"The Path to the Future" — Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of Keio Chutobu Junior High School

Photo: 75th Anniversary Ceremony of Chutobu Junior High School

On November 12, we held the 75th Anniversary Ceremony of Keio Chutobu Junior High School at the West School Building Hall on the Mita Campus. The ceremony was attended by President Kohei Itoh, Vice-President Keita Yamauchi, Secretary General Toshiko Hirota, Akiko Suganuma (President of the Federation of Mita-kai and a Chutobu alumna!), Motohiro Tanaka (President of the Chutobu Alumni Association), the principals of the affiliated schools, former principals of Chutobu Junior High School, and Tomiji Katagiri (Director of the Second Branch of the Tokyo Private Junior and Senior High School Association). Including these individuals, we welcomed 58 guests and 18 alumni, creating an atmosphere that warmly embraced the current students from all three grades of Chutobu Junior High School.

The ceremony was broadly divided into two parts: a formal first half centered on reports, addresses, and congratulatory speeches, and a second half filled with laughter and emotion, featuring videos, photos, talks, and songs. While solemn, it also had a friendly atmosphere, and I believe it was a bright and free-spirited event typical of Chutobu Junior High School. Ceremonies often tend to be stiff affairs where everyone must sit perfectly still, but by the end, everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves with a smile. I believe this was thanks to the mood created by everyone in attendance.

In the first half of the ceremony, following the singing of the Chutobu song, a report on the "75 Years of Progress" by Vice Principal Shinsaku Haga, and the Principal's address, President Itoh gave a heartwarming congratulatory message. He shared memories of his own days at Keio Futsubu School and his impressions of Chutobu Junior High School as a rival at the time. Alumni Association President Motohiro Tanaka, who was in the same year as President Itoh, also spoke about memories of the soccer matches between Keio Futsubu School and Chutobu Junior High School (the so-called "Fu-Chu matches" held by many clubs). His humorous talk, delivered from the perspective of the current students, surely captured their hearts. In the subsequent congratulatory speech from Alumni President Tanaka, he also touched upon the Fu-Chu matches with President Itoh, and the current students listened to the story with great enjoyment. Furthermore, Takeshi Akuzawa, Principal of Keio Senior High School, representing the principals of the affiliated schools, shared a message quoting the "Book of Han": "Immerse them like the sea, nourish them like the spring." This message, which emphasizes raising people slowly over time, was linked to the educational philosophy of Chutobu Junior High School (read on his behalf by Shunichi Yamazaki, Counselor and former Principal of Chutobu Junior High School).

In the second half, commemorative gifts were introduced. One of them was a Western confectionery made with environmental considerations. It was selected by teacher Seiya Kowata, a self-proclaimed "sweets lover" at Chutobu, based on the "SDGs Declaration" made by the school.

In the following segment titled "Looking Back 1997-2022," we looked at photos from each of the 25 years from the 51st to the 75th graduating classes. Yuki Shima, who was the Student Council Chairperson for the 51st class, and Rintaro Nishikuma, the current Student Council President from Class 3-C, held a dialogue on stage about Chutobu students past and present. The students were thrilled to see photos of current veteran teachers in their younger days, and we were able to look back on the last 25 of the 75 years in a peaceful atmosphere filled with laughter. Through both what has changed and what has remained the same, I believe the students and alumni deepened their shared sense that the foundation of Chutobu Junior High School has been passed down continuously.

Next, the Chutobu 75th Anniversary Commemorative Song was performed. Both the lyrics and composition were solicited from students, and this piece was selected from dozens of entries. The song titled "The Path to the Future," with lyrics by Shunta Sato (Class 3-D) and music by Taiyo Wada (Class 3-A), was chosen as the commemorative song. Many people must have been moved by this wonderful piece created through the power of the students. While it is a pity I cannot introduce the music here, let me share a few passages from the lyrics.

The lyrics are interspersed with words reflecting the progress built by seniors over the past 75 years and the determination to carve out a path to the future. Lines such as "Let us open the new door with our own hands" and "Let us build a shining future with our own hands," as well as "A path I create myself" and "A path I walk myself," were likely conceived based on Chutobu's fundamental philosophy: "To foster independent individuals who can think for themselves, judge for themselves, act for themselves, and take responsibility for the results." Phrases like "With the teachings of our seniors in our hearts," "With the traditions of our predecessors in our hearts," and "The pride and elegance connected to the shining Pen Mark" express the traditions of Chutobu and Keio University with the fresh touch of a junior high school student. Furthermore, there are phrases that will surely remind students and graduates of their life at Chutobu, such as "The sound of volleyball in the courtyard" and "The clubs where we worked hard together."

Although we sought professional help for the arrangement and recording, the finished song was performed to a captivated audience and received a thunderous round of applause. Along with previous commemorative songs like "The Wind, The Light," "Everyone's Thirty Years," and "Bridge of Time," I believe it will be sung by Chutobu students for many years to come. After the performance, the lyricist Mr. Sato and composer Mr. Wada took the stage for an interview by Student Council Chairperson Nishikuma. While there was certainly help from the teachers, it was strongly impressed upon everyone that this was a song made by the students, and I felt very proud.

After the ceremony, everyone except the students took photos and then moved to the Mita Co-op Cafeteria for a reception. At the beginning, a moment of silence was observed for teachers Teruyoshi Osawa and Kohgen Yoshimura, who passed away this year. The reception was a modest affair with no alcohol, but we received many kind and warm words, and the alumni enjoyed reconnecting with old friends, making it a wonderful gathering. We received a congratulatory speech from Vice-President Yamauchi based on the history of Chutobu and Keio University, a toast from Federation of Mita-kai President Suganuma filled with memories of her own Chutobu days, and a delightful greeting from former Principal Hidefumi Yamamoto, representing the former principals.

It was a wonderful time to look back on the 75th anniversary by combining the founding spirit with the spirit of Fukuzawa, while also looking forward to the decades ahead with a bright, joyful, yet disciplined heart and posture. I would like to express my gratitude to all parties involved.