Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

When you get off the school bus, what catches your eye is a bronze statue near the main gate. This is a work by Swedish sculptor Karl Milles (1875-1955). This statue, which depicts a young person and pegasus flying around in search of something, was born from the idea of "giving life force to young students.''

As you walk with the "Person and Pegasus Statue"  behind you, you will see the Oda Mikio Memorial Track and Field Arena on your left. This is the home ground of the Athletic Club, which was named in 2005 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mikio Oda, Waseda University's first recipient of Sports Merit. It is a place officially recognized by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, and if you achieve a result here, it will be recognized as an official record.

Meanwhile, the baseball field can be seen on the right. This is a full-fledged baseball stadium that is approximately the same size as Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium. In addition to being used by the SoftBall Club for practice, the field is also a multipurpose field where practical subjects such as soccer are held on the lawn.

Building No. 100, the main school building, was actually created with a maze motif. The school's design does not go against the slope of the hill, and access to the ground level is possible from the first to fourth floors, and the classroom locations are marked in zones A to G, which are the vertical divisions of the school building. As a result, it was a little difficult to know where I was, and I often got lost when I first enrolled.

A unique classroom is Classroom A212. It is usually open to students who take online classes. You can sit in a comfortable chair and enjoy the class calmly.

In addition to books related to general education, we have a large collection of books related to human science and sports science. Therefore, many Toko-cam students use it for their reports and Bachelor's Thesis. Of course, if you use the book collection search system "WINE'', you can also order books from other campuses and other universities.

The library also has a "presentation area'' where large groups can meet, and a "Group Study Rooms'' which are often used for seminars, group studies, and Bachelor's Thesis guidance.

There are two cafeterias in Toko-cam. Tokorozawa Cafeteria has ample seating and is always crowded with students. The menu is voluminous, and discounts are sometimes offered around 2 p.m. They support Toko-cam work hard at studying and playing sports.

On the other hand, the wooden cafeteria is a free space where you can eat and drink, and you can bring in take-out items. It is also open for online classes, and some students even take online classes against a brick-like background.

In addition to regular first aid, we also accept sports injury consultations, psychosomatic medical treatment, and nutrition consultations (online only). It is unique to Toko-cam where many athletes enroll, that you can receive examinations, consultations, and treatment from top doctors in the industry that you would not normally have the opportunity to see.

Building No. 101 is located beyond the arch-shaped bridge with the motif of "a single leaf." There are many psychology and welfare research laboratories in Faculty of Human Sciences. The Clinic of Sports Medicine and Science (*1) office on the 1st floor provides reconditioning consultations and other services for athletes who are injured and are able to return to competition.

This sports facility boasts an area of 5,400 square meters and is used for various sports and conditioning. In addition to the "First Training Room'' used for ball games and martial arts, there is also a "Second Training Room'' for mat and machine exercises, which is also used for gymnastics classes.

A wide variety of authentic training machines are installed. In addition to classes and club activities, there are also times when it is open for general student training, so I use it about two days a week to refresh myself.

It is mainly used for "orthopedic consultation" at The Clinic of Sports Medicine and Science. Even among Toko-cam students, there may be people who don't know about the existence of this place. There are MRI machines that can provide images with higher diagnostic ability in a shorter time than regular machines, and are sometimes used for cutting-edge sports science research.

Next to the MRI room is a bone density measurement room used by orthopedic surgeons, who can diagnose whether an athlete's training amount and diet are appropriate. Players from local business teams sometimes come for medical checks.

This is the first university facility officially recognized by the Japan Swimming Federation. In addition to being used for swimming club practices and swimming lessons, it was also used as a pre-training location for the Italian national team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and this year's World Aquatics.

The last thing I would like to introduce is the bust of Shigenobu Okuma, the founder of Waseda University, located almost in the center of the campus. During the graduation and entrance seasons, you can often see students taking commemorative photos. The big difference from Waseda Campus is that it's within easy reach. When you come to Tokorozawa Campus, be sure to take a photo right next to the bust!