Bringing the Waseda Festival back to campus!
*This article was published before Waseda Festival was held.
Students are busily making preparations for the first predominantly in-person Waseda Festival (Wasedasai) in three years. Waseda Festival 2022, to be held November 5-6, features both a catch phrase and logo concept that focus on the Japanese word 想い (omoi), which can mean one’s thoughts, feelings, or wishes. After Covid-19 limiting the festival to being offered primarily online during the last few years, students are bringing their passion and determination to make a “new start” with this year’s festivities.
One of the must-see events this year will be the return of the Waseda Parade, where various student circles march from Waseda’s Toyama Campus to its Waseda Campus. Stage performances and food stands will make their full return, and around 280 classroom exhibits have been planned for festival-goers. Approximately 600 student staff are taking the utmost Covid-19 precautions in all aspects of festival planning and execution, working hard to create an event that can be safely enjoyed by all.
Japanese article:
https://www.waseda.jp/inst/weekly/feature/2022/10/31/101512/
Apps featuring gamified virtual campus and VTuber mascot prepared for the 69th Waseda Science and Engineering School Festival
*This article was published before Waseda Science and Engineering School Festival was held.
Nishiwaseda Campus will hold its 69th annual Waseda Science and Engineering School Festival (Rikoten) on November 5-6. The annual event is planned and run by students of the three undergraduate engineering schools at Waseda University: School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, School of Creative Science and Engineering, and School of Advanced Science and Engineering. This year’s theme is BLOOM, representing the blossoming skills and talents of these extraordinarily bright students.
The exhibition will be held in person and online this year. The in-person portion features experiment and robotics showcases as well as school festival classics like music and dance performances, riddle trivia games, haunted houses, and refreshment booths, etc. The online portion includes apps that use a virtual campus where one can collect coins for avatar upgrade features, and a new VTuber and exhibition mascot, Yaguchi-chan. The student’s aim for this year’s festivities? “A place that can be enjoyed by all, even ourselves!”
Japanese article:
https://www.waseda.jp/inst/weekly/feature/2022/10/31/101573/
Waseda’s Monster Alliance circle to perform at Waseda Festival 2022
*This article was published before Waseda Festival was held.
Monster Alliance is an official student circle at Waseda University that embodies the spirit of the Japanese superhero TV franchise Kamen Rider. Started in 1983, the circle performs and films “superhero action performances,” creating both original characters and outfits for the performances. This year, the circle has created four new characters and four films that introduce their stories (see Japanese article below for video link).
Monster Alliance is currently preparing for their hero show at this year’s Waseda Festival 2022. The show will feature action packed choreography, voice acting, and hand-made dazzling outfits, all skills that student members practice when they join the circle. This year’s performance might even see an appearance of a ferocious monster?!
Japanese article:
https://www.waseda.jp/inst/weekly/news/2022/11/02/101399/
A 2nd year’s journey from beginner to world class competitor in the Japanese instrument Tsugaru-shamisen
Hayato Endo, a 2nd year Humanities and Social Sciences undergraduate student, joined Waseda’s official Tsugaru-shamisen circle as a beginner, wanting to challenge himself with a musical activity that was more uncommon. When asked to describe the traditional Japanese instrument, Hayato mentions the instrument has a sound that “packs a powerful punch” and can convey many types of musical expressions.
Hayato has competed at various Tsugaru-shamisen competitions, and placed 8th in his bracket at this year’s Tsugaru Shamisen World Cup, which was held in Aomori Prefecture. He looks back at his time as a first year who was “so nervous he couldn’t move his fingers well” but was so deeply moved by the performances of others that he kept at it. Now, looking forward, Hayato hopes to convey the instruments “old-school coolness” through his performances, and get more people interested in the traditional instrument.
Japanese article:
https://www.waseda.jp/inst/weekly/news/2022/11/01/101492/
