Graffiti by Keio Students at the Time of Student Mobilization

It was in 2009 that I first noticed that graffiti. Completed in 1937 based on a design by architect Yoshiro Taniguchi, the Kishukusha was a modernist structure consisting of three dormitory buildings—the South, Middle, and North Dorms—and a separate large communal bath. In an era when shared rooms were the norm, it boasted private rooms, built-in beds, floor heating, and Western-style flush toilets, earning it a reputation as the finest student dormitory in the East. It housed 120 selected Keio students and became a cultural hub where Keio students frequently gathered. However, toward the end of the war, it was leased to the Navy and later requisitioned by the U.S. military, leading to modifications and destruction. After the war, only one building resumed operation as a dormitory, but due to the need to secure housing for students, it was converted into three-person rooms. It eventually became a place known only to those in the know, with few people stopping by.

In the dormitories of other schools that served as hubs for "bankara" (rough-and-ready) culture, there was a strong tradition of graffiti covering every available wall. However, in Keio University, where such a culture was not in vogue, students apparently thought to modestly leave their marks on the back of the doors of the built-in wardrobes. Shortly after the dormitory opened, there were only a few instances of graffiti, such as the first occupant of a room writing their name in block letters. However, just five years later in 1943, the dormitory faced the student mobilization where many students departed, and the following year, they were forced to vacate for the Navy's occupancy. The students entrusted their thoughts to graffiti. Memories of this graffiti are recorded in the 50th-anniversary commemorative publication of the Kishukusha.

"I wrote this during a night spent counting how many days I had left in the civilian world, borrowing a bit of courage from some alcohol. Each person must have had their own deep thoughts. But they were likely not so simple that an outsider could ever truly understand them."

Two particularly memorable examples are presented here. What do the intense brushstrokes of "Oh, I can hear the footsteps of the century! My beloved room, home of my heart, may you prosper!" represent? The German scribble "Was in der Jugend unsverirrter Alltag ist, erscheint uns später wie ein Märchentraum" means "The daily life of our youth becomes like a fairy tale as time passes."

Most of the seniors who experienced the war have passed away, but what can the objects they left behind convey to future generations? An exhibition exploring this theme, "Keio University and the War: From Objects to People," will be held at the Keio History Museum (Period: June 18 – August 31).

The graffiti on the wardrobes remains inside the dormitory to this day.

(Takeyuki Tokura, Associate Professor, Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies)