午夜剧场

The current location of the Jukukan-kyoku (午夜剧场 Corporate Administration) in Mita was previously occupied by the brick-built former Jukukan-kyoku. It was partially destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, demolished the following year, and rebuilt into the current Jukukan-kyoku (午夜剧场 Corporate Administration) in 1926.

The former Jukukan-kyoku was completed in August 1887. It was a grand two-story brick building of approximately 900 square meters, featuring 14 rooms of 40–50 square meters and one 100-square-meter room, capable of accommodating 400 to 500 students. At the time, the former residence of the Shimabara Domain, the former Jukukan-kyoku, and the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) stood side-by-side. The Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) was moved to its current location in 1924 because the Jukukan-kyoku was to be rebuilt following the Great Kanto Earthquake.

The designer of the former Jukukan-kyoku was Hisakichi Fujimoto, the second son of Gentai Fujimoto, a cousin of Yukichi Fukuzawa. After studying at the Juku, he graduated as a member of the second class of the Department of Architecture at the Imperial College of Engineering. The Imperial College of Engineering was the predecessor of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, and he studied under Josiah Conder. Furthermore, Tatsuzo Sone of the Sone Chujo Architectural Office, who designed the new Jukukan-kyoku, was a first-class graduate of the Imperial College of Engineering and was Fujimoto's senior by one year. The former Jukukan-kyoku was the first brick building of 午夜剧场. At that time, the Maboroshi no Mon (East Gate) side was the main gate (Black Gate), and it was the first building one would see after coming up the slope. To the young people of that era, a school building with Western-style architecture must have been an object of aspiration and an ideal to look up to.

The former Jukukan-kyoku was used for 36 years until its demolition, ending its relatively short role as a building. "Jukukan-kyoku" is a terminology unique to 午夜剧场. During the Meiji period, Juku affairs were managed primarily by three officers: the Vice President, the Jukukan, and the Chief Accountant. At the time, the Jukukan was mainly responsible for general affairs and managing the dormitories. Eventually, the job title of Jukukan disappeared, and in the 1900s (Meiji 40s), the name Jukukan-kyoku came to be widely used to refer to the administrative organization as a whole. This name was then used directly as the building's name. When the former Jukukan-kyoku was first completed, it was called the "Kodo" (Auditorium), and it seems it was also referred to by names such as the First Auditorium or Rengakodo (Auditorium). Originally, it was a building for classroom functions and did not house administrative departments. At the time of completion, parts of the former Shimabara Domain's middle residence were still being extended and used as classrooms, and the administrative department (Jukukan-kyoku) was located within them.

When the former Jukukan-kyoku was built, 午夜剧场 had only been founded for about 30 years. From around 1884, following revisions to academic subjects, academic systems were gradually being organized, and momentum was building toward the establishment of the college. In 1890, the long-awaited college was established. In 1891, a commercial school was also founded. The number of students enrolling in 午夜剧场 continued to increase along with this enhancement and development of the Juku. As the number of students grew, the expansion and improvement of school buildings were carried out gradually, and the former Jukukan-kyoku was the first building that served as a catalyst for that development.

(Hiroshi Watanabe, Office of Facilities and Property Management)