LE Vi Trang
School of Political Science and Economics
As students returned from winter break, their laughter and chatter brought life back onto Waseda Campus and intertwined with the soaring melody of the Waseda Alma Mater echoing from the Intercultural Communication Center (ICC).
In 2024, Waseda University welcomed thousands of international students, representing about 113 countries. With such a diverse student body, Waseda University has become one of the most international universities in Japan. This status is solidified as the number of international students continues to grow. As a student staff member at the Intercultural Communication Center (ICC), I realized that more than most, I have the ability to showcase the Waseda spirit and bring this internationalism to light. The best way to actualize this that sprang to my mind was to incorporate an element of diversity into the Alma Mater “Miyako no Seihoku” (Northwest of the Capital) by inviting international students to translate parts of it into their native language and sing it together.
Music is a universal language, a lingua franca that transcends borders and connects people regardless of their background. My motivation to organise an event that is based on the idea of using the school song was strengthened after talking to my friends in the exchange student program, many of whom only stayed in Waseda for a short period. As a tradition of Waseda University, during the entrance ceremony, new students are invited to sing the school song together under the guidance of the cheerleading club to strengthen the sense of unity and to honour the history of the school. However, it is more difficult to arrange an entrance ceremony for exchange students to experience singing the song with other peers since their enrollment period differs from that of regular students. As a result, many international students leave Japan without ever learning or singing the anthem, missing out on an important cultural and unifying experience at Waseda University.
To create a chance to promote the school song to international students, I started drafting an event proposal at the ICC. And so, my first event at the ICC was greenlit to take place in January 2025 under the title “Waseda Anthem: Harmony Across Borders”. The event aimed to attract students from diverse backgrounds who wished to represent their home country and connect to people of the same nationality across campus. Students speaking the same language incorporated their native tongue by working together to translate parts of the song lyrics, ultimately creating a multilingual version of the Waseda anthem.
By doing so, I aspired to highlight the richness of Waseda University’s cultural diversity, reinforcing the idea that this is a place where global perspectives are not only welcomed but celebrated. From this, I hoped to encourage more international students to come to Waseda University and engage with its cultures and traditions in a way that felt personal and meaningful. Moreover, there was a sense of connection when students who chose to study abroad in Japan get to know others who also share a similar background and ethnicity, and just imagining the joy and surprise people have when hearing their mother tongue in the Waseda school song brings a smile to my face.
On the 10th of January, the event took place at the ICC lounge with the participation of representatives from over 10 countries. By the end of the session, the Waseda anthem had been translated and sung in 8 languages, including Japanese, English, French, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and Armenian. Each language was assigned a few lines taken from the three verses of the song, and the group came together to sing the chorus with the name “Waseda” repeated in unison by all participants.
As the final note of the school song faded, the ICC lounge buzzed with excitement and pride. What had started as a simple idea had blossomed into a shared experience that transcended language and nationality. Students from different backgrounds and nationalities were smiling, exchanging stories, and deepening their connection to Waseda University’s long-standing traditions. I hope that the multilingual version of the Waseda school song resonated not only in the hearts of the participants but also will resonate with those who listen to this version of the song.
More than a simple music event, “Waseda Anthem: Harmony Across Borders” was about shaping a moment of unity, where each participant could find a piece of home in Waseda University’s legacy no matter where they came from. And as the event came to an end, I couldn’t help but hope that the Waseda anthem would continue to reach more people, growing stronger with each new voice and language that makes the melody a newer, more diverse version.
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To watch video of the event, visit the University’s official YouTube channel.
This article was written for the Waseda University PR Office and published Feb 26, 2025. See the original article here.
