Field Report :
WIF: Festival Impressing World Audiences

Eiko Nakamura
Sophomore, School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University

Singing a Papuan lullaby with exchange students from Papua New Guinea

Members of Kokujijom dance team. Eiko is second from the left in the front row.

“This festival has international appeal!” we cried out loud as the multicultural celebration drew to an end.

The WIF (Waseda International Festival) took place on June 12 and 13. In the fair, the foreign students at Waseda introduced their respective cultures through songs and dance with the Japanese students. This festival was intended to create an opportunity for cooperative activity between the international and Japanese students at the university. It was around January when I heard of this event, just when I was looking for my purpose in determining my campus life at Waseda. Before studying abroad this summer, I wanted to spend the next six months in a rewarding way so that I could say with confidence, “I really want to come back to Waseda.”

This prompted me to hold a festival where the participants, including myself, could truly feel happy about studying in Japan or being at Waseda University. However, it was extremely difficult to plan and execute a festival from scratch. I was in charge of supervising the teams to perform in the festival, but not being very active by nature, I found it hard to point out the good and bad in their regular practice sessions and discussing with the team members how to improve their style.

I couldn't do anything by myself and often asked other members for help. I really wanted to run away from the anxiety and pressure. What made me carry out my mission was my love and trust for the members of WIF. Putting our strong will together, we generated big energy. Even when I ran into trouble, I could naturally smile and became positive when I met my fellow WIF members.

I couldn't hold back my tears as the festival ended. This was my first experience of a dream coming true by perseverance. Nationality didn't matter after all. The borders of language, values, and nations disappeared. I loved everyone connected to this event, and I thought my friends made through WIF were very important for me. The Waseda International Festival was a moment when all the participants united as one and there were no national borders among us.