When the Distant Mountains Were Visible from the Hiyoshi Ginkgo Avenue

Image: Looking at the Ginkgo Avenue from the Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall Square, mountains could be seen beyond the town of Hiyoshi. Photographed in March 1964 (Showa 39).

The sky is blue upon the hill, the birds sing and sing in the ginkgo trees

Ah, in our beautiful garden, let us pluck the flowers of knowledge

"Oka no Ue" is the first verse of the Keio-Waseda victory song. Since it was composed in 1928 (Showa 3) before the opening of Hiyoshi, it does not specifically celebrate Hiyoshi. However, Keio University has many ginkgo trees standing tall on hills like Mita Mountain and Hiyoshidai, and for Keio students and Keio University alumni, they remain symbol trees today along with unforgettable memories.

The "mountains seen from the Hiyoshi Ginkgo Avenue" at the graduation ceremony in March 1964 shown in the photo appear to be looking toward Hiyoshi Station on the Toyoko Line. While I have many memories of the Ginkgo Avenue, I unfortunately have no memory of seeing the mountains. Checking a map, they seem to be the mountains in the Okutama area. Today, only the station building is visible, highlighting the Ginkgo Avenue which presents a wonderful landscape.

Tracing the history of the "Hiyoshi Ginkgo Avenue," ginkgo trees about 3.6 meters tall were planted along the slope in 1935 (Showa 10). By the time the requisition by the US military was lifted in 1949 (Showa 24), they had grown remarkably and showed a magnificent appearance as a ginkgo avenue next to the Quonset hut classrooms. The Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall, built in 1958 (Showa 33) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding, continued to be used as a venue for many events and as a practice area for the Athletic Association. Along with climbing the Mamushidani stairs, the training on the sloped Ginkgo Avenue leading to the Commemorative Hall evokes special emotions for Athletic Association members on campus as a place of painful but good memories, where they grew up under the watchful eye of the ginkgo trees 365 days a year.

On the opposite side of the campus across the station, there are practice grounds and dormitories for various Athletic Association clubs, including the baseball field, soccer field, tennis courts, rugby field, and ground hockey field. When heading to classes or exams, crossing the road from the station and entering the "Ginkgo Avenue" brought a sense of relief mixed with tension. Even now, when I occasionally visit Hiyoshi, I am captivated by "something" that the "Ginkgo Avenue" exudes as a "good memory of student days."

"Sports are a part of education." The reconstruction of the Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall, the Mamushidani Gymnasium, the track and field stadium, and the upgraded practice facilities will provide facilities for the British TEAM for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The wide-ranging collaboration with various clubs that has already begun will build a new page in the history of the "Hiyoshi Ginkgo Avenue." The sacred "Ginkgo Avenue" will surely continue to watch over the further development of the Hiyoshi Campus.