This year, the season of Machikane Festival is coming again. Machikane Festival is a contemporary event which is organized by students’ own. It is the 65th time this year. I hold the long-cultivated history and students who have been inheriting the traditional in the highest regard.

I heard that the main theme is “The Torch” this time. It means not only “Light” which is just “to light a fire”, but also “Hope and Will”. Then, a proverb came into my mind just as if it were lit up by literally the Toach.

That is:”I will walk on through midnight with one slight torch. Do not be afraid of dark nights.Just go on with your torch.”

This is a phrase written by a Confucian in late Edo period, Issai Sato(who traveled to Osaka in his youth and learned from Chikuzan Nakai in Kaitokudo which is the origin of OU. Later he became the leader of Shohei Zaka School) in his book, “Genshishiroku”. The phrase seems to mean “With your torch, you should not even worry about the darkness in front of you at night. You can just keep walking depending on your torch.” Takamori Saigo brought 101 selected phrases from “Genshishiroku” with him and this phrase is included in them.

How would you feel about this phrase? It may make you anxious or alone to walk through the darkness with just one torch. However, even if you face an unknown difficulty, I believe that, with the people who keep going with their best with their own hope, namely, will, comrades will come along as the warm light being a sign and they can together shine much more brightly.Just like many students gathered to our another origin, Koan Ogata who had established Tekijuku school and they created the new era.

It is the day of the University Festival we all have been waiting for. I hope each of you will enjoy this festival from the bottom of your heart with the light of hope. And I sincerely hope this will be a cozy festival that softens your hearts in this campus where autumn is coming.

President of Osaka University, Shojiro Nishio