AV Edo-Rhenania zu Tokio

The Japanese student fraternity Akademische Vereinigung Edo Rhenania zu Tokio (Japanese: 学士会江戸拉因会, Gakushikai Edo-Rainkai) is the oldest Studentenverbindung in Asia. It is an associated member of the Union of Catholic German Student Fraternities (Cartellverband) and is officially acknowledged as a befriended fraternity by the Union of Catholic Austrian Student Fraternities. Until the foundation of KÖStV Golania zu Arné in Syria in 1994, it was the only Studentenverbindung in all of Asia, and until the foundation of AFV Sino-Germania zu Peking et Shanghai in China in 2014, the only one in East Asia. AV Edo-Rhenania continues to be the only member fraternity of the Cartellverband in Asia. History In 1951, Yujiro Shinoda, a Japanese student who was to later become one of the founding members of AV Edo-Rhenania, was admitted to the Colognian student fraternity AV Rheinstein zu Köln. The admission of a foreign national into a fraternity belonging to the Cartellverband umbrella association was unprecedented at the time and is regarded as a milestone in the Cartellverband’s history. In 1963, AV Rheinstein zu Köln founded AV Edo-Rhenania zu Tokio as its subsidiary in Tokyo. Their own member Yujiro Shinoda became AV Edo-Rhenania’s first chairman. Japanese and Germans were equally involved in the foundation of AV Edo-Rhenania, and it has been an independent fraternity ever since its inception. In 1964, AV Edo-Rhenania was officially recognized as an associated member (German: assoziiertes Mitglied) of the Cartellverband. As a result of this special status, members of AV Edo-Rhenania do not possess the right to vote at the annual Cartellversammlung, the Cartellverband'''s primary legislative assembly, but in return the induction of unbaptized students into AV Edo-Rhenania is tolerated. Given that no more than approximately one per cent of the Japanese population are Christian, this exemption vis-à-vis other member fraternities has often been interpreted as an essential prerequisite for AV Edo-Rhenania’s subsequent growth. Apart from the aforementioned restrictions and privileges, AV Edo-Rhenania’s status within the Cartellverband is identical to that of other member fraternities.