ICU and the Spirit of Giving

Professor Tadaoki Yamamoto (Chairperson of the Planning Committee) consulted many people about how to raise the funds. One of the suggested ideas was the almost quixotic proposal of importing used stockings from overseas, repairing them, and selling them to raise money. Some people dismissed this idea as little more than a fanciful dream.
One of those consulted was Ichizaemon Morimura, a leading figure in the business world and a devout Christian. After careful discussion, Yamamoto and Morimura decided to seek the cooperation of Hisato Ichimada (Reference 2), who was Governor of the Bank of Japan and the most influential economic figure in Japan at the time.

The two visited the Governor’s Office on the second floor of the Bank of Japan’s main building. Speaking passionately of their vision for establishing International Christian University, they earnestly requested that Ichimada assume the role of patron and lead a fundraising committee to raise 150 million yen.
Governor Ichimada believed that Christian-based education was essential as a spiritual foundation supporting the nation. He also held that Japan must aspire to become a trading nation trusted by the international community. Ichimada envisioned Japan as committed to freedom and peace, and beloved internationally, and felt that such a future required institutions of higher education where Christian values could be learned. Although not himself a Christian, Governor Ichimada strongly felt the necessity of faith in education. Convinced that the new university would nurture individuals capable of contributing to international peace, he accepted the role of patron.

The Support Association established branches throughout Japan, with governors, presidents of chambers of commerce, and bank presidents serving as branch heads. In this way, a nationwide fundraising framework took shape, and support for the founding of International Christian University spread as a true national movement.
In an era without television or the internet, publicity for the fundraising campaign was carried out primarily through printed materials. A poster designed by Sanpei Kotabe and used at that time is still preserved today (Reference 4). Ten thousand copies of this poster were printed and distributed to branches nationwide. The poster prominently featured the university name International Christian University, the slogan “A University Dedicated to the Construction of a New Japan,” and the fundraising target amount. The name of a university that no one had ever seen or heard before was fresh and highly impactful. The poster intuitively conveyed that ICU was worthy of being entrusted with Japan’s future.

The fundraising campaign achieved remarkable success and surpassed its target amount. This made it possible to purchase the site of the present Mitaka Campus (Reference 8).
However, the story does not end there.
In fact, since its founding, ICU has never recorded a fiscal surplus. In the early years, donations were used to cover the operating deficits. However, as donations gradually declined, large deficits had to be offset by drawing down reserves. Consequently, in the 1970s, a portion of the campus land purchased with the founding-era donations was sold to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The sold portion is now part of Tokyo Metropolitan Nogawa Park. The proceeds of the sale were invested as financial assets, and the returns have since supported the financial foundation of ICU. This financial structure remains unchanged today. The small class size and other distinctive educational features of ICU continue to be sustained by the donations raised at the time of its founding. This culture of donating has been passed down among alumni. We hope that it will continue to grow as a cherished tradition, inspiring new donations that nurture future generations.