The Student Support Center's Student Success Support Section hosted the fall 2022 International Students Welcome Reception in collaboration with the Tokyo Tech Alumni Association on September 27. The event welcomed not only new students who joined the Institute in September 2022, but also those who had been admitted to Tokyo Tech from April 2020 onwards whose arrival to Japan had been postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty-six international students from fifteen countries and regions joined the celebrations.
After warm words of welcome from Student Support Center Head Tetsuji Okamura and the alumni association's President Kiyoto Ido, the participants spent the first half of the event learning about both Japanese and Tokyo Tech culture through presentations and performances by 19 current students. These students represented the Tea Ceremony Club, the Kendo Club, the Karate Club, the Taki Plaza Gardener (TPG) student group, the Tokyo Tech International Students Association (TISA), the Student Association for Global Exchange (SAGE), and the study abroad promotion group FLAP. Embracing the moderator's role throughout the event was 3rd-year Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering student Risako Yanagase.
Alumni association's Ido welcoming new students
Performance by Tea Ceremony Club
During this session, master Munehiro Kawashima from the International Chado Culture Foundation carefully explained in English each movement in a tea ceremony as Tokyo Tech students took on the following roles.
Tea preparation
Masahiro Nara, 4th year, Life Science and Technology
Ceremony guests
Tatsunori Hashimoto, 1st year, School of Life Science and Technology
Haruka Ikesue, 2nd year, Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
Performance support
Wataru Koga, 2nd year, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Tea ceremony performance
Performance by Kendo Club
Tokyo Tech's Kendo Club introduced their activities and various fixed kendo patterns to the reception participants.
Commentary
Zhihang Hou, 2nd year, Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
Demonstration
Akira Endo, 2nd year, Architecture and Building Engineering
Ayato Yanai, 1st year, School of Science
Teppei Nagano, 1st year, School of Environment and Society
Participants tuning in to presentation on kendo at Tokyo Tech
Demonstration by students of Kendo Club
Performance by Karate Club
Three members of the Tokyo Tech Karate Club also performed.
Commentary
Renya Konishi, 2nd year, Mechanical Engineering
Demonstration
Naoyuki Wakida, 2nd year, Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
Kotaro Matsumoto, 3rd year, Mechanical Engineering
Performance by students of Karate Club
Karate Club's Wakida demonstrating form
Group discussions among new students
During this session, participants were divided into small groups so they could socialize, make new friends, and learn more about one another. Members of Tokyo Tech's various student clubs were present to encourage and support these exchanges. Supporters included the following students from four Tokyo Tech student clubs:
TPG
Aina Sofea binti Bakhtiar Affendi, 1st year, School of Engineering
Ayoob Ilyas, 1st year, School of Environment and Society
TISA
Thossaporn Wijakmatee, 1st-year doctoral student, Chemical Science and Engineering
Mikael Wijaya, 1st year, School of Environment and Society
SAGE
Yusaku Tajima, 3rd year, Chemical Science and Engineering
Kentaro Nakamura, 2nd year, Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
FLAP
Takumi Akiyama, 2nd-year master's student, Materials Science and Engineering
Q&A session with President Masu
The welcome reception also included a Q&A session with Tokyo Tech President Kazuya Masu. During this session, Masu shared his views on ways for international students to adjust to Japanese society, how to make Tokyo Tech a better place, and various other useful topics initiated by the audience.
President Masu answering questions from students
To wrap up the event, Professor Sachiko Ito, head of the Student Success Support Section, offered her closing remarks, after which student moderator Yanagase shared her final words of encouragement and support with the participating students.
Comments from participating students
It was very good and a nice introduction to some Japanese culture!
It was beautifully done. I felt very good about entering Tokyo Tech and thankful for all the arrangements that were made for the event.
Entertaining and informative experience. I appreciate the effort by the organizers and clubs.
It was very good and organized. I enjoyed all the parts, especially the presentations of the Kendo Club and Karate Club. The tea ceremony was interesting as well. It was slightly hard to see the stage because of the posts, but other than that, it was excellent. Thank you for the souvenir.
This International Students Welcome Reception was great! I hope that it will continue. It was a good way to allow students to build a community and adapt to life here faster. I came here during COVID-19 so there was nothing like this before. It was really different. I felt very isolated and my social circle was extremely small in the beginning. It was very hard to go through. I really appreciate this reception. Thank you.
I am very happy to see the efforts made by the staff and the students to welcome the international students. Thank you.
The reception made me feel welcome at Tokyo Tech!
It was a warm welcome. I felt very comfortable.
It was wonderful to meet the friendly President Masu, and to learn about Japanese culture. Thank you.
The Tokyo Tech community warmly welcomes all new students to the Institute.
NOTE: Some photos used in this article were provided courtesy of TPG Ayoob Ilyas.
