Noguchi Room as a space for communication

As we saw in Week 1, Taniguchi and Noguchi inherited the spirit of Yukichi Fukuzawa. They conceived of a space to serve as a new “Banraisha,” where students, faculty, and others could gather for dialogue on the post-war campus.

In 1964, the Keio University International Center was placed in the Second Faculty Building, and the Noguchi Room became a place for activities by exchange students from outside Japan.

^{Exchange seminar with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (students visiting Keio), May 22 to June 3, 1980 (Photo: Toji Kuroda)}

^{Isamu Noguchi visiting Keio, June 27, 1967 (Photo: Toji Kuroda)}

The room was also used for events such as tea ceremony and kimono dressing workshops for exchange students. In 1967, Noguchi visited Keio again, and a photo still exists of him relaxing and chatting with Keio University President Kunio Nagasawa and others.

^{Ceremony presenting French President Jacques Chirac with an honorary doctorate, November 18, 1996 (Photo: Toji Kuroda)}

The Noguchi Room was also used for a wide range of cultural exchange events, including international discussions on education, and hospitality for VIPs from other countries visiting Japan.

^{U.S.-Japan discussions on higher education, July 6, 1989 (Photo: Toji Kuroda)}

References

• Makiko Sugiyama (editor), Banraisha: A Concerto of Yoshiro Taniguchi and Isamu Noguchi (in Japanese), Kajima Institute Publishing, 2006.