Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

1. Current staff talk about the appeal of volunteering at Waseda

Kouhai Navi Student Staff: Toshiharu Kuragane ,2nd year, School of Law
Student Advisors for Waseda Culture: Risa Masamoto ,3rd year, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Study Abroad Student Advisers: Nozomi Yonehara , 4th year, School of International Liberal Studies
Japanese language teaching volunteer: Rei Kaburagi, 2nd year, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

There are many benefits to participating in on-campus activities! Feel free to participate in them in your free time.

-First of all, please tell us about the volunteer activities on campus that you are involved in.

Kuragane: As the name suggests, Kouhai Navi is a volunteer group that works for juniors, with about 50 members. We not only help relieve the anxiety of new students before and after their enrollment, but also support students aiming to enter Waseda University, considering them future "kouhais." For example, at open campuses and the Waseda Festival, we provide individual consultations about entrance exams and display materials that help students imagine what university life will be like, such as class content and timetables.

Kuragane explaining the activities of Kouhai Navi to new students at the "Career Start Guidance" (April 2025), which introduces Waseda's extracurricular activities.

Masamoto: I am a member of a group of 30 Student Advisors for Waseda Culture, and we promote Waseda culture from a student perspective. It may sound serious, but we don't just think of Waseda culture as related to art and history, like museums on campus, but also things that are familiar to Waseda students, like student club activities and Wasemeshi (meals available on campus around the surrounding area). We plan and manage two main events every year: Museum Week in May and Culture and Arts Week in October.

Yonehara: The Study Abroad Student Advisers  are a volunteer group affiliated with theCenter for International Education. We are made up of students who have participated in the Center for International Education 's mid- to long-term study abroad programs (one semester or more), and currently have 33 members. We use the knowledge and experience we gained from studying abroad to plan and hold events such as consultation sessions for Waseda students who are interested in studying abroad.

Kaburagi: As a Japanese language teaching volunteer, I participate in Japanese language classes for international students and support their Japanese language learning. Specifically, I check the Japanese sentences written by the international students to make sure there are no grammatical errors, and practice conversation in Japanese with the international students. There are currently about 170 student staff members.

A scene from a Japanese language class. Using a computer tool, students check to see if the intonation is correct. Kaburagi is on the right.

-How did you find out about on-campus volunteering, and why did you decide to participate?

Kuragane: Right after I enrolled, I was at a loss as to what to do first, and then I found out that Kouhai Navi was holding a course registration consultation session, so I used it. After that, I wanted to share my experience with high school students and new students, so I immediately applied to be a staff member.

Student Advisor for Waseda Culture Masamoto

Masamoto: For me, it all started with Waseda Mail. In the email looking for volunteers, it said, "If you like Waseda, please apply!" and I thought this was perfect for me!

Kaburagi: I also learned about the Japanese language teaching volunteers through Waseda Mail. I decided to participate because I wanted to have interactions with international students and I was interested in how the Japanese language that we use so naturally is taught to international students.

Yonehara: I studied abroad in the US from August of my second year to May of my third year, but before that I was looked after by a study abroad adviser. I learned about preparing for my studies and life there from seniors who had studied in the same area and at the same university. After returning to Japan, I had so much fun studying abroad that I wanted many Waseda students to know about its appeal, so I joined the study abroad advisory team.

--Are there any special techniques you use to balance your work with your studies?

Kaburagi: Japanese language teaching volunteers can apply for the time slots they can work during first. In my case, for example, I only have three classes on Thursdays this semester, so I use two periods for my work. By the way, I also participate in Kouhai Navi, which is the fifth period on Thursdays. It's easy to balance it with your studies.

Kuragane: Yes, it is possible to work on multiple projects at the same time. KouhaiNavi has many projects, and you can adjust your commitment to each one yourself. Meetings are not compulsory because some people have classes, or the campus is far away.

Student study abroad adviser, Yonehara

Yonehara: It's the same for student study abroad advisers. Except for regular meetings, we recruit members for each project, so you can decide how much you want to commit depending on your situation.

Masamoto: The cultural promotion student advisors also meet only once a month, and the rest of the time they split into groups. For example, there is a group that thinks up quizzes, a group that thinks up merchandise, and so on. Apart from meetings, we can work in their free time, so I think it's a volunteer job that can make effective use of our spare time.

Invaluable experiences gained through volunteering: From the "receiving" role to the "providing" role

--Please tell us about an event that made a lasting impression on you during your activities.

Yonehara: This was a presentaion at the "Spring Study Abroad Fair" held in April 2025, where we planned a panel discussion by people who had studied abroad, targeted at students who were interested in studying abroad. Most of the members were busy with job hunting and research, so I was a little worried about whether we could get their cooperation, but we were able to see it through and felt a sense of accomplishment. In the visitor survey, we received comments such as "It made me want to study abroad" and "It relieved my worries," and I was happy to see that our activities were useful.

Yonehara served as the MC for the first day of the "Spring Study Abroad Fair." Approximately 160 students attended the two-day event.

Kuragane: I was also happy and felt rewarded to be able to help students aiming to get into Waseda University at the 2024 Open Campus. I think it was great that Waseda students who had actually passed the entrance exams were able to answer specific questions such as "When did you start practicing the past entrance examination questions?"

Masamoto: When I saw that not only Waseda students, but also local people were carrying the tote bags we made for Museum Week, I felt that we had planned goods that would please many people. Also, when we implemented a project where students could take commemorative photos with Waseda Bear on the day of the graduation ceremony, I felt very happy to see the smiles of so many graduates.

Left: Original tote bag and Waseda Bear clip produced for Museum Week in May 2025
Photo on the right: The Waseda Bear Project is a service that will be implemented from the 2024 Graduation Ceremony, allowing graduates to take photos with Waseda Bear. Masamoto is on the far left.

Kaburagi: I sometimes feel that interacting with international students is also connected to my own learning. When you think of volunteering as a Japanese language teacher, you might think of it as being on the "teaching" side, but for example, when international students convey the appeal of their home countries in Japanese, I can "learn" about the cultures of many countries.

--What exactly are the benefits of participating in on-campus volunteer work?

Volunteer student staff member for Japanese language classes, Kaburagi

Kaburagi: I think the biggest benefit is that you can do volunteer work on campus. Volunteering can be a big challenge if you go to a lot of different places. But volunteering on campus can be a part of student life, so I highly recommend it.

Yonehara: That's right. Because it's on campus, you can take advantage of the experience and knowledge that only Waseda students have, and you can feel secure knowing that both your fellow volunteers and the people you are targeting belong to a close community.

Kouhai Navi student staff member, Kuragane

Kuragane: I think that students are in a position to "receive" things while learning various things, including education, but I think that by participating in volunteer work on campus, they can also be in a position to "provide". I also feel that by telling my juniors about Waseda University, a new perspective is born within me.

Masamoto: In that sense, I feel that by participating in volunteer work I am gaining experiences that you can't buy.

--Finally, please give a message to students who are interested in volunteering on campus.

Yonehara: I would like to convey that the experience of participating in volunteer work is itself an asset.

Kaburagi: I recommend it because it's easy to balance with your studies, part-time work, and personal life, and you can participate casually.

Masamoto: As a student cultural advisor, you can make goods featuring Waseda Bear, the university's official mascot, so I think it will be a really valuable experience!

Kuragane: Kouhai Navi is a volunteer organization that represents Waseda University and interacts with prospective students and new students, so you may feel pressure during preparations and on the day of the event. However, I think the experience of turning that pressure into motivation will be useful in the future.

A commemorative photo with the goods made by the Student Advisors for Waseda Culture

Interview and text: Kei Yoshida
Photography: Seiji Ishigaki

We will introduce the details of the on-campus volunteer recruitment that the students who participated in this roundtable discussion are working on. Applications for all volunteer positions can be made through the form on MyWaseda.

Kouhai Navi

Recruitment period: Applications are accepted at the start of each semester. Applications for the fall semester of 2025 are scheduled to begin around mid-September.
For details, Kouhai Navi Website (Navilog) Please check.
X: @WU_kouhainavi
Instagram: @wu_kouhainavi

Student Advisors for Waseda Culture

Recruitment period: Applications are accepted from late November to early December each year.
For details, Student Advisors for Waseda Culture Website Please check.
X: @waseda_bunka
Instagram: @waseda.culture.student

Study Abroad Student Advisers

Application period: All year round (for students participating in mid- to long-term study abroad programs offered by the Center for International Education)
*For further details, please check theCenter for International Education website.
Instagram: @ryugakuadviserw
YouTube: @ryugakuadviserw

Japanese language teaching volunteer

Recruitment period: Applications are accepted at the start of each semester. Applications for the fall semester of 2025 are scheduled to begin around mid-September.
For details,  Please check the Center for Japanese Language website .
Instagram: @waseda_univ_cjl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjl.waseda/

In addition to the ones introduced this time, there are other volunteer opportunities and student jobs available on campus. Please check them out here.

[Next Special Issue Preview] Released on Monday, June 30th "Why does 'fear' attract us?"