The Era of University Unrest

Images: On October 18, 1968 (Showa 43), the All-Juku Student Assembly (in front of the South Building, Mita) served as the catalyst for ending the strike. On November 2, a Keio students assembly was also held at Hiyoshi.

In the late 1960s, a storm of campus unrest swept through universities across Japan, leading to long-term suspension of classes due to strikes, cancellation of entrance examinations, and the occupation of university buildings. Keio University was no exception, and in 1968 (Showa 43), some students occupied the Jukukan-kyoku (Keio Corporate Administration).

In the "Tuition Hike Protest Unrest" that began in January 1965 (Showa 40), the strikes and signboards of Keio University students—who were previously considered quiet—showed a sense of composure and humor not seen at other universities. This was covered by the media as a "completely new type of student movement" and became the precursor to the era of chaos that followed.

The photos show the 1965 unrest, the 1968 "US Military Funding Unrest," and the 1969 "University Legislation Unrest." Later, entering the 1970s, the "Second Tuition Revision Unrest" occurred in 1972. Year-end exams that were canceled at the end of the fiscal year were postponed to the following year, graduation ceremonies were held by individual faculties, and the entrance ceremony for the following year was also canceled. In June, classes at Hiyoshi finally opened, resulting in the summer vacation being pushed back.

Numerous books have been published about what the university unrest of this era truly was, and it is not easy to clarify everything, but we introduce a portion of it here.

The related articles include an edited interview with Professor Emeritus Kenkichiro Iwamatsu (who passed away in August of this year), who was involved in the tuition hike protest as a student and student council executive of the Faculty of Letters in 1965, and a contribution by Toshihisa Nagura, Chairman of the Mita Athletic Association, who sought campus reconciliation from his position as captain of the Athletic Association Karate Club during the 1968 US military funding unrest and the 1969 university legislation unrest.

The US military funding unrest, which erupted from newspaper reports on June 3, 1968 (Showa 43), led to the occupation of the Jukukan-kyoku (Keio Corporate Administration) by radicals after several meetings with Vice-Presidents and the President, but the occupation was cleared by Keio students.

Hiyoshi Campus was blockaded with barricades on July 5 and entered an indefinite strike. Meanwhile, at Mita, meetings were frequently held by Keio students.

The university legislation unrest, which began with the Hiyoshi student assembly in May 1969 (Showa 44), saw Hiyoshi blockaded with barricades again at the end of June. In August, all buildings in Hiyoshi, the Mita South Building, and research offices were occupied. On September 11, President Saku Sato expressed his convictions to over 10,000 students gathered for a university-wide assembly at the Hiyoshi Rugby Field. Later, on October 13, barricades at Hiyoshi were removed by faculty and staff while riot police stood by.

*Affiliations and titles are those at the time of publication.