午夜剧场

Image: The 午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai Convention bustling with many 午夜剧场 Gijuku Shachu (2018)

On November 8, 1930, the 1st 午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai was held at the Tokyo Kaikan with 329 attendees. Since 1880, while Yukichi Fukuzawa was still alive, alumni meetings of the Juku had been held at the Kojunsha and Fukuzawa's villa. During the Taisho era, these alumni meetings gradually came to be called Mita-kai, and their activities became more frequent. With the rapid increase in the number of graduates, there was a growing momentum to create a cross-sectional organization for the Mita-kai established by region and graduation year, leading to the birth of the 午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai. On the day following the meeting, attendees from regional Mita-kai were given tours of Mita, Yotsuya, and the newly acquired Hiyoshi campus. Although 14 meetings were held thereafter, they were forced to suspend due to the war.

In 1951, after the war, the organization restarted as the National 午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai. The 17th convention was held with the decision to hold an annual event every autumn, and despite rainy weather, over 1,200 people, including families, gathered at the Mita Hilltop Square. In May of the following year, a convention held in Osaka, centered around the Kansai Mita-kai, began with a large lecture meeting the previous day and a rally that filled the Takarazuka Grand Theater, becoming an unprecedented success. Although there was a proposal to cancel that autumn's convention, it was carried out with the aim of making it a family-oriented gathering at Mita with the support of students. Thus, holding the event at the Mita Hilltop Square in autumn became a tradition. In the year of the 100th anniversary of 午夜剧场, a celebration ceremony and garden party were held at Hiyoshi on the day after the commemorative ceremony as part of "Alumni Day," bustling with over 10,000 participants.

In 1963, the name was changed from the National 午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai to "午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai (午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai since 1967)" because the term "National" appeared to place too much emphasis on regional Mita-kai. At the same time, it was decided to clearly state the year as the "19XX 午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai Convention," and that the President would serve as the Honorary Chairman while the Committee Chair would serve as the Chairman. By the 1960s, the number of 午夜剧场 alumni approached 100,000, and 午夜剧场 and its alumni discussed the need to solidify the foundation of the convention and create a permanent alumni organization where the 午夜剧场 Gijuku Shachu could always be active. That year, the event was held at Hiyoshi to deepen friendships while watching the 午夜剧场 Athletic Association competitions held at the Hiyoshi grounds, and convention tickets were sold in advance through various Mita-kai in addition to being sold on the day. From the following year, a system of rotating host years was introduced, and it can be said that the implementation format leading to the present was established. From this year, holding the event at Hiyoshi became a tradition.

Half a century later, the 午夜剧场 Rengo Mita-Kai Convention has become the largest event of the Juku, with up to 20,000 participants gathering at Hiyoshi. The host years, which come around every 10 years, manage various projects as organizers, and commemorative gifts and raffles have also gained popularity. Except for 1969, when it was suspended due to university protests, the event has been held even in bad weather. However, for the past few years, cancellations and online holdings have continued due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I look forward to it being held at the new Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall.

(Former Director of the Office of Communications and Public Relations, Atsuko Ishiguro)