Monument

Japanese students at UCL

Erection date: 2/9/1993

Inscription

{On the plaque, below some Japanese text which we guess says the same:}
The monument to those who came from Japan to UCL in 1863 and 1865, erected with the aid of generous donations from the Anglo-Japanese Friendship Society and the Japan-British Culture Memorial Club was unveiled by His Excellency Mr Hiroshi Kitamura, Ambassador of Japan, on 2nd September 1993.

{On the monument:}
1863
{5 names}


1865
{14 names}

These were the pioneers who came to UCL in 1863 and 1865 and returned to lay the foundations of modern Japan.

{The north face carries Japanese text and we have read that it contains the Haiku:}

When distant minds
come together
Cherry trees blossom.

The monument is made of fine-grained gabbro, polished to a black, mirror-like surface, and sits on contrasting pale matt granite. Unveiled on the 58th anniversary of the signing of Japan's surrender document, ending WW2. VJ Day actually has a number of dates on which it is commemorated.

Site: Japanese students at UCL (1 memorial)

WC1, Gordon Square, 27-28, UCL’s Japanese Garden

UCL was the university chosen because it was the only English one that was open to all races, religions, classes and political opinions.

More information about this educational event at UCL News and at Issuu.

This monument was installed here in 1993 and we first collected it in 2012.  Our main photo shows it in 2022, in the Japanese Garden which had recently had a new sculpture, Fragments of Memory, installed. The space is called the 'Japanese Garden' but, while it does have cherry trees, it's a space dedicated to Japan rather than a garden in the style known as Japanese.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Japanese students at UCL

Subjects commemorated i

First Japanese students

In 1863 five noblemen of the Choshu clan left Japan to study at UCL. No one f...

Read More

Moriaki Asakura

Became a student at UCL in 1865.

Read More

Kinsuke Endo

Became a student at UCL in 1863.

Read More

Tomoatsu Godai

Became a student at UCL in 1865.

Read More

Show all 26

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Japanese students at UCL

Created by i

Japan-British Culture Memorial Club

We can find no information about this group so we guess it was short-lived an...

Read More

Japan Society in Britain

From the picture source: "The Japan Society is the leading  independent body ...

Read More

Hiroshi Kitamura

Japanese ambassador to the UK in 1993.  Before that ambassador to Canada.  We...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Animals in War

Animals in War

W1, Brook Gate

Unveiled by Princess Anne. We have not created a page for all of the many trustees and donors listed, nor for the parties in the list hea...

3 subjects commemorated, 6 creators
King George V Silver Jubilee

King George V Silver Jubilee

EC4, Victoria Embankment

The shield (showing the Port of London seal) above the text is surmounted by a galleon and supported on either side by gryphon-type creat...

3 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
WW1 memorial - Richmond Road

WW1 memorial - Richmond Road

E8, Richmond Road, Marsh Court flats

The panel facing the road has no letters left at all, only the holes in which the letters were fixed but from these it is, surprisingly, ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
War Memorial at St Anne's Soho

War Memorial at St Anne's Soho

W1, Wardour Street, St Anne's Soho

We note that the name John B. Freeman appears twice. Whilst this is probably a mistake on the part of the memorial creators we cannot ass...

War dead | WW1, WW2
85 subjects commemorated
St Lukes Hackney war memorial

St Lukes Hackney war memorial

E9, Homerton Terrace, St Lukes

The list of names contains two pairs of duplicates: C. Chipperfield and H. Smith; neither is a transcription error on our part. These cou...

War dead | WW1
214 subjects commemorated