Pierre Trudeau: A Foreigner Who Visited the Juku

On October 22, 1976, Pierre Trudeau, the 20th and 22nd Prime Minister of Canada and father of Justin Trudeau, who became the 29th Prime Minister of Canada last year, visited the Juku. An article in the evening edition of the Sankei Shimbun that day, titled "Prime Minister Trudeau Visits Keio University, Receives Honorary Doctorate, Observes Lectures," reported the following.

"Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, visiting Japan as an official guest of Prime Minister Miki, visited Keio University in Minato-ku, Tokyo, shortly after 10:00 a.m. on the 22nd. He received an honorary doctorate and toured the library, a symbol of Keio University, as well as the classroom for the Canadian Studies course. (...) He then attended the degree conferral ceremony at the Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall). The honorary doctorate was awarded to Prime Minister Trudeau for his 34 years of contributions to politics and society. Along with the degree, he was presented with works such as 'The Autobiography of Fukuzawa Yukichi' by the founder, Fukuzawa Yukichi. Prime Minister Trudeau expressed his gratitude with a smile throughout, saying, 'I am honored.' Afterward, he observed the 'Canadian Studies' course in Room 107 of the First Building. He appeared satisfied to see the Keio students listening intently to the lecture on Canadian history given by Mr. Henry V. Nelles (Keio University lecturer)."

Lecturer Nelles was an associate professor at York University at the time. The evening edition of the Mainichi Shimbun reported as follows.

"Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, currently visiting Japan, visited Keio University in Mita, Tokyo, on the morning of the 22nd to receive an honorary degree. The university invited him on this day in response to the Canadian government's donation of a Canadian Studies course to the university. Prime Minister Trudeau, wearing a navy suit with a bright red rose, arrived at the university at 11:00 a.m. and was welcomed by Hiroshi Kuno, President of the university, and others. President Kuno greeted him, saying, 'The path Prime Minister Trudeau has walked aligns with our university's educational policy. We award this degree in the hope of the Prime Minister's further success in the future.' In response, the Prime Minister encouraged the students, saying, 'I hope that you will all strive for the advancement of learning.'"

The two articles use different spellings for the name, "Torudo" and "Toriyudo," but this article will use "Trudeau." The ceremony, scheduled for 10:10 a.m., began smoothly. Although not mentioned in the two articles, Prime Minister Trudeau gave a brief speech of thanks at the ceremony. The speech by Prime Minister Trudeau recorded in the Mita-hyoron (official monthly journal published by Keio University Press) is short and titled simply "Reflections."

By the way, why did Keio University award an honorary degree to Prime Minister Trudeau? It is a point of interest, but it is not clear from the two articles. It remains ambiguous today.

The reasons for the conferral were clarified in the ceremony proceedings at the Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) by then-President Kuno as follows.

President Kuno first referred to the biography of Prime Minister Trudeau, born in 1919, noting that after graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Montreal, he studied law, economics, and politics at Harvard University in the U.S., Sciences Po in France, and the London School of Economics (LSE). After withdrawing from the Doctoral Programs at Harvard, he practiced law in Quebec, published his own magazine (Cité Libre) to voice his opinions, and became an associate professor at the Montreal Faculty of Law. Alongside his lectures and research, he was involved in labor union activities and political activities (such as serving as an advisor to federal politicians). He became a federal member of parliament at age 46, served as House Leader and Minister of Justice, and became Prime Minister at the young age of 49.

Next, expressing empathy for the academic and political convictions that served as the philosophy for Prime Minister Trudeau's research, educational, and political activities as a lawyer and politician, he stated: "When I trace Prime Minister Trudeau's career and the path he has walked, I feel there an idealism backed by positivism and an independent spirit of deep concern for his country. I cannot help but feel a strong sense of affinity, as I find similarities with the academic style of Keio University. One of the educational policies of our founder, Yukichi Fukuzawa, was jitsugaku (science), which is learning based on empirical facts and a thoroughly positivist spirit; the other is the spirit of independence and self-respect. In this sense, it is extremely significant for Keio University to confer the title of Honorary Doctor upon Prime Minister Trudeau."

However, President Kuno continued: "Furthermore, the Canadian government recently donated a Canadian Studies course to Keio University. As you are all well aware, this course began this October with the arrival of the up-and-coming Dr. Nelles. I am confident that this course will eventually bear great fruit, not only contributing significantly to the improvement of academic culture at Keio University and in our country but also serving as a major bridge to promote academic exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and Canada. I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude to the Canadian government and Prime Minister Trudeau."

The former reason was the primary one, and this appears to be the secondary reason for the honorary doctorate conferral.

Trudeau was the third national leader to receive an honorary degree from the Juku, following Prime Minister Nehru of India and Chancellor Adenauer of West Germany. Later, degrees were also conferred upon Chancellor Kohl of Germany and President Chirac of France (then Prime Minister). Compared to these politicians, and compared to other recipients who were great scholars or famous literary figures, the conferral upon Prime Minister Trudeau—who had relatively short experience as a scholar and shallow experience as a federal politician—was unusual.

Rather, the main reason for the conferral may have been a gesture of thanks for the donation of the Canadian Studies course. At the time, Prime Minister Trudeau wanted to reform the Canadian economy, which was heavily dependent on the U.S. economy, and reduce that dependence. In accordance with his wishes, the Canadian government may have donated the Canadian Studies course to the Juku as a first step toward strengthening relations with Japan, and the honorary doctorate for Prime Minister Trudeau may have been given in return.

One might wonder why the donation of a Canadian Studies course would be a reason for an honorary doctorate. At the time, it was likely considered that important. In particular, it is significant that Professor Taira, a constitutional scholar who could correctly evaluate Mr. Trudeau as a scholar, initiated this discussion, and Professor Tadao Ishikawa, then Dean of the Faculty of Law, recommended the conferral of the honorary doctorate to the Juku authorities on behalf of the faculty. Professor Tadao Ishikawa later served as President for a long time after being Dean of the Faculty of Law, and he was a figure who not only promoted the further post-war development of Keio University but also succeeded in increasing the value of the Department of Political Science by developing regional studies and international political research within the department alongside the creation of new faculties.

At that time, in addition to the enhancement of regional studies, it was an era of great innovation in the fields of politics and sociology. Led by Professors Keizo Yoneyama and Tadashi Horie, there was a shift from normative politics to positivist politics, and entrance exam reforms led by Professor Iwachika Totoki were progressing simultaneously with the revision of the political science curriculum.

Professor Ishikawa himself left great achievements in Chinese regional studies. By the time Prime Minister Trudeau visited Japan, Ishikawa had effectively utilized the talented individuals under his tutelage to establish regional studies for China, the Korean Peninsula, Southeast Asia, North America (USA), Central and South America, the Soviet Union, and Africa, in addition to the pre-war studies of European countries. The only major regions remaining were Oceania, the Indian subcontinent, and Canada in North America.

Since the offer for the course donation came from the Canadian government during this period of expansion in regional studies, Professor Ishikawa was likely very pleased. He may have thought the existence of the course would provide a good foundation for training Canadian studies researchers in the future. The honorary doctorate was likely conferred upon Prime Minister Trudeau to coincide with the start of the Canadian Studies course and his visit to Japan, while also evaluating his achievements prior to becoming a federal politician.

So, were there no great achievements by Prime Minister Trudeau worthy of an honorary doctorate? At the time, it does not seem that Prime Minister Trudeau's great achievements were fully understood in Japan.

Looking back now, regardless of his achievements as a scholar, he left great achievements as a Prime Minister. This lies in his leading of a major political innovation: the introduction of "multiculturalism." In Quebec, where there are many French-speaking Canadians, feelings of constraint had persisted for a long time within a Canada heavily influenced by Britain. From the 1960s, momentum for separation and independence grew, and extremism promoting independence emerged, leading to the kidnapping and killing of federal and provincial ministers in 1970 (the October Crisis). Trudeau, who became Prime Minister during an era when the crisis of Canadian disintegration was being shouted about, was from Quebec but opposed Quebec independence. Instead, he introduced multiculturalism based on bilingualism in 1971, guaranteeing the maintenance of the culture and language of French-speaking Quebecers. He navigated the crisis of Canadian disintegration represented by the October Crisis. Furthermore, he is a person of note for spreading multiculturalism to the world as a new principle of social integration for nation-states becoming multicultural societies in the subsequent era of international migration. His visit to Japan and the conferral of the honorary doctorate occurred immediately after this, but it seems the degree was not awarded with a full awareness of those facts. However, looking back, it can be said it was a wonderful conferral of an honorary doctorate.

Perhaps stimulated by the donation of the Canadian Studies course and the honorary doctorate for the Canadian Prime Minister, it was shortly after this that the Australian government donated an Australian Studies course and books to the International Center and, at the same time, approached the author to establish an Australian Studies course in the Faculty of Law.