King Charles III: Foreigners Who Visited Keio University

2008 was the 150th anniversary of the founding of Keio University, and many commemorative projects had been planned for several years prior. As the person in charge of international affairs in the secretariat, I was involved in several projects, making it a busy year. The highlight for the international affairs team was inviting presidents and representatives from universities around the world with whom we have exchanges to the 150th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony in November. However, just before that, an entirely unexpected and wonderful gift was delivered to Keio University by the British government.

We maintain regular contact with embassies in Tokyo. While the titles of officials vary by country, most of our work is conducted through counselors for cultural exchange or counselors for science, technology, and innovation. Our point of contact with the UK is often through the British Council, the UK's official cultural exchange organization, whose representative also serves as the Cultural Counselor. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, Keio University co-hosted the "Experience Japan Exhibition" (a study abroad fair) with the British Council every November in London. For over 10 years, we traveled to the UK with representatives from other Japanese universities to promote opportunities for studying in Japan and participating in the JET Program.

One day in early autumn 2008, a sudden request for a meeting arrived from the British Embassy. Since the purpose was not clear, I met with them in a meeting room at the Jukukan-kyoku (Keio Corporate Administration) along with Chihiro Ueda, who was in the Office for Global Initiatives (OGI) at the time. A political officer arrived accompanied by staff from the department we usually deal with. Feeling a bit of a mismatch, I listened to what they had to say, and to my surprise, they said a VVIP (using two 'V's to mean someone even higher than a VIP) would be visiting Japan from the UK.

Ms. Ueda and I looked at each other in surprise. We wondered simply, "Who on earth is the VVIP?" During that meeting, the official never directly mentioned the name of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales (at the time) orally, but from the context of the conversation, by the time the meeting ended, we understood that the person scheduled to visit Japan was the Prince of Wales.

Of course, the secretariat could not make a decision on this visit request alone, so immediately after the meeting, I sought a decision from Tatsuya Sakamoto, then Vice-President in charge of international affairs at Keio University. He was himself a specialist in British intellectual history. At the time, Keio University had appointed the late Professor Peter Mathias (a historian who served as the supervisor for the current Emperor during his studies at Oxford University and had retired as Master of Downing College, Cambridge) as an international advisor. Vice-President Sakamoto had deepened their friendship through numerous visits to the UK. Because the relationship with the UK was so strong, Vice-President Sakamoto decided on the spot to accept the request for the VVIP visit.

There were concerns about security, but it was determined that we could manage through careful advance preparations with relevant departments within Keio and related government ministries. Keio University's formal decision was made following a Policy Discussion Meeting on October 3 of that year. After that, discussions proceeded with the British Embassy, in addition to internal stakeholders and related departments, on how to plan the hospitality for the British government's "VVIP."

At the request of the embassy, a plan was needed to introduce both Japan's advanced technology and its traditional culture. For the introduction of advanced technology, we consulted the Graduate School of Media Design (KMD), which had been newly established that year. For the introduction of Japanese culture, we decided to ask Keio students from the Kabuki Study Group and the Athletic Association Kendo Club, from the perspective of "the pen and the sword" (excellence in both academic and physical arts). I remember feeling relieved when the request was made to the relevant Keio students through the Office of Student Services, and they all replied, "We would be happy to accept."

Then, on October 28, the day of the visit arrived. According to records, the visit lasted 45 minutes. First, the motorcade arrived at the square in front of the Old University Library, led by patrol cars and police motorcycles. President Yūichirō Anzai and his wife, all Vice-Presidents who could gather that day, the Secretary General, and heads of major administrative departments welcomed them. To prevent information leaks in advance, we did not use the website or SNS (which were already in use at the time) at all, and instead deliberately posted a sudden notice at the Mita Campus on the morning of the visit (pictured above). Keio students and faculty who gathered after seeing the notice welcomed the couple's visit.

Among them were teachers and students from Hockerill Anglo-European College in the UK, who happened to be visiting Chutobu Junior High School for a Japan study program. His Royal Highness personally spoke to them after spotting the small British group among the many Japanese people. It was a good opportunity to show that Keio University has exchanges with the UK not only at the university level but also at its affiliated schools.

Guided by President Anzai and his wife, the party first headed to the East Building. In what is now the G-lab on the 6th floor, Masahiko Inakage, Dean of the Graduate School of Media Design, gave a demonstration and explanation of KMD (Graduate School of Media Design) and the then-cutting-edge 4K video technology. Objects created in art design-related projects were shown alongside international students from the graduate school.

Afterward, the party moved to the Old University Library. Near the entrance of the old building, items related to Fukuzawa Yukichi's visit to the UK were subtly displayed, courtesy of the Keio Institute for Fukuzawa Memorial Center (FMC). While viewing these, the party entered the hall on the 2nd floor (now the site of the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum). There, the Kabuki Study Group performed an original new play titled "Yorokobi Tekichi Nichi Taimen," which they had prepared for this day in consultation with their instructor, a Kabuki actor.

On the day, there was a moment of brief panic among security personnel when they saw someone sticking closely behind the Prince and his wife to explain the performance in English, wondering who that person was. In fact, the person had been registered in advance, but the information had simply not reached the security team. The couple listened to the interpreter's English explanation with great enjoyment, and since no one could bring themselves to interrupt, the situation was allowed to pass.

Afterward, the couple watched a demonstration by two Keio students from the Kendo Club with great interest. They spoke with the two Keio students and had a friendly conversation, with the Prince even picking up a student's bamboo sword (shinai) to examine it himself. After this brief interaction, the Prince and his wife left Keio by car.

I have always wanted to ask the Keio students involved at the time how they remember this scene, but years have passed without such an opportunity. Even now, it remains a mystery why the British Embassy selected Keio University as a destination for His Royal Highness's visit to Japan.

Since then, the relationship with the UK has continued in various forms beyond just education. Although it did not go exactly as planned due to the pandemic, it is still fresh in our memory that the British Olympic and Paralympic Committees decided to hold part of their preparation camps at the Hoshiyoshi Campus for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

I believe that these subsequent relationships with the UK are indirectly connected to the past relationship between Keio and the UK, as well as the hospitality shown by Keio during His Royal Highness's visit.