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In afternoon, I attended the reunion commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Tokyo High School.
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The above picture is the finale of party, the Toko Dance.
The Toko dance is a stirring dance which is choreographed to the Toko song (a few interested students of the first and second graduates wrote songs and late Mr. Kuniho Izubuchi composed) Every year on November 3, all students performed the Toko dance, making a big circle around a fire which was put on at the center of playing ground. So that all graduates of our school held the same good memory in common.
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Mr. Masao Ogura (17th graduate, Chairman of Yamato Welfare Foundation) made a commemorative speech. He said the success of Takkyubin business of his company was realized by his management philosophy of "the service to customers is the first, the profits will come later" He made efforts to penetrate his philosophy to every worker of company. Now as a chairman of welfare foundation, he said "To protect the disabled policy is wrong. To help them to stand on their feet is important."
The music group of Toko was very active. Even after the old high school system was abolished, they continued to have a concert yearly. Today Mr. Masao Suetsugu (22nd graduate, a younger brother of late Mr. Issei Suetsugu, 16th graduate ) lead the string ensemble to play "Christmas Concert"by Corelli commemorating the 80th anniversary. They also played "Spring is gone" by Grieg. Their music was wonderful.
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Not only instrument players, the chorus group was also active even today, supported not only by graduates but their families or friends. Today they sang Handel's "Hallelujah." They also sang "Toko Fantasy" arranged for today's reunion. The original Toko song composed by late Mr. Izubuchi adopted partially the tune of gagaku (Japanese ceremonial court music.) But as it is difficult to sing, it was arranged to sing easily later. They sang both tune alternately today. I found the one I have been familiar with is the original tune. While I was staying in Nagoya, Mr. Izubuch, the original composer, lead the meetings of Toko graduates. Every time at the end of meeting, we performed Toko dance at a tatami room at an old tea house, singing loudly by beating a drum. It was one of the fortunes of teahouse handed down from their ancestors. It is quite natural I have become familiar with Izubuchi's tune..
At the same time when the Toko dance began on the stage, all attendants sang Toko song, beating time with our hands. Some of us started to dance on the floor. The party was unusually successful.
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I could see many seniors and juniors including Mr. Ryoichi Kawai (9th graduate), Mr. Seiichi Ishizaka (15th graduate) and Mr. Tomio Futami (21th graduate). Of course I met many class mates. Some of their wives joined the party. I could meet late Mr. Kiichi Ishida's wife after years. Her husband was a professor of Tokyo University but was dead earlier in 1971 at the age of 47. At the rifle shooting club of Toko, we lived together in our youth at the club. Even after he remained at the univeristy after he graduated, we made contacts each other. He purchased a Toyota Publica just on the time when Toyota announced it to public. But after he was dead, I lost contact with her because I was staying in Nagoya city for years. Although she suffered many hardships, her two sons have grown up well and now she has two grand children, she said. Mr. Mafumi Terada, a class mate and a member of rifle club, probably arranged me this meeting. I was relieved to hear that her family is doing quite well.
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