以下は、ブンピカという大学構内にある学生自治の部屋に関する文章である。ブンピカのとな壁画を描いた過程について述べる。ページの各所にある落書きはブンピカで見かける物や落書きである。＊で記されたものを除き、写真は李振邦によって撮影された。

This is Bunpika, short for the Faculty of Letters Students’ Free Room. Bunpika is a student-governed room inside the old East Building of the Faculty of Letters on the main campus of Kyoto University. Gakuyu-kai (the student government for the Faculty of Letters) organizes the room, and uni clubs can reserve it to hold regular meetings and events. Bunpika is open twenty-four hours, so people are free to chat, smoke, and relax as long as it is not reserved. It is one of the only rooms on campus open for anyone, all the time.

文学部学生控室、通称ブンピカは、京都大学本部構内文学部東館にある学生自治の部屋である。文学部自治会（学友会）が運営しており、サークルその他の団体は、例会やイベントのためにブンピカを予約することができる。ブンピカは24時間開放されていて、占有時間外は中で寛ぎ、会話をしたり喫煙したりできる。本部構内で誰もが自由に出入りできる数少ない部屋なのだ。

Because I was always fascinated by the free and vibrant culture of Kyoto University, I fell in love with Bunpika’s strange, punk atmosphere when I first came to check out the Art Club at the start of uni. The giant red letters on the wall were intimidating and powerful. The beaten-down interiors, along with the seemingly random assortment of old books and items, were raw evidence of the long, complex history of the university. Also, the graffiti on walls that have accumulated over many years made the blank spots look like a white canvas for me to paint. Over the years in the Art Club, I have made many drawings (not on walls but on sketch books and canvases), spent memorable moments, and met countless people that I would not have otherwise, thanks to Bunpika.


Because I was always fascinated by the free and vibrant culture of Kyoto University, I fell in love with Bunpika’s strange, punk atmosphere when I first came to check out the Art Club at the start of uni. The giant red letters on the wall were intimidating and powerful. The beaten-down interiors, along with the seemingly random assortment of old books and items, were raw evidence of the long, complex history of the university. Also, the graffiti on walls that have accumulated over many years made the blank spots look like a white canvas for me to paint. Over the years in the Art Club, I have made many drawings (not on walls but on sketch books and canvases), spent memorable moments, and met countless people that I would not have otherwise, thanks to Bunpika.



The giant red letters in Bunpika express the goal of the room, which translates to “total accomplishment of self-management”. Ideas of total openness, freedom, and self-management championed by spaces like Bunpika are inspiring, but many practical issues, from both the users' side and the relation to the uni, are persistent. Littering of food waste and cigarette butts, as well as vandalism of shared furniture and club-owned items, are common occurrences due to irresponsible and ill-intentioned individuals.  On the other hand, the uni does not accept garbage from the room, so Gakuyu-kai and clubs must take turns taking home large trash bags from Bunpika. The uni is also reluctant to fix major facility issues like dying LED sockets, a lack of air conditioning, and outdated earthquake resilience. Because of this, rumors of Bunpika and the East Building closing have been afloat since before I came to uni. Self-management is a constant uphill battle that is passively discouraged by the uni.

My frustration with Bunpika peaked in the third year of uni, when one day we found a large penis sprayed on the wall along with the word “Fuck”. The graffiti was vapid and blatantly malicious compared to the others. Seeing this somehow reminded me of the idea to paint the blank spots on Bunpika’s walls. I thought it could be a method to address this issue. I wanted to use art to elevate the impression of the room so that people would treat it with more respect. I pitched this in the monthly meeting of Bunpika, two months before the project, and received clearance under the condition that the old graffiti remain visible. This inspired the plant theme of the mural, so that avoiding old graffiti and damage on the wall would look natural. 


While we were waiting for clearance, the faculty sent us a sudden request, asking clubs and Gakuyu-kai to leave the old East Building by the end of the school year because of earthquake risks. The specific reasoning for the request was unclear, the new rooms offered in exchange were too small, and access was limited. As of writing, Gakuyu-kai is still negotiating with the faculty for further explanation and better conditions. This news was much more shocking than a penis drawing on the wall; however, it only strengthened my motivations for carrying out the project.

Lotus in Bunpika takes its inspiration from the Buddhist phrase “lotus in the mud”. The original phrase expresses the potential to become a pure being even when surrounded by impurity. This perspective degrades the surrounding environment as only an obstacle to overcome. However, it should also be acknowledged that the mud is crucial for the lotus to bloom. Because Bunpika is an open and self-managed space, it is constantly messy, and it cannot exclude irresponsible use by individuals. However, the raw accumulation of history, the large space with high ceilings, and the complete freedom that Bunpika offers are irreplaceably effective for encouraging beautiful experiences, conversations, and creations. Just like the mud, Bunpika nourishes value, and the mural should serve as a reminder.

To complete it, avoiding the reservation of other clubs, the project was carried out intensively over three whole days. The first two days were mostly me moving things out of the way and preparing the walls to be painted. While the wall on the left side of the blackboard was in good condition, the paint on the right side was severely damaged. The old paint had to be removed with a scraper and a wire brush, which released a large amount of dust into the room. Small cracks and holes were filled, and the floors and blackboards were covered. A member came to help out with drawing the outlines on the second day.

 

On the third day, four to five club members came to help clean and paint the room. For simplicity, we attempted to use premade colors as much as possible, but there was no pink paint at the stores nearby. After mixing the pink colors, it became apparent that the original color for light green was too bright and vibrant; therefore, we had to mix a new light green shade and repaint all the parts. This was a great choice as the more subtle light green made the painting look more mature and integrated with the red letters.


Throughout the night and the next morning, members came and went. In the end, I was the only one left, and the mural was complete after around nineteen hours of continuous painting.

The completed mural was huge and had an undeniable presence in the room. However, despite the sense of accomplishment, physical and mental exhaustion overwhelmed me, mixed with a sense of dread about the future of Bunpika. Although many other student-governed spaces remain throughout Kyoto University, the general trend is towards suppression and stronger central governance by the university for the sake of risk management. The logic behind risk management is hard to argue with, but eliminating these spaces stifles potential for daring and exciting projects like this painting. I hope to express my gratitude and send prayers for the future of the fragile yet precious space of Bunpika and the East Building with this mural.

文学部学生控室、通称ブンピカは、京都大学本部構内文学部東館にある学生自治の部屋である。文学部自治会（学友会）が運営しており、サークルその他の団体は、例会やイベントのためにブンピカを予約することができる。ブンピカは24時間開放されていて、占有時間外は中で寛ぎ、会話をしたり喫煙したりできる。本部構内で誰もが自由に出入りできる数少ない部屋なのだ。


以前から多彩な京大学生文化に関心を抱いていた私は、入学当初美術部の見学でブンピカを訪れ、魅了された。壁いっぱいに巨大な赤文字が書かれ、部屋には訳の分からない本やがらくたが散らばっており、京大の深い歴史を感じさせる。長年にわたり蓄積された壁の落書きは、何も描かれていない箇所を白いキャンバスのように見せるような効果があった。入部してからブンピカでスケッチブックやキャンバスに数々の絵を描き、部屋での交流のおかげで様々な人に出会うことができた。



The giant red letters in Bunpika express the goal of the room, which translates to “total accomplishment of self-management”. Ideas of total openness, freedom, and self-management championed by spaces like Bunpika are inspiring, but many practical issues, from both the users' side and the relation to the uni, are persistent. Littering of food waste and cigarette butts, as well as vandalism of shared furniture and club-owned items, are common occurrences due to irresponsible and ill-intentioned individuals.  On the other hand, the uni does not accept garbage from the room, so Gakuyu-kai and clubs must take turns taking home large trash bags from Bunpika. The uni is also reluctant to fix major facility issues like dying LED sockets, a lack of air conditioning, and outdated earthquake resilience. Because of this, rumors of Bunpika and the East Building closing have been afloat since before I came to uni. Self-management is a constant uphill battle that is passively discouraged by the uni.

＊The large penis drawing that has been painted over and “Fuck”


My frustration with Bunpika peaked in the third year of uni, when one day we found a large penis sprayed on the wall along with the word “Fuck”. The graffiti was vapid and blatantly malicious compared to the others. Seeing this somehow reminded me of the idea to paint the blank spots on Bunpika’s walls. I thought it could be a method to address this issue. I wanted to use art to elevate the impression of the room so that people would treat it with more respect. I pitched this in the monthly meeting of Bunpika, two months before the project, and received clearance under the condition that the old graffiti remain visible. This inspired the plant theme of the mural, so that avoiding old graffiti and damage on the wall would look natural.

While we were waiting for clearance, the faculty sent us a sudden request, asking clubs and Gakuyu-kai to leave the old East Building by the end of the school year because of earthquake risks. The specific reasoning for the request was unclear, the new rooms offered in exchange were too small, and access was limited. As of writing, Gakuyu-kai is still negotiating with the faculty for further explanation and better conditions. This news was much more shocking than a penis drawing on the wall; however, it only strengthened my motivations for carrying out the project.

Lotus in Bunpika takes its inspiration from the Buddhist phrase “lotus in the mud”. The original phrase expresses the potential to become a pure being even when surrounded by impurity. This perspective degrades the surrounding environment as only an obstacle to overcome. However, it should also be acknowledged that the mud is crucial for the lotus to bloom. Because Bunpika is an open and self-managed space, it is constantly messy, and it cannot exclude irresponsible use by individuals. However, the raw accumulation of history, the large space with high ceilings, and the complete freedom that Bunpika offers are irreplaceably effective for encouraging beautiful experiences, conversations, and creations. Just like the mud, Bunpika nourishes value, and the mural should serve as a reminder.



To complete it, avoiding the reservation of other clubs, the project was carried out intensively over three whole days. The first two days were mostly me moving things out of the way and preparing the walls to be painted. While the wall on the left side of the blackboard was in good condition, the paint on the right side was severely damaged. The old paint had to be removed with a scraper and a wire brush, which released a large amount of dust into the room. Small cracks and holes were filled, and the floors and blackboards were covered. A member came to help out with drawing the outlines on the second day.



* After removing the badly
damaged paint from the wall onthe right side, it became bare concrete. A base coat of sealer
solvent had to be put on the concrete to prevent pigments from seeping into the wall.On the third day, four to five club members came to help clean and paint the room. For simplicity, we attempted to use premade colors as much as possible, but there was no pink paint at the stores nearby. After mixing the pink colors, it became apparent that the original color for light green was too bright and vibrant; therefore, we had to mix a new light green shade and repaint all the parts. This was a great choice as the more subtle light green made the painting look more mature and integrated with the red letters.


Throughout the night and the next morning, members came and went. In the end, I was the only one left, and the mural was complete after around nineteen hours of continuous painting.

The completed mural was huge and had an undeniable presence in the room. However, despite the sense of accomplishment, physical and mental exhaustion overwhelmed me, mixed with a sense of dread about the future of Bunpika. Although many other student-governed spaces remain throughout Kyoto University, the general trend is towards suppression and stronger central governance by the university for the sake of risk management. The logic behind risk management is hard to argue with, but eliminating these spaces stifles potential for daring and exciting projects like this painting. I hope to express my gratitude and send prayers for the future of the fragile yet precious space of Bunpika and the East Building with this mural.