With the kind assistance of the Student Support Division, the Tokyo Tech International Student Association (TISA) successfully held the 2024 Spring Welcome Party on May 8 at Tokyo Tech Front on Ookayama Campus. A diverse group of roughly 230 participants, including current and new students, faculty, staff, and volunteers from over 60 countries and regions came together for the occasion.
TISA 2024 Spring Welcome Party participants
On the day of the event, the venue was set up well in advance. At 4:30 p.m., the participants started flowing in, quickly creating a party atmosphere. Many people did not know each other before the event, but as they started talking, they soon found things in common despite coming from different parts of the world. The traditional free roaming session and bingo game further broke the ice, allowing people to share more interesting personal facts. New friend groups formed as people sat together and started talking casually. More interactive games followed later in the evening.
The event kicked off formally under the guidance of student MCs and presenters who shared information about TISA's activities. After this, Tokyo Tech President Kazuya Masu and Tokyo Tech Alumni Association President Kiyoto Ido gave their speeches, providing the over 200 participants information on the Institute's efforts to create unique programs for international students. The two presidents' encouraging words seemed to bring new-found motivation to both new and continuing students.
Tokyo Tech Alumni Association President Kiyoto Ido
Tokyo Tech President Kazuya Masu
After a commemorative group photo, many students were eager to meet and take pictures with Masu and Ido individually.
Next came one of the most anticipated parts of the party — the banquet. The Tokyo Tech University Co-op once again gave due consideration to the multicultural nature of the event, carefully preparing a variety of dishes and accounting for different tastes, allergies, and dietary restrictions, including halal and vegetarian options.
Participants enjoying food
The evening ended with two nail-biting trivia quiz rounds, which were close until the very end. Winners received various Tokyo Tech-branded items, including notebooks, folders, and mugs.
Afterwards, participants shared their thoughts and feelings about the day, expressing joy after making many new friends. Both international and Japanese participants seemed to have enjoyed themselves, sharing valuable experiences and polishing their language skills together.
TISA will continue to make enhancements to future events based on the feedback they received. The council members and volunteers felt a great sense of satisfaction after seeing the success of this event, and the ever-increasing number of participants encourages TISA to strive for further improvement. Stay tuned for more events in the upcoming months.
Comments from participants
It was super fun. Thanks for holding this event.
It was nice to meet new people. The time passed fast, I wish the party could have been longer.
The event was very fun, thank you very much. The MCs were funny.
I want to say a huge thank-you for organizing such an awesome party. The bingo sheet idea was genius. It made it very easy for strangers to become friends quickly. I made a bunch of new friends here. I just came to Japan this year, and I learned a ton and had such fun at the event. Chatting with people from all over the world was super cool and really expanded my social circle. I cannot wait for the next event. I have started following TISA's official Instagram account. I thoroughly enjoyed the event and, most importantly, the pizza served was very oishii.
The party was nicely organized, and I was able to interact with many people naturally, which made it very enjoyable. The bingo game provided a variety of subjects, which enabled conversations with people from different countries. It was a great opportunity for global exchange. I recommend it to all Japanese students who are looking for opportunities to communicate in English.
The party was so much fun. The flow was smooth, and it was easy to mingle and meet new people naturally. The bingo game was awesome — the prompts were diverse, so I got to chat with different people from all over the world. It was such a cool, chill way to experience different cultures. I would totally recommend it to international students, but also any Japanese students looking to practice their English in a relaxed setting. Events like this are the best for bringing people together globally while having fun!
Comments from the Event team (volunteers and TISA council)
I am happy to see that we received very positive remarks and good feedback from the participants. I enjoyed the process of preparation, from planning to rehearsals and conducting the event. I feel a sense of accomplishment seeing this amazing party.
The event went smoothly and was successful, despite some little unexpected things on the day. The event team was responsible and dedicated, and managed to handle everything on the spot, which was fantastic. I am glad to learn from and be inspired by this group of brilliant people.
Working with this incredible team and meeting amazing new people at every event makes me so proud. Seeing everyone grow into experienced, responsible pros is inspiring.
Comments from TISA Welcome Party chief executives
Mikael Wijaya
3rd year, Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
Once again, the TISA Welcome Party was an outstanding success. I am very proud of what the TISA Council has once again achieved, from preparing and organizing the event to the follow-up. As the president of TISA and one of the main coordinators, I am grateful for the support we received from the Institute. They provided the funds for the food and drinks, some of the equipment, helped us book the venue, and President Masu and President Ido took time out of their busy schedules to attend. Also, I am grateful to be surrounded by so many creative, diligent, passionate people within the TISA Council, the volunteer team, and the Tokyo Tech community in general. It was a great pleasure to work with them throughout to make this party another great success.
