Have an independent spirit!

President Katsuhiko Shirai

Congratulations on your admission to Waseda! Today, you have become members of the Waseda community. The faculty, students, and half a million alumni welcome you from the bottom of our heart.

As you know, the founder of Waseda University was Shigenobu Okuma. He set forth the eternal philosophy of the university in its "Mission". The preamble states that Waseda University aims to uphold the independence of learning, to promote the practical utilization of knowledge, and to create good citizenship. Azusa Ono, the great thinker and politician of the Meiji era, also contributed to the founding of the university. When the Tokyo Senmon Gakko (College), the predecessor of Waseda University, was founded in 1882, Mr. Ono said at the opening ceremony, “The independence of a country is based on the independence of its citizens. Since the independence of the citizens depends on academic independence, if we want the country to be independent, we must make its academy independent”. We have called Marquis Okuma, the “founding father”, and Mr. Ono the “founding mother” of the university, and have had this idea as a fundamental principle for 123 years. I believe that you freshmen will feel this spirit of the foundation of the university throughout your life at Waseda, as you interact in an energetic and spirited way with teachers and friends, and integrate it into your sense of direction in life.

The first thing I would like you to learn is, of course, our Alma mater. You will sing it in your heart at various times for the rest of your life. This song also reflects the spirit of Marquis Okuma. Our Alma mater was composed in 1907, when the university celebrated its 25th anniversary. One verse of the song goes, “From east and west, from age to age, All tides of civilization in one huge whirlpool ever surge round this great island Nation”. This expresses Okuma’s ideal, “harmony between Eastern and Western civilizations”. In those days, the great powers of Western Europe had invaded Asian countries illegally. In that situation, Okuma thought that both Japan and China needed to introduce Western civilization in order to forestall invasion and colonization. However, he also thought that the introduction of Western ideas should be harmonized with the original tradition of each country and that the West should understand the excellence of Eastern civilization. He believed that the harmony between the East and West would lead the world to peace. So he organized Waseda University since he thought the basis of that harmony should be university education. From the beginning, Waseda University intended to educate not only Japanese students but students from other Asian countries, and in particular from China.

Nowadays, Waseda University is engaging in ever closer cooperation with the main universities in Asia both in education and research with the slogan “co-creation of intelligence in Asia-Pacific”. Such activity in Asia carries on what has been the mission of Waseda University since its founding.

I suppose Okuma Auditorium will remain in your mind as a symbol of this university along with the Alma mater. For many years after the founding of the university, it had no big auditorium. It is said that Okuma, who had made speeches outdoors or under tents, said on one occasion, “I’d like to give a speech indoors as I’m now over 80 years old”. He died on 10 January 1922. In November of that year, Dr. Albert Einstein visited Waseda University and made a speech in front of the Okuma Bronze Statue. After that, a plan to commemorate Okuma was set up immediately and the Okuma Auditorium opened on 20 October 1927, when the university celebrated its 45th anniversary. The height of its tower is 125 Japanese feet, after his theory that a man can live for 125 years if he takes care of himself. And just this spring, the Azusa Ono memorial hall has been completed. It is situated opposite Okuma Auditorium across the main street. So there are now symbols of both Marquis Okuma and Mr. Ono adjacent to the main gate of the university.

But the most important thing is that you are beginning a new life today. I suppose you are feeling both optimism and anxiety. Waseda University is a free university, which respects your individuality and independence above all. This is because we believe in your potentialities. I am certain that someday you will have great achievements and contributions to look back on. And I trust that you will be embodiments of the Waseda tradition that the university can be proud of. Congratulations again on your admission, and welcome to Waseda.