Tina and Yiyao
ICC Student Staff Leaders
¡Hola! ICC recently held an event about Mexican Culture. With the cooperation of the Embassy of México in Japan, the Mexican dance group México en la Piel, as well as our Mexican students on campus, we were able to provide a variety of programs to all participants to experience Mexican culture in a deeper way than usual. We were so happy to see the comments saying that participants had lots of fun and they learned more about Mexico through the event.

Photo by ICC
Why Mexico Culture Night?
Yiyao What comes to mind when you think about Mexico? I thought about delicious tacos, long-living cactus, passionate dance, music, and so on. But those were the only things I knew before I was invited by Tina to organize this event. My understanding and knowledge of Mexican culture was very much limited at that time. Mexico is so far from here, by physical distance or culture, and I guess one of the only things you can easily experience here in Japan is tacos. What a shame!
Maybe you have watched a movie called Remember Me and got to know a little bit more about Mexican music, cities or culture such as The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos), which are all very attractive. That movie was the main entrance point for me to learn about and want to experience Mexico.
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Tina For me, the experience of serving a Latin American country during the Tokyo Olympic Games as a volunteer was the key factor that motivated me to deliver the passion and charms of that amazing region to my fellow students. At that time, I witnessed the strong connection that Latin American athletes, coaches and staff had between each other, regardless of the country they were representing. This connection, bonded by shared language, culture and historical background raised my interest in Latin America. Among all Latin American countries, Mexico is the one I am most familiar with, and it has so many distinguishing elements, including its history, nature, culture and people. Lots of people in Japan have some idea about Mexico but are not so familiar with it. That’s why I thought it would be meaningful to provide an opportunity for anyone who is interested in the country to gain further understanding.
A tour of this event
During the event, we provided a variety of programs to the participants so that they could know Mexico from tasting, listening, watching and even by moving their body!
At the beginning, Mrs. Solis from the Embassy of México in Japan gave a presentation about Mexico, including the places to travel, the history and so on. There was some surprising information: Did you know that in Mexico 52% of the population is under 30 years old? It is the complete opposite of Japan! Just like that, we were able to have a clearer picture of Mexico as a whole.
After that, our student supporters from Mexico had a contest among their hometowns, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Mérida. They gave presentations and participants were asked to vote for the city they want to visit the most. It must have been hard for everyone to decide, but this part gave us an idea about the diversity inside Mexico among different regions.
How can we not enjoy the Mexican dance! The dance group México en la Piel brought us a very impressive performance. Look at the gorgeous costumes and makeup they wore. Participants were able to learn the traditional dance steps during the free time as well.
- Photos by ICC
During the free time, we prepared booths to exhibit traditional Mexican masks, piñatas, clothes, and art & crafts. Our Mexican students were also very happy to tell stories about Mexico to the participants face to face. For most of the participants this was probably the first time they were so close to Mexican culture.
We also provided the taste of Mexico, Ponche. It is a hot drink that is a staple of the Mexican Christmas season with various Mexican spices and fruits such as tamarind, guava, tejocote, apples, etc. It is warm, sweet and sour and was perfect for a cold December night.
- Photos by ICC
Voices from Mexican Student Supporters
Waseda’s first Posada
by Majo
I am a MEXT scholarship research student at Waseda and will begin the MA program in GSICCS in April. I’ve always enjoyed cultural events and, while I believe the Mexican community in Japan is growing, there isn’t much information about Mexico. I was contacted by the embassy and I made a presentation with my teammates, Antonio and Monica. Together we talked about life in our three different regions of the country. I enjoyed the event a lot and I hope we were able to convey a bit of the everyday life of the country to the participants. It was also good for us since it helped us connect within the Mexican community in Waseda.
- Photos by Majo
I know the pandemic still imposes limitations, but I believe the social time with the ponche was quite good for all of us. I got to answer questions that helped me connect with the concerns of Japanese students, like travelling tips and work-balance experiences. I thank the ICC for making this event about our country and I hope this kind of activities get more support, since Waseda has a huge international community that nourishes our school and definitely makes it a one-of-a-kind school in Japan.
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A wonderful chance to share your culture in Japan!
by Jesús
I am from Mexico City, where I lived until 2018 when I moved to Japan to study for a master´s degree at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies. I am currently a student at Waseda’s Center for Japanese Language.
I participated in the ICC Mexico Night as a supporter during free time, and it was a very fun and fulfilling experience for me, as I enjoy having conversations with people from all around the world. I decided to join as a supporter because the events like the ones organized by ICC are a great opportunity to learn about the culture of Japan and other countries, and in the case of the event I took part in, to share my own culture, so I was very happy to hear that ICC was organizing an event about Mexico. Including different types of activities, like the dance performance and the presentations by the Embassy and international students, this kind of event is a dynamic and fun way to introduce the participants to different aspects of a particular culture and helps to create a relaxed and lively atmosphere.
I think we all had a nice evening learning about Mexico’s culture, daily life and diversity, and we could even try a traditional Christmas drink which reminded me of home. Also, having some time for free talk between supporters and participants makes the events more interactive. I was very happy that I could meet new people during this event and had a very fun time talking with everyone, not only about Mexico but other countries as well. Finally, I would like to thank everyone at Waseda ICC for organizing the Mexico Night and for the opportunity to be a supporter.
- Photos by Jesus
Last but not least
The organizers would like to thank everyone who generously gave their help to this event. We could not make such an exciting event without your support! We will be grateful if you are more willing to visit or know more about this land surrounded by the sun and diverse cultures by participating in our event or reading this report. There are lots of nice restaurants in Tokyo where you can try delicious Mexican cuisine. Also, there are lots of events and exhibition for you to further experience Mexican culture in Japan. Don’t hesitate to explore more about this amazing country!

Photo by ICC