Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 64.djvu/473

Rh was the embryo of our university. After the Restoration of 1868 this school, through many changes, became Kaisei-gakko. And to this was later added the medical college (1877), the law college (1885) and the college of engineering (1886). It was not, however, until March 1, 1886, that the university came actually into existence, a day which has come to be celebrated every year as 'foundation day.' In 1884-85 the colleges moved to their present site. To this end the university was ceded a park, three square miles in extent, located on a side of Hongo hill, in the northwestern part of Tokyo. The site, moreover, was of considerable historic interest, since it was the Kaga-Yashiki, or the palace grounds of Kagasama, one of the most powerful daimyos of feudal days, whose imposing processions of two-sworded retainers,

gold-laquered palanquins, and splendid horses are remembered to the present day. Indeed, the present red gate of the university is a relic of his feudal sway, his wedding gift, it is said, from the Prince of Satsuma. In contrast with former pageants one sees here to-day only a stream of students plain in uniform and with square caps, hurrying to and fro among the lecture halls. When the colleges first moved to the present site, wooden buildings were used for lecture-room and laboratories. But as time passed these were replaced by the brick buildings, which are' shown in the adjacent pictures. The college of agriculture is situated in a suburb six miles away from the university. The Botanical Institute is in the Botanical Garden, situated in another daimyo's park, about a mile and a half away from the university. The entire staff of the six colleges numbers about 270, of these 120