The library is often locked, making it difficult to browse. In the past, the library was not locked. Readers were well-mannered. They borrowed books and returned them properly, so there was no need to worry.

Perhaps because the library now has more valuable books than it did in the past, there have been problems such as people cutting out pages and taking them with them, or not returning books. As a result, the library has been forced to lock the doors for management purposes, and this situation continues today.

I have been saying, “Stop locking the door.”
For now, losses and clippings will continue. However, I hope some measures will be taken to improve the situation, such as moving the library from the 14th floor to the basement or making it easier to make copies.

Regarding the Josui-kai Network

In this IT era, communication among members and between the Josui-kai and its members through the internet is crucial. The Josui-kai newsletter should allocate more pages to the Josui-kai Network, and everyone should make better use of the newsletter.
Mobile phones have become increasingly convenient. Collaboration leveraging their information capabilities will continue to grow. Even the elderly will have no choice but to embrace it. Once they have it, it becomes convenient, and they naturally become part of the “thumb tribe.” In four or five years, the Josuikai and university networks will be utilized more widely without resistance.

Some may question whether the changes in information transmission and exchange, and the convenience they bring, will be beneficial for everyone. However, I believe this is a topic worth discussing at the next meeting. I look forward to the development of the internet and everyone's active participation.　 　

Words of advice for younger generations

When it comes to famous people who graduated from Hitotsubashi University, Shintaro Ishihara (graduated from the Faculty of Law in 1956) comes to mind. If there were a direct election for prime minister, he might surpass Mr. Koizumi.
Heizo Takenaka (graduated from the Faculty of Economics in 1973) is often criticized, but he is a fine person.
Masaru Hayami (former Governor of the Bank of Japan, graduated from the Faculty of Letters in 1947) is a little younger than us, but he was always bad at speaking and couldn't express his thoughts well even when he was a student. This has caused him a lot of harm. However, even though he was often criticized as Governor of the Bank of Japan, there were many things he did and didn't do. Some of the things he “didn't do” will be evaluated positively in ten years' time.
His achievements are not highly evaluated, but I highly value them. It will become clear in five or ten years.

Hitotsubashi University is generally regarded as strong in economics and accounting. However, in reality, even graduates from the Faculty of Commerce and the Faculty of Economics do not study accounting much. Especially during their student days, they tend to look down on bookkeeping and accounting. This causes them trouble after graduation.
I am more of a science and engineering type, so within economics, I was interested in accounting and statistics, and I studied these subjects. My seminar was led by Professor Tetsuzo Ota (graduated from the undergraduate program in 1911 and the graduate program in 1913). The knowledge I gained was very useful when I entered the workforce.

The treasurer handles the money. Generally, if the accounting staff trusts the person making the request, they will release the funds after checking their seal.
I was a bit of a stickler, so if I didn't understand the details, I would ask questions regardless of who made the request. If the explanation wasn't satisfactory, I would go and inspect the actual item. As a result, I ended up studying various fields to the point of exhaustion. This led me to get involved not only in accounting but also in patents and development. This has proven to be extremely useful later on.

Mr. Haruo Ito, who was the president of the Shishin-kai (Boat Club Alumni Association) and graduated in 1937, would always give two pieces of advice to students every year:

Don't get carried away by alcohol and women.
Value bookkeeping.

Graduates of Hitotsubashi University have some social standing just by virtue of their alma mater. But if you don't have the ability to live up to that, you're in trouble.
What happens after entering society is even more important, but there is a difference between those who study accounting and related subjects during their student days and those who do not.
Nowadays, it is the age of computers, and the nature of work in society has changed from the days of the abacus. As a result, school studies have also changed, but everyone is striving for four years while keeping up with the trends of the world.
However, if you join the rowing club, you won't have much time for studying. That's fine if you're doing other studies, but... Still, I hope you can study a little if you have the time.

Mr. Koichiro Asakai (graduated in 1929), who was the president of the Shishin-kai before Mr. Ito, was also in the rowing club during his student days.
He studied during the brief moments when other members were making noise during training camps. I’m not sure what he studied, but when he became the ambassador to the United States, his language skills were certainly helpful, but his foundational studies must have also been useful.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is weak in financial thinking. He studied on his own. Therefore, as an ambassador to the United States, I believe that his strength in economics, in addition to diplomacy, was the reason he was able to achieve such success as ambassador.

　…………
Let's move to “Towada” to discuss the history of boys' schools becoming co-educational, the relationship between specialized departments and faculties, and so on.

（Applause)　

The two-hour discussion came to an end, and all attendees headed to “Towada” in Asakusa (two students were absent due to prior commitments).
We toasted with beer, and the dinner party began with the appetizer recommended by Senior Nakamura, “soba miso tsukami.” The details of the dinnerparty will be left to your imagination through the photo album.

　The Story of Our Alma Mater
End
written in Japanese
July 20, 2003
translated into English
July 18, 2025