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There is a strange auditorium of old Romanesque style where a lot of monsters
live both outside and inside in Kunitachi City, next to Kokubunji Station
on Chuo Line, presently about one hour express-train ride west from Tokyo
Station. It is Kanematsu Auditorium in the main campus of Hitotsubashi
University.
The facade of the auditorium is also strange. Its upper-center part is
decorated with the four relieves of funny monsters.
Goroji Suga regards the four monsters as "Four Gods" in Chinese
mythology, and he believes the school history connotes in itself the key
to solve such mysteries as why these images are decorated on the facade
and why so many monsters live all over the auditorium.
Suga and the three of them began to trace the school history from the foundation
just after noon, and the goal Suga intended today is near at last. The
chandelier light is soft.
"You finally came to the construction of the Auditorium, didn't you,
elderly!"
Mari thanks Suga in her own way. Tsubune gives a sigh of relief as if he
had been a speaker.
Eriko, in a worried face, points out the line of the chronology.
"This says Kanematsu Company offered to build an auditorium and donate
it as the name of Kanematsu Memorial Auditorium."
Suga elderly responds to her pleasantly like he wanted to talk about it.
"Yes, you are right. I'd like to refer to the important thing. It
is undoubtedly the story of the birth parent of Kanematsu Auditorium, which
we graduates have to take to heart."
He shows a formal face.
"Kanematsu Company brought to TCC no less than a good news at the
perfect time. It was half a year before the Government approved its move
to Musashino. This year 1925 was the 13th anniversary of the death of Old
Fusajiro Kanematsu, the founder of the company. Commemorating it, Kanematsu
proposed to donate 500 thousand yen for the construction of the auditorium.
It wanted to build it at its responsibility and turn it over to TCC by
the name of Kanematsu Memorial Auditorium."
Kanematsu Company was a major trading company in Western Japan. It made
great progress by the trade with Australia.
The document Suga brought here mentions its history and the background
on its donation of the auditorium as follows.
| A |
Fusajiro Kanematsu, the founder, was born in Osaka in Koka 2 (1845) of
Edo period, and his life started by the apprentice for a merchant family.
He has no academic background.
He focused attention on the importance and the future of Australia and
founded Kanematsu Japan-Australia Trade Company in Kobe in Meiji 22 (1889).
The first import was wool. He was a self-supporting man with life and business
philosophy of coherent warm-heartedness.
Saying "Profit is dregs. It should be returned," he fully felt
the importance of business education, based on his experience. So, he had
a strong intention to help train human resources who would learn business
and contribute to society because he believed the future of Japan depended
on the promotion of business. |
| B |
The successors, Unosuke Maeda, Toranosuke Kitamura, Matsushiro Fujii and
others, followed his instruction.
In an attempt to keep the founder's spirit everlasting, they carried out
three memorial projects for starting the public services perpetually.
The first: In Taisho 8 ( 1919) in memory of the 7th anniversary of Old
Fusajiro's death
-- Kanematsu Company donated 800 thousand yen to Kobe High Business School
(presently Kobe University) for the construction of "Kanematsu Business
Institute" and for research fund.
The second: In Taisho 14 (1925) in memory of the 13th anniversary of Old Fusajiro's death
-- It donated 500 thousand yen in total with the bonus from the whole employees
to Tokyo Commercial College for the construction of "Kanematsu Memorial
Auditorium."
The third: In Showa 4 (1929) in memory of the 17th anniversary of Old Fusajiro's
death
-- It donated 25 thousand Australian pounds for "Kanematsu Pathology
Research Institute" with the fund from the Australian Government.
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| C |
Extract from the Words of Thanks by the president Sano at the Completion
Ceremony of Kanematsu Auditorium:
"Kanematsu Company donated this large auditorium to our college as
one of the public works. We, college people, have no less happiness. I
honestly cannot help giving them the most thanks for their great project.
We pledge to contribute to the full education of the students, utilizing
the auditorium." |
| D |
Extract from the Report of Dr. Chuta Itoh in charge of the Whole Design
and Construction:
"During such a construction, generally, certain eternal triangles
often occur among the people involved. Moreover this time, since the donator
joined it in addition, the eternal triangles plus alpha might have happened.
It is absolutely thanks to the highest intent of Old Kanematsu that we
could carry out the work peacefully despite it." |
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"How much is 500 thousand yen now?"
Mari asks Suga frankly.
"Well...," Suga answers, looking a little foolish.
"I say around 100 million yen or so in the present. It may be difficult
depending on the comparison. Anyway, it was like a dream as the original
construction budget of the Government was 130 thousand yen, only 26% of
the donation."
Mari seems to understand the wish of Kanematsu Company more than that huge
money.
The elderly continues.
"With the donated money, only Kanematsu Auditorium in the campus came
to be built separately from the Government budget. So, the image of the
auditorium, strictly too limited before, could be started to aim at the
realization of an ideal hall thanks to this luck."
Satisfied with the three's smile, Suga says.
"This is the brief story until the move of TCC's campus to Kunitachi,
though full of guesses."
Suga stands up and eats one piece of adzuki-bean jelly left on the lacquer
plate.
Eriko is making fresh tea.
"Now the stage is the construction of Kanematsu Auditorium. It started
to be built by Takenaka Corporation in August, Taisho 15 (1926), the next
year of Kanematsu Company's donation offer. The completion was in November,
Showa 2 (1927), one year and three months later."
Listening to Suga, Tsubune looks at the wall clock. It shows almost 9:00 pm.
The elderly is relaxed, seeming to have finished the planned schedule.
After a while, he says to confirm something.
"We have another theme of the pursuit for the truth of the Four-God
Statues. I made a long detour, but I believe these things would get together
and be condensed into the Statues. Kanematsu Auditorium with them on the
facade looks to me as it is going to make us notice the importance much
deeper than its functions and the value of the building designated as a
national tangible cultural property. I feel this way."
In addition, he wants to mention Dr. Chuta Itoh a little.
"It cotains some mysteries even now, but it is said Chuta Itoh, professor
of Tokyo Imperial University and an authority of the architectural world,
positively took on the building in the then remote area from designing
to building. It is difficult to think of this story from the viewpoint
of his position and circumstances. However, it happened in fact. Moreover,
Dr. Itoh commented that he built the auditorium with all his energies."
The three listeners agree to take it as one of the cores.
"Then, how could they set him up? Why did Dr. Itoh come to put his mind to it and devote himself to the project to the most workmanship. This is also an important clue to inquire into the truth we are pursuing. I would like to put these circumstances together in my own way."
Saying it, Suga looks at the calendar on the wall.
"I think I can do it in half a month by concentrating on it. So then,
why don't we get together at Towada restaurant in Asakusa? Could you invite
the ladies Iwaida and Yamabe, as I send the same paper to them too? Come
and join us, Mari-san."
Mari is nodding seriously.
Suga murmurs rather to himself.
"To myself, the soba-miso paste of Towada is linked up to the second
floor of the Tai-miso (Bream-miso) restaurant in Ginza, the birthplace
of the Commercial Law Institute."
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