. He is remembered by graduates as a very fearsome professor, and his name still comes up from the mouths of elder Keio University alumni. While standing at the university podium, he served as an editorial writer for the daily newspaper Jiji Shinpo, founded by Fukuzawa, and sharply critiqued current events. And often with that same sharp pen, he wrote about current events or what Keio University should be in this journal. This spirit of Itakura must by all means be remembered in the history of Mita-hyoron.

Itakura was one of the first editorial members of the old student-founded Mita-hyoron. The time was February 1899, the year after the founding of Keio Gijuku Gakuho, a period full of vitality where the Juku authorities, faculty, and Keio students alike discussed how the Juku should be, and how Japan and the world should be. The founding purpose titled "Mita-hyoron is Born," put forward by that other Mita-hyoron, states the following.

I think that in today's world, the sources of evil that must be removed and the things that require reform are surely not limited to our Juku alone. Politics, religion, morality, literature, and all other aspects of society are all things that must undergo a great ideological revolution. Once the music of Marseille echoed within France, the entire French people became a people of revolution. Now, Mita-hyoron raises its first cry on this high ground; I know not on what day, but all Keio students shall become children of social reform. I ask you to witness this in the Mita-hyoron of future days.

This old student version of Mita-hyoron directed its unreserved pen even toward the school and faculty, and it seems it was often rebuked by the Juku authorities. In fact, from the inaugural issue, it published resolutions calling for the replenishment or replacement of faculty, and was as hot-blooded as one could imagine.

Itakura appeared in this journal even during his student days, and his first appearance after remaining at the university was a piece titled "The Dormitories of Keio University" published in October 1903, immediately after his graduation.

In today's world where narrow-minded and bigoted educationalism is rampant, if there is a necessity for the existence of private schools, they must be those that raise the banner of rebellion against this narrow-minded and bigoted educationalism. This is the vocation of private schools and their primary condition for existence. The reason why Keio University has advocated "independence and self-respect" and promoted new educationalism for 50 years is precisely to fulfill this vocation.

Is it not truly naive and idealistic? Itakura is often thought of as a straight-laced person, but this boiling spirit of defiance pulsed through him throughout his life. And along with the title, the hot DNA of the student version of Mita-hyoron has been passed down.

Washichi Konno, who was in charge of editing, wrote that while this journal strengthened its character as an opinion magazine during the Taisho era, in the Showa era, it focused rather on "improving information for those related to the Juku" (Issue 600, December 1961). With the major projects of opening the Hiyoshi Campus and reorganizing school buildings amidst tight finances during earthquake reconstruction, the President traveled to Mita-kai all over the country, and those events were reported in detail, focusing on the solidarity of the Keio Gijuku Shachu. At the same time, this was a period when effort was put into providing a place for young faculty to publish their work. While the color of social critique faded slightly, from the perspective of compiling the history of Keio University, it is an era where much information can be gathered from Mita-hyoron.

Then, after a blank period of about eight years from December 1943 due to the effects of the war and financial difficulties, Mita-hyoron was revived in October 1951.

An article titled "Doubts about the Rush of Applicants" by Japanese literature scholar Yasaburo Ikeda in the third issue of the restoration (Issue 552, February 1952) is interesting. This article looks back on how Yasaburo-san's elementary school teacher stopped his desire to enter the Keio Futsubu School and forced him to change his path to Tokyo Municipal First Middle School (later Kudan High School), and how even at the middle school they tried to prevent him from going to Keio, but he entered Keio by declaring, "I hate government schools." He wrote, "I, who was made to proceed to a government school as a sacrifice to the vanity of an elementary school teacher, have finally returned to the school of my original desire," and continued as follows.

"What, Keio? Don't be stupid." Seeing Keio, which was looked down upon even by elementary school teachers, today show the highest competition rates in Tokyo for the Chutobu Junior High School and Keio Futsubu School, I feel something closer to resentment. Keio has not changed its fundamental educational policy one bit. It is just that the world is leaning this way or swinging that way on its own whim. ...Since the Meiji era, how the doctrine of government-school omnipotence sprouted and grew, and how, hand in hand with the idea of exalting the official and despising the private, it spread evil in the Japan of the past and brought what misfortune to the people... For someone like me, who spent middle school years at a government school and university at a private one, especially a place like the Juku, the merits of the private sector, especially the Juku, are understood deep in my bones. The fiercer the competition, the more the nation's brightest will gather at the Juku. But I cannot bring myself to rejoice in that wholeheartedly. Not unless that popularity comes from a correct recognition of private schools.

The enterprise of education has no glamour and does not produce immediate results. It never ends. However, it is a job of continuing to draw bright, infinite possibilities together with the youth who are the bearers of the future. The Keio University concept of "Shachu" is an innocent, bright, and outward-looking philosophy that those involved with this school will continue to be involved with those future bearers for life, raising them together and changing society by growing themselves. That is why, perhaps, one can continue to speak words of naive ideals and defiance throughout one's life.

Let us add one supplement to the continuous accumulation of naive and idealistic words in Mita-hyoron.

Rebuilding Keio University (from war damage)... is not for the sake of the Juku alone. It is a matter of urgency not only for the true democratization of Japan but also for the education and culture of the New Japan. Returning Keio University, which lost three-quarters of its facilities to war damage and requisition, to its original form as quickly as possible can be said to be for the sake of world peace and human civilization.

This passage is from a section of the prospectus for the 90th Anniversary Festival of Keio University, drafted in 1947 by President Kōji Ushioda, who led the Juku during the post-war reconstruction period. Naturally, it should have been published in this journal, but unfortunately, it fell during the post-war suspension period, and it is truly a pity that it was omitted from the "naive lineup." World peace and human civilization exist because Keio University exists. This carefree freshness. I believe that proudly and frequently speaking of this naive philosophy is the value of Mita-hyoron.

Mita-hyoron, stay naive! Keio Gijuku Shachu, let us consider ourselves leaders and advocates of civilized education, loudly advocate this principle, and continue to spread it! Suppressing a self-conscious smile, I wish to shout this and close my manuscript.