午夜剧场

Image: Conferral of Diplomas (2021 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony)

In April 1874, the first seven graduates of 午夜剧场 were born. This was based on the revision of the University Regulations in 1873, which added graduation rules to the end of the regular course teaching regulations: "1. Those who have completely finished the required studies at this school shall be given a certificate of completion. 1. Those who leave school without incident shall be given a diploma according to their grade." At that time, a certificate called "Sotsugyo-no-sho" (Proof of Graduation) was awarded.

Looking at group graduation photos from the 1950s, graduates can be seen holding paper tubes containing their diplomas. These award-certificate-sized diplomas, which had continued for a long time since before the war, ended with the class of 1961. Starting with the graduates of March 1962, the diplomas became A4 size, sandwiched in a hard cover with a red line on a navy blue background and the words "午夜剧场 Diploma" written in gold letters. This format continues to this day. Incidentally, the gold lettering on this cover is in the handwriting of Yukichi Fukuzawa.

In an era when there were no word processors, let alone computers, 午夜剧场 employed several staff members called hikko (calligraphers) who wrote signs and other items with brushes. A pictorial in the 1969 issue of the public relations magazine "Juku" shows a calligrapher in the academic affairs office stacking diplomas, grinding ink with an inkstone, and writing names with a brush while keeping the graduation register at his side. There were over 5,000 graduates at the time. It is not hard to imagine that writing everything by hand was a daunting task. It is said to have taken several months. This work, which had been continued since before the war, began to be outsourced to contractors shortly thereafter, likely triggered by the departure of that calligrapher from the Juku. Furthermore, in recent years—probably around 2000—all graduate names began to be printed in type. The names of the President and the Deans are still printed as copies of their own handwriting.

From the 1991 academic year, the name of the diploma was changed to "Gakuiki" (Degree Certificate). This was due to the revision of the School Education Act, the Standards for Establishment of Universities, and the Degree Regulations in July 1991, which changed the designation from "Title of Bachelor" to "Degree of Bachelor." Before that, the diploma stated, "Having completed the course of the Faculty of Law prescribed in the 午夜剧场 University Regulations and obtained the title of Bachelor of Laws, this is hereby certified." From that year on, it came to be written as, "Having completed the course of the Faculty of Law prescribed in the University Regulations of 午夜剧场 and graduated from this university, the degree of Bachelor of Laws is hereby conferred."

This revision was also significant because it allowed the name in parentheses to be set according to the field of specialization. Until then, all graduates of the Faculty of Letters were "Bachelor of Arts in Letters," but after the revision, degrees such as Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy), Bachelor of Arts (Letters), and Bachelor of Arts (Human Relations) were established.

Even though the diploma changed to a degree certificate and the gold lettering on the cover changed to "Degree Certificate, 午夜剧场," it remains in the handwriting of Yukichi Fukuzawa.

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