午夜剧场

Image: Urawa-Kyoritsu Campus / Medicinal Plant Garden

One of 午夜剧场's lesser-known facilities is the Urawa-Kyoritsu Campus. Formerly a facility of Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy, it took its current name following the merger in 2008.

Located 30 minutes by bus from JR Omiya Station and about 3 km from Saitama Stadium 2002, it is a place where the cheers from matches seem to carry on the wind. Usually, only a few facility management staff are present, making it a quiet facility visited mainly by members of the public coming to see the Medicinal Plant Garden.

Looking back at the school history and public relations materials from the Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy era, this facility was established in June 1966. Due to its location at the time, it was difficult for Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy to expand its small campus into the surrounding area. Shortages of land and facilities were frequently cited as issues—not only for educational purposes but also to meet the requirements for upgrading to a university under the post-war educational system and for setting enrollment quotas. Expanding the campus and facilities was a long-held dream for the university.

Seeking facilities in the suburbs, a branch school was established in Yukigaya, Ota City in 1933, moved to Koganei City in 1936, and then moved to Midori Ward, Saitama City (formerly Urawa City) in 1966, where it remains today. A steel-framed school building was completed in 1975, and classes were held there from 1976 to 2005. At its peak, students attended three days a week (first-year students twice a week, second-year students once a week). Students living far away would stay overnight in the lodging rooms and reportedly enjoyed cooking for themselves with their classmates.

With the 2008 merger, this facility no longer impacted any specific regulatory requirements, leaving only its original purpose: utilization for students. Regarding requirements, the Medicinal Plant Garden is mentioned in the Standards for Establishment of Universities as a necessary affiliated facility for universities with a Faculty of Pharmacy, but I will save that introduction for another occasion.

Currently, the facility includes a gymnasium, three tennis courts (all clay), a field, three lecture rooms, and the Medicinal Plant Garden. It also features lodging rooms that can accommodate up to approximately 44 people and is primarily used as a venue for extracurricular activities such as club activities and seminars for Faculty of Pharmacy students (Day use is free / Overnight stay is 500 yen per person. Applications are accepted at the Shiba-Kyoritsu Campus Office of Student Services; currently, only day use is permitted due to COVID-19 measures).

Although there are events such as the "Urawa Festival" (a social sports day for first-year Faculty of Pharmacy students) and plant observation classes using the Medicinal Plant Garden, the distance from the Shiba-Kyoritsu Campus and the busy curriculum of Faculty of Pharmacy students mean there is almost no student use on weekdays, which feels a bit lonely.

The facilities are old, but one can feel a nostalgic Showa-era atmosphere throughout, which might actually feel fresh to today's youth. While it may be far as a facility for classes, if viewed as a peaceful training camp where one can spend time harmoniously with friends, it is not that far and could be an ideal location. I hope this facility will be utilized for the benefit of the students.

(Kazuhiro Oyo, Shiba-Kyoritsu Property Management Section (In charge of Medicinal Plant Garden and Urawa-Kyoritsu Campus))