On the Occasion of the 75th Anniversary Ceremony of Keio Shiki Senior High School

Photo: "Kosaikan," completed as part of the 75th anniversary project

On Saturday, March 9, the 75th Anniversary Ceremony of Keio Shiki Senior High School was held in the hall of the school's new building, "Kosaikan." As the school marks 75 years since its founding, the ceremony was an occasion to once again express our gratitude for the understanding and cooperation received from many quarters.

The history of Keio Shiki Senior High School (hereafter Shiki High) is introduced on the school website as follows:

"In September 1947, the land and buildings of the Toho Industrial Research Institute were donated to Keio University by Mr. Yasuzaemon Matsunaga (1875-1971), a Keio University alumni who made the greatest contributions to Japan's electric power development. Based on the Keio University Junior College of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, which moved to Shiki following this donation, Keio Agricultural Senior High School—the predecessor of our school—opened in May 1948. Later, in April 1957, the school converted to a regular high school and was renamed Keio Shiki Senior High School. Today, it remains a full-time boys' high school offering a general course, where almost all graduates proceed to Keio University upon recommendation by the principal."

Initiated by the vision of Yasuzaemon Matsunaga, we have now reached the milestone of our 75th anniversary.

During this time, I believe we must not forget that this has been a place for high school students to live their lives. Over the years, 75 different cohorts of "Shiki High students" have been enrolled here, and 75 different versions of "Shiki High life" have been lived. This year marks my 30th year of service at Shiki High, meaning I have witnessed just under half of those 75 years. In a sense, I have been conducting a "fixed-point observation," and there is something I have come to feel. It is that while each grade has its own unique "Shiki High-ness," the content is incredibly diverse and colorful; and yet, regardless of the grade, there is a definite, common "Shiki High-ness" that exists.

On our vast campus, time still flows peacefully. The grounds are not just for physical education classes and club activities. Students spend their time strolling while composing haiku in Japanese class, choosing their favorite spots to paint in art class, or clearing fields and rice paddies as volunteers. The campus possesses a sense of time and space that can only be described as otherworldly. Even now, students continue to live leisurely on this spacious campus. Their lifestyle quietly but surely influences their character, steadily accumulating in this place and being passed down to younger students as "Shiki High-ness."

So, what is this "Shiki High-ness" that has been passed down continuously for 75 years? It may be something that each person involved with Shiki High must put into their own words, but if I were to describe it, I believe the word "freedom" would undoubtedly be at its core.

A place where each individual's way of being and uniqueness are mutually respected, and where everyone can freely express themselves.

That is how I see it. Even when speaking with graduates from the early days of Shiki High, I get the same impression. I am proud to think that this atmosphere and school spirit are our treasures, and when considering Shiki High within the context of integrated education, they are treasures of Keio University.

As the eras transitioned from the post-war period of turmoil through Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa, we reached our 75th year without losing our "Shiki High-ness" despite the waves of the times. I am once again filled with joy and gratitude that we were able to hold a ceremony to celebrate this.

The day of the ceremony was blessed with cloudless blue skies. Following a performance of the Juku-ka by the Keio Shiki Senior High School Wagner Society Male Choir and a commemorative address by Principal Miki Takahashi, we received congratulatory speeches from President Kohei Itoh and Takahiko Sakagami, Chairman of the Shiki-kai. Additionally, I (Morioka) reported on the background of the completion of the "Kosaikan" anniversary project, and the ceremony concluded with the introduction and screening of a "75th Anniversary Video" created by the Student Council, presented by Student Council President Tianshuo Xia.

On the occasion of our 75th anniversary, our school reflected on its education to date and established a direction for the future: "Education of 'Science and Independence' promoted through diverse 'Social Intercourse'." The term "science" (suuri), which has its origins in "Fukuo Jiden" (The Autobiography of Fukuzawa Yukichi), is intended to be distinguished from "jitsugaku (science)" which can sometimes be misunderstood as a shallow, instrumental concept. We have received the understanding of many people regarding this philosophy of Shiki High.

In the midst of difficult circumstances—recession, a weak yen, war, and natural disasters—I cannot thank those who contributed to the fundraising through the Shiki-kai enough. It was also a great joy to be able to hold this 75th anniversary ceremony in the Kosaikan Hall, which was built through that vision.

At the entrance of Kosaikan, a mural by graduate Enrico Isamu Oyama welcomes visitors. His work transcends the frame of the canvas, spreading directly onto the interior walls and even to the exterior walls of the building. This momentum of attempting to cross various conventional concepts and borders feels like an overlap of Shiki High's past and its future.

We have received this Kosaikan along with that vision. What kind of education will be conducted using this space? Next, it is our turn to demonstrate this through educational practice. This ceremony was a place to feel that sentiment anew and to reconfirm the weight of that responsibility.

As we set sail into a new era, I would be grateful if you could warmly watch over Keio Shiki Senior High School to see what kind of school it becomes over the next 100 or 150 years, while continuing to cherish its "Shiki High-ness."

On this occasion of reaching a major milestone, I submit this report with gratitude.