Akita International Haiku Network

 

In Memoriam

 

It is a great pity that Dr. Mineo NAKAJIMA (中嶋嶺雄), a distinguished international sociologist and president of Akita International University, passed away in Akita City, Japan, on Thursday, 14^th of February, 2013.  Having a profound interest in haiku, he supported the activities of Akita International Haiku Network as adviser.  With deep gratitude for his contribution to the Network, let me dedicate five in memoriam short poems (短歌) to his soul, as below.

 

Minoru KONO (幸野　稔), Chief Director,

Akita International Haiku Network

 

Here is a photo of Dr. Mineo Nakajima taken at Akita International University.

 

 

 

Here are five in memoriam short poems (短歌) to his soul.

 

 

外大生のデモを率いて旗振りし先輩の背(せな)眩しかりけり

 

How dazzling was the back

Of my senior schoolmate,

Who carried a flag and led

The demonstration of students

Of our alma mater in Tokyo!

 

 

国際人育成の道求め来て秋田に果てぬ大先学は

 

Pursuing the way

Of global education

At university,

The great senior academic

Has met his end here in Akita.

 

 

道半ばに逝ける国際教養大学長送りて吹雪くわがまち

 

Alas, the president

Of Akita International

University

Has abruptly passed away

From our town with the snowstorm!

 

 

小学英語導入を熱く語らいし学長室にもはや主なき

 

Our passionate talks

On the teaching of English

At elementary school

Will no longer be exchanged

In your vacant office.

 

 

先学の遺志継ぎて英語能力を伸ばすべし

わが秋田の子らの

 

Inheriting the will

Of the late senior academic,

Why shouldn’t we develop

The English abilities

Of students here in Akita?

 

 

 

Here is a message on Dr. Mineo Nakajima’s demise, written by Mr. Mark Williams, Vice President and Trustee at Akita International University.

 

From: <facultyandstaffsupport@aiu.ac.jp>
Date: 2013/2/19
Subject: 中嶋学長御逝去のお知らせ/President Nakajima Passed Away
To:

 

卒業生各位

在学生各位

教職員各位

 

敬はれ

凛と飛翔や

雪の槍

 

uyamaware

rin to hisho ya

yuki no yari

 

中嶋嶺雄理事長・学長が、病気療養中のところ、2月14日（水）午後10時26分に、肺炎のため秋田市内の病院にて御逝去されましたので謹んでお知らせいたします。

御葬儀は昨日２月18日（月）都内の御自宅にて家族葬が行われました。

 

「教育効果、卒業生の活躍がわかる10年後に答えを出します。」

国際教養大学が開学する１年前の2003年５月10日付けの朝日新聞で中嶋学長は上記のように新設大学設立の意気込みを語っておられました。

 

「国際舞台で通用する人材を地方で育てる、現代の松下村塾にしたい」という学長の強い想いは10年を待たずに現実のものとなり、日本の高等教育に大きな影響力をもつ大学が秋田の地に根付きました。　　

最近まで精力的に活動をし、次の新たな構想をたくさん抱えた学長にとっては10年目を迎える前の早すぎる旅立ちであり、創設者という大きな存在を亡くし、残念でなりません。

しかしながら、残された私たち学生・卒業生・教職員に託された課題は、学長の理念、熱意、意思、先見性を引き継ぎ、将来に向かって国際教養大学を益々発展させることであり、それこそが、学長に対する最大で最高の弔いになるものと思います。

 

なお、大学葬を３月17日（日）13時より本学多目的ホールにて執り行ないますので、お知らせいたします。

 

また、学長の奥様より次のようなメッセージをいただいております。

 

「中嶋の心は、常に、深く、学生の皆様と共にありました。在校生の卒業式ならびに全国から受験して入学してくる新入生の入学式を、毎年どれだけ楽しみにしていたことか！キャンパス近くにて闘病しておりましたのも皆様の側にいたい、という想いだったからです。

次世代のリーダーを育成したい、学生たちの力で世界一の大学にしたい、と家族がびっくりするようなことを申しておりました。

国際教養大学は中嶋が命がけで育てた大学です。これまでの皆様の御協力に心より感謝いたします。」

 

理事兼副学長　

マーク・ウィリアムズ

 

Dear Graduates, Students, Faculty and Staff members:

 

敬はれ

凛と飛翔や

雪の槍

 

uyamaware

rin to hisho ya

yuki no yari

 

 It is my sad duty to report to you that President Nakajima passed away in an Akita hospital on Thursday, February 14, 10:26 pm following a short battle with pneumonia.

 A family funeral was held on Monday, February 18, at his home in Tokyo.

 

 As the President said in an article in the Asahi Shimbun on May 10, 2003, one year before the founding of AIU: “We will only be able to judge this new university in 10 years time when we can see the success of our educational philosophy and the achievement of our graduates.”

 

 The President’s strong passion for education can be seen in his remark, “I want to make AIU into a modern-day Shokasonjuku (a famous school of Yamaguchi prefecture in the late Edo period) where we can nurture in this local environment people who can operate on the global stage.” It is no exaggeration to say that this dream has been achieved in less than 10 years and that a university which has already became influential on the national stage has taken root here in Akita.

 Until recently, the President was active in all areas of University life, full of new ideas, and passionate about the future direction of the University. The founder of this University is no longer with us to continue his work and we can only express our sadness that his activity has been cut short by his sudden passing.

 However, it is our duty, as students, graduates, faculty and staff members of AIU, to seek to continue the President’s vitality and insight, and to continue to develop AIU into the future. That is the best way for us to ensure his legacy.

 

 A University Memorial Ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 17 from 1 pm in the AIU Multi-Purpose Hall. This will be an open ceremony to which all are invited.

 

 We have received the following message from Mrs. Nakajima.

“My husband’s thoughts were always close to his students. How he used to look forward to graduation and matriculation ceremonies where he could welcome his students from all over Japan! That is why he chose to be hospitalized near the campus.

 As his family, we were often surprised to hear him taking about ‘nurturing the next generation of leaders’ and ‘making AIU into the number one University in the world with students’ help’.”

 AIU is a university into which my husband devoted all his energies. I should like to express my sincere gratitude to you all for your help up to this point.”

 

 

 Vice President and Trustee

Mark Williams

 

 

Here is an English interpretation of haiku in the above message, which was given by Hidenori Hiruta（蛭田秀法）.

 

 

The Reverend Mineo Nakajima

ascending the heavens in valiance

beyond Mount Yari in snow

　

 

Here is a photo of Mount Yari in snow.

 

 

 

Dr. Mineo Nakajima led us haiku poets in Akita as honorary president of Akita International Haiku Association.

 

Here are two haiku composed to offer our condolences on Dr. Mineo Nakajima’s death.

 

The first haiku was composed by Jin Wada（和田仁）, president of Akita International Haiku Association.

 

 

羽の国も淋しからむや鳥雲に　　　仁

 

The land of ‘U’

feels lonely too –

the bird into the clouds

 

*　‘羽 (U)’  is the old name of Akita （秋田）.

 

 

The last one was written by Hidenori Hiruta（蛭田秀法）.

 

 

雪の嶺尊師の教へ遺りけり　　　秀法

 

The snowy peak –

The Reverend  Mineo Nakajima leaving behind

His teachings

 

 

May Dr. Mineo Nakajima’s soul rest in peace!

 

 

The next posting ‘Haiku in “My loved Japan” by Clelia Ifrim (1)’ appears on March 23.

 

― Hidenori Hiruta