カテゴリー: culture

ー一橋大学の建物にはたくさんの魔除けがひそんでいます。獅子の魔除けや鳥の魔除け、狼の魔物などを建物の下や柱、出入口などに見つけることが出来ます。本部の車寄せの玄関ドームの左右にある雌雄の獅子は、雄が口を開き雌が口を閉じており、 “あうん”の形式を取り入れています。また図書館は狼とワニの合の子といった、摩訶不思議な化け物に満ちています。これは国立駅舎同様、校舎がロマネスク様式で作られているため、この空間を守る守護神（カーゴイル）を必要としたからだそうです。 

ーLook closely at the historic buildings of Hitotsubashi University, and you will discover a hidden world of ancient protectors. Mysterious sculptures of lions, mythical birds, and wolf-like beasts are tucked away beneath rooflines, along pillars, and above grand archways.

At the main administration building’s carriage porch, a pair of male and female stone lions guard the entrance. Interestingly, they incorporate the traditional Japanese concept of “A-un” (the cosmic beginning and end)—the male lion on one side holds his mouth open (“A”), while the female on the other keeps her mouth firmly closed (“Un”).

Meanwhile, the university library is covered with even more bizarre, imaginative creatures, looking like a strange cross between a wolf and a crocodile.

Just like the original Kunitachi Station, these campus buildings were designed in the grand Romanesque architectural style. Because of this European heritage, the architects adorned the structures with these guardians—similar to the gargoyles of Western cathedrals—to spiritually protect the educational spaces from evil.