President's Message at the Doshisha 150th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony

We are gathered to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Doshisha’s founding. This season also coincides with Christmas, a time when the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The story of Christmas and the story of Doshisha resonate with one another.
Jesus was born to a poor couple during a time when people suffered under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire—a time when individual lives were not valued. The Bible tells of the birth of the infant Jesus as a small light of hope in the darkness. Joseph Hardy Neesima (Jō Niijima) was one who believed in that hope. He sought to realize it through the power of education and, 150 years ago, founded Doshisha English School in Kyoto. It was a flickering, tiny light in the darkness.
Doshisha began with two teachers—Neesima and missionary Davis—and eight students. The school was founded in 1875, just two years after the 1873 removal of the official notice banning Christianity, which had long been used to persecute Christians. Kyoto at the time was one of the most traditional and conservative cities in Japan. The newly founded Doshisha English School was criticized by conservative citizens and religious groups as an "alien presence" unfit for Kyoto. The small Doshisha struggled merely to dodge the arrows of criticism.
During wartime, when loyalty to the nation was strongly demanded, voices from inside and outside the school called for the abandonment of Christian principles. Teachers were sometimes arrested, and the school faced existential financial crises. Many students and faculty members became victims of war.
Doshisha’s 150-year history is deeply intertwined with the turbulent history of modern Japan. The small light that flickered in the darkness gradually grew brighter as it welcomed and sent off many people. From the original ten members, Doshisha has grown into a comprehensive university with 14 faculties, 16 graduate schools, and approximately 29,000 students, having produced 380,000 alumni. The achievements of our graduates across various fields are a source of pride, and we accept with gratitude and reverence the fact that today’s Doshisha exists thanks to the efforts of our predecessors who overcame difficult times.
Joseph Hardy Neesima, the founder of Doshisha, worked tirelessly in his final years to establish a university as the culmination of his educational vision. However, he passed away at the age of 46 years and 11 months, never seeing Doshisha University himself. Two years before his death, he wrote a letter to his disciple Sohō Tokutomi, revealing his serious illness and his passionate desire to establish a university. In the letter, he included a Chinese poem: "Borrowing a great broom, I aim to sweep the land clean; ten years of planning, yet my spirit remains unrelenting. "This expresses his wish to cleanse old Japan and bring about a new society through the establishment of a university.Neesima’s vision of transforming Japan through university-centered education was grand in scale. Six months after writing that letter, in November 1888, he publicly announced the "The Intentions for the Establishment of Doshisha University " through newspapers and magazines. It was both a call for nationwide support and a challenge to society. The document reveals that prominent figures such as Shigenobu Ōkuma and Eiichi Shibusawa strongly supported Neesima’s endeavor.
In "The Intentions for the Establishment of Doshisha University," Neesima reflected on his own life (past), described the current state of Doshisha supported by many people (present), and explained the educational ideals entrusted to the university (future). Past, present, and future were all interwoven in this narrative. As we celebrate the 150th anniversary, we too must learn from the past, recognize our position in the present, and renew our commitment to being challengers who create a new future—not merely an extension of the present.
We have formulated a new vision to guide Doshisha into the future, inspired by the challenge posed by "The Intentions for the Establishment of Doshisha University." I will now briefly outline our new Doshisha Vision.

It is our inherent mission to rediscover and reinterpret Doshisha’s origins—Christian principles, self-governing Independence, and conscience—and to continue producing individuals with high aspirations. We aim to illuminate society with a unique and proud brilliance and to create new values for future generations. Our core vision is "Know Together, Change Together—With a Good Conscience."
"Knowing together" reflects the original meaning of "conscience," through which we aim to inherit and practice Neesima’s ideal of speaking conscience on important occasions. For Neesima, conscience was deeply connected with freedom and truth, and was a force that pushes people up to a new stage beyond the existing system. He had a strong belief that people and society can be changed and revitalized through a new form of education. By continuing the challenge of "Know Together, Change Together," without resting on our 150-year tradition, we can spread conscience throughout society.
To realize this challenge, we have defined five key visions:

These visions reaffirm Doshisha’s origins—Christian principles, "balancing knowledge and morality," "self-governing independence," "an extraordinary person," "conscience," and "deep forests and large lakes"—and reinterpret them for modern times.

Neesima’s words and ideals transcend time and continue to speak to us, serving as a compass for Doshisha University’s path forward. These ideals are not abstract—they are tied to living episodes, which is a defining strength of Doshisha.

Let me share two episodes that help us reaffirm what makes Doshisha truly Doshisha:

Near the gate of Doshisha Cemetery in Nyakuoji stands a small gravestone, almost like a gatekeeper. It reads "Grave of Matsumoto Gohei." Though generally unknown, Gohei is a figure passed on in Doshisha’s history. After a difficult childhood, he was hired in 1879 as a janitor and gatekeeper. Students from feudal regions with strong class consciousness called him simply "Gohei," treating him lightly. In contrast, Neesima respectfully called him "Gohei-san." Deeply moved by this, Gohei came to revere Neesima. At first, others may have wondered why, but gradually they sensed that something new was beginning at Doshisha. Neesima sought a society where everyone was equal and respected. Using honorifics such as -san was a challenge to feudal society. Gohei left a will asking to be buried near Neesima’s grave, and in 1903, he passed away and was laid to rest near his beloved teacher. His story continues to be told, and he still watches over Doshisha Cemetery.

Another episode relates to Neesima’s words at Doshisha’s 10th anniversary: “Every person is precious.”

The 10th anniversary was a celebratory event with many guests. Neesima’s remarks, recalling expelled students, disrupted the festive mood. His concluding words, "We should be cautious about the future," were directed at all involved with Doshisha, including himself. His deep reflection turned the anniversary into a day of renewal. Those who heard his tearful plea—“Every person is precious,”—were deeply moved. Even today, we may think expulsion is deserved for rule-breaking. But Neesima’s words prompt us to ask: Have we truly valued each person? For Neesima, the tenth anniversary of Doshisha was not a day to take pride in its achievements, but a day to reflect upon its shortcomings and to renew, together with all those involved, a pledge for the “rebirth” of Doshisha. Now, one hundred and forty years after that tenth anniversary, we are celebrating the one hundred and fiftieth. Although this is a joyful occasion with many distinguished guests in attendance, we too wish to take this moment to humbly reflect on our own shortcomings and renew our pledge for the “rebirth” of Doshisha.

I have shared two episodes. What they have in common is something that has been inherited through the long tradition of Doshisha. Neesima was a man of truly grand vision. Yet at the same time, he directed his passionate attention to each individual and to the smallest of events. Some of you may have recalled the story of the farmer in Rutland who offered two dollars—his train fare home—when Neesima made an appeal for donations before his return to Japan.
The Bible teaches that even in small moments, God's great work is at play. It tells us that within the faint flicker of light in darkness, there is a deep hope. Neesima once declared that Christian principles should be the foundation of moral education at Doshisha University. In that statement, his bold determination to transcend convention and bring a completely new form of education to Japan is clearly expressed.
Christianity is not merely the teaching of Christian knowledge. When Neesima called out “Gohei-san,” or when all were moved to tears by his words, “Every person is precious,” these moments themselves spoke eloquently of what Christian principles truly mean. The paradox that in small moments God's great work is at play may well be called the very mystery of Christianity. At the same time, it is also the spirit that has made Doshisha what it is today.

Neesima hoped to produce individuals who would become "the conscience of the nation." But he did not only envision great figures of high ability. Like the farmer who gave Neesima his last two dollars for train fare, or Gohei-san who served Doshisha with devotion, anyone can be a practitioner of conscience by sincerely offering what they have, regardless of wealth or ability.
Standing here 150 years later, we still feel Neesima’s question: Are you practicing conscience with all your heart and with all your strength? His grand vision of sweeping Japan clean calls on Doshisha to remain a bold challenger. That boldness must always be united with a spirit that never disregards the small and the individual.
No matter how difficult the times ahead may be, Doshisha will continue to shine as "the light of the world." To do so, we will pass on its history and spirit—and not only pass them on, but weave new stories and create new origins for the next era.