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- Education and Research
May 19, 2026
Listen to stories of students studying abroad during the late Edo period. A special lecture by rōkyoku performer Higashiya Ichitarō and kyoku performer Higashiya Mi was held at Faculty of Languages and Cultures,Hachioji Campus
On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Teikyo University Faculty of Languages and Cultures Department of Foreign Languages Professor invited guest speakers, Mr. Ichitaro Azuma, a ronikyoku master, and Ms. Mi Azuma, a kyokyoku master, to give a special lecture titled "Listening to the Rokyoku 'Satsu Mas Student: New Stowaway in England'" in the Cross-Disciplinary Seminar I & III taught by Naoya Yamazaki. The special lecture was open to the public and was attended by 87 people, including undergraduates, Graduate School students, faculty, and staff.
Interdisciplinary Seminars I and III, aimed at third and fourth-year students in Department of Foreign Languages, are omnibus courses in which four faculty members lecture on the common theme of "the movement of people, goods, and information across countries and regions," each based on their own area of expertise. In Professor Yamazaki's session this year, he focused on the young people from the Satsuma Domain who studied in England in 1865, during the late Edo period—the Satsuma Students (Satsuma Domain students who studied in England)—and considered studying abroad as one of the main forms of human movement. Furthermore, he invited Mr. Ichitaro Azumaya and Mr. Mi Azumaya, who created the theatrical performance "Satsuma Students ~New Secret Voyage to England~" (written by Yui Tsushima), to give a special lecture in which students listened to the story of these students who studied abroad about 160 years ago in the traditional performing art of rōkyoku, and deeply considered its meaning. After giving a brief lecture on how to listen to rōkyoku (traditional Japanese narrative singing) in a "Rōkyoku Mini-Lecture," Mr. Ichitaro performed both parts of "Satsuma Student ~New Stowaway to Britain~" in one sitting, and finally, all participants had the opportunity to experience rōkyoku vocalization. This not only gave the students a chance to reconsider the history of studying abroad, which is relevant to their lives, but it was also a valuable opportunity for many participants to experience the power of live rōkyoku, woven together by melody and shamisen, for the first time.
Our university will continue to strive to cultivate individuals who can broaden their knowledge and make independent judgments through lectures by guest speakers who are active in various fields.
Click here for more information about rōkyoku (traditional Japanese narrative singing).
Click here for information about Master Higashiya Ichitaro.
Click here for more information about Professor Naoya Yamazaki.
