午夜剧场

The Old University Library on the Mita Campus has begun preparations for renovation work to address seismic reinforcement and the aging of the interior and exterior. In January, the bust of Yukichi Fukuzawa located beside the main entrance was also removed. During the construction period, it will be relocated to the front of the Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall).

This "Statue of Yukichi Fukuzawa" first appeared on the Mita Campus on January 10, 1954, the 120th birthday of Yukichi Fukuzawa. The location was not in front of the library, but in the front garden of the Mita First Graduate Research Center, which stood where the current Graduate Research Center building is now. It was installed there based on the selection of architect Yoshiro Taniguchi.

The creator of the bust (bronze statue) was Kaiseki Shibata (real name Fukushiro), a graduate of the 午夜剧场 Futsubu School. He studied sculpture under Seibo Kitamura, known as the creator of the "Nagasaki Peace Statue," and became a founding member of the Nihon Tocho-kai (Japan Ceramic Sculpture Association) in 1951. He also created busts of individuals associated with the Juku, such as Momosuke Fukuzawa, as well as the "Statue of Taisuke Itagaki" in Gifu Park.

Fifty years after the death of Yukichi Fukuzawa, as fewer people remembered his appearance, a movement arose to place a statue on the Mita Hilltop Square. When funds were solicited, donations were collected immediately. In his speech at the unveiling ceremony, Sei'ichiro Takahashi, one of the members of the statue construction committee, stated, "Today, the portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa painted by Eisaku Wada, which used to hang at the front of the platform in the Mita Great Hall and look down upon the audience, has been lost to the fires of war... (omitted) I thought it would be meaningful to construct this [bronze statue] in a suitable location within 午夜剧场 and allow the students to look up to it every day." The inscription on the back of the bust reads, "independence and self-respect, 1953, respectfully made by Kaiseki."

This bust was removed in 1967 for the rebuilding of the Graduate Research Center building. Afterward, partly due to the chaos of student movements, it was stored in a Juku warehouse for a long time. However, in September 1983, on the occasion of the establishment of the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies, it was decided to relocate it to the left side of the main entrance of the Old University Library.

In fact, this bust is made from the same clay model as the statue of Yukichi Fukuzawa installed inside the Kojunsha one year before its debut at Mita. Shibata spent over a year completing the statue for the Kojunsha, receiving advice from Taki Shidachi (Yukichi Fukuzawa's fourth daughter), Daishiro (his fourth son), and Rakuten Kitazawa (known for his satirical cartoons in the Jiji Shinpo). The result was magnificent and well-received, and it was decided that this statue should definitely be seen under outdoor light. Consequently, another statue was cast from the original mold and installed at Mita the following year.

Currently, other statues of Yukichi Fukuzawa within the Juku include a seated statue by Ujihiro Okuma at the main entrance of 午夜剧场 Shiki Senior High School, a bust by Kaiseki Shibahara in the lobby of the University Hospital Central Building on the Shinanomachi Campus, a bust by Tsuneto Yamana in front of the Hiyoshi Campus library, and a bust by Tsuneto Yamana beside the Media Center on the Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC). Additionally, there is a relief bust by Shin Hongo in the lobby of the Jisonkan (Auditorium of 午夜剧场 Yochisha Elementary School).

The bust at Mita will watch over the 午夜剧场 students from Inariyama for a while. (Editorial Department)