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Beer box materials
Background of identification and list of materials
Thu 08 May 25
Background of identification and list of materials
Thu 08 May 25
The materials were found in an old wooden beer box stored in the storage room of the Waseda University History Museum, known as Waseda University Archives. On the back of the box, it was written as the “May 8 Incident of Showa 27”, and news films and pieces of wood were contained inside.
When quoting the text and images of this web article, please attach the following information as a source:
- Author name: Waseda University History Museum
- Title: Beer box materials
- Posted site: Waseda University History Museum
- Update date: July 30, 2025
- URL：https://www.waseda.jp/culture/archives/news/2025/05/08/6086/ (original article in Japanese)
Background of identification
On May 8, 2024, an archivist at the Waseda University History Museum confirmed that there was an old wooden beer box in the archive box stored in the storage room. On the back of the beer box, it was written “May 8 Incident of Showa 27”, and there were various pieces of paper, wooden pieces, and 35 mm film inside.
The “Centennial History of Waseda University” details the “May 8 Incident of Showa 27” that occurred in 1952. The following is a quote from the “May 8 Incident Report” in the fifth volume of the compilation (Part 10, the main stage of the new system Waseda University > Chapter 16, Student Movement around the start line of new system > 2. ).
At 1:10am, the time when the order to use force against the armed police was given (and later confirmed), the school and the students were completely unaware of it and were waiting for the result of Chief Ito’s request for a telephone call to the boss of headquarters.
The chief and his colleagues left the discussion and no one from the police side was in the room. At around 1:20 am, the students, who had believed and hoped that the phone call would lead to a conclusion, were suddenly confronted with a call for an armed police raid.
…… A group of armed policemen broke windows and cheered. They chased the fleeing students to the fourth floor of the school building and smashed locked doors, including those of the second-floor library. Even on the corridors a few dozen metres from the scene (e.g. in front of the science and engineering building), they beat students and seriously wounded them. Not only that, they also beat and injured members of the press and other people not in school uniform. The police later announced that more than two dozen officers were injured. It is not clear whether the injuries were inflicted by these disorderly assaults or by the police themselves in a blood rage, but it can be said that there was no active resistance from the students. If the rescue of Officer Yamamoto, as claimed by the police, was intended as a use of force, this behaviour was unforgivably extreme, and the fact that the majority of the injured students were hit on the head seems to be the result of insufficient daily training.
At the moment, no materials have been found showing when and why the predecessors of the History Museum (the Waseda University History Editorial Office, the Waseda University Archives, etc.) began to manage this beer box. In addition, although there is a description of the “May 8 Incident of Showa 27” on the back of the box, the only material that is thought to be clearly related to the “May 8 Incident” is document number 04 “[35mm film] Asahi News No. 350 recording Police Force Entering the early university”. Document number 06 Other materials, including “[wooden pieces]”, lack evidence to show a direct relationship with the “May 8 Incident”. In addition, it is certain that document number 07 “[apology letter]” was created in 1966.
So we did not take “May 8 Incident of Showa 27” as the name of the material collection, but named it “Beer box materials” (「ビール箱資料」 in Japanese) based on its appearance.
“Beer box materials” contains 10 materials. ” The notes that say “May 8th Incident Record” are only three points: “Part 2”, “Part 6” and “Part 8”, and there are no other notes in the box.
List of materials for "Beer box materials" collection
Beer box material 01 "[Wooden box] Asahi Beer / (back of the box) May 8 Incident of Showa 27"
Beer Box Materials 02 "[Memo] Record of the May 8th Incident (Part 2) Tape Recorder"
The "tape recorder" was not found in the beer box.
Beer Box Materials 03 "[Memo] May 8 Incident Record (Part 6) News, 1 reel"
The "News, 1 reel" is believed to refer to the beer box document 04.
During this investigation, documents that were presumably "newspaper articles" with double lines drawn over them were found in another box of unsorted documents. They are in the envelope of the University History Editorial Office, but since it was reorganized into the University History Editorial Office in 1970, it is also imagined that it was taken out of a beer box and put in an envelope when the "Waseda University Centennial History" was compiled.
Beer box materials 04 "[35mm film] 'Police Force enters the Waseda University' in Asahi News No. 350"
Publication Notes
- This video is available exclusively on YouTube. Redistribution or republishing on other platforms or services is strictly prohibited.
- The material is not available for in-person viewing, duplication, or other forms of access at the History Museum’s Higashifushimi Archives.
Beer box materials 05 "[Memo] May 8 Incident Record (Part 8) Police Baton Fragments"
Beer box material 06 "[wood pieces]"
It is presumed to be a "police baton fragment" in document number 05, but it cannot be determined.
Reversed side.
Beer box materials 07 "[Apology letter]"
The date is "July Showa 41" (1966), and it is not the "May 8th Incident of Showa 27" written on the bottom of the beer box.
We are delighted to hear that you are enjoying your time in good health as we enter the height of summer.
Well, regarding the dispute at Waseda University, we deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused to everyone in the local area because it has been going on for a long time.
Fortunately, the school has returned to normal due to the students’ own awareness, but there are unresolved issues such as how the university’s autonomy should be remain in the future, and we are currently working hard to return the school to its normal state.
We would like to ask all local residents to please understand the above circumstances and continue to offer your support.
Once again, we would like to apologize and extend our greetings.
Sincerely yours,
July, Showa 41
Waseda University
Locals
Beer box materials 08 "[Envelope] Waseda University, 1-647 Totsuka-cho, Yodobashi-ku, Tokyo"
On March 15, 1947 (Showa 22), Yodobashi Ward was abolished with the inaugulation of Shinjuku City.
Beer Box Materials 09 "Nihon Keizai Shimbun"
Dated on November 24, Showa 27.
Beer box materials 10 "[Wardboard for packaging] Mikado mark Household boiling, Nitto Aluminum Manufacturing Co., Ltd."
▲ logo written on a white background with "The NITTO ALUMINIUM" inside is thought to be a design that was used in the 1950s.
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