Okuma Auditorium

Soon after Shigenobu Okuma's death on January 10, 1922, the planning of memorials dedicated to him commenced. The first decision was to construct a large auditorium, one of his life-long dreams. The 3-storey main auditorium seats 1,435, while the secondary auditorium, located underground, can accommodate 382 people. A 7-storey high clock tower stands to the left of the auditorium. The tower, at 125 shaku (approx 38 meters), is associated with the 'life of 125 years' theory that Okuma advocated. The bells at the top of the tower were transported all the way across the Panama Canal from the MacLean Company in Baltimore, USA. It was the first time that four bells, large and small, had been used in Japan. The bells, which ring six times a day, produce the same harmony for the city of Waseda - as Westminster Abbey does for London.

As you enter the auditorium, you will notice some oval-shaped transom windows on the roof. They represent the sun, moon and eight planets (in addition to the plutoid Pluto) of our solar system, and symbolize the 'harmony of the universe', both inside and outside the auditorium. The auditorium was opened on October 20, 1927, about 5 years behind schedule, due in part to the Great Kanto Earthquake.

In April 1999, the auditorium was designated as the first (and the Old Library the second) of the 'Tokyo Metropolitan Historic Buildings', under the Tokyo Metropolitan Landscape Regulations, which aim to preserve buildings representative of Tokyo's history and culture.

The auditorium was completely refurbished in 2007 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of Waseda University, with the renovation work ending on October 2nd of the same year. The auditorium was designated as a national cultural asset on December 4th, 2007. It has assumed considerable significance in Japanese architectural history as the second educational institution to be built during the Showa Period.

Okuma Bronze Statue

The statue facing the Okuma Auditorium is not the original, which is now situated in the hallway facing the north of the Okuma Auditorium.

The original Okuma statue, in full formal dress, was produced by Sojiro Ogura and cast by Chokichi Suzuki in 1907 to commemorate the University's 25th anniversary.

However, many people felt that full formal dress did not suit Okuma, and started to call for a statue to be made of Okuma in academic dress . As a result, another statue was produced by Fumio Asakura, who was a close friend of Okuma's. It was unveiled on the University's 50th anniversary in October 1932.