Alumni, welcome back!

Alumni Reunite for the 58th Homecoming Day and Tomon festival

Waseda University held the 58th annual Homecoming Day, along with the Tomonsai, on October 22, 2023. It was a sunny autumn day, and many alumni along with their families gathered at the Waseda and Toyama Campuses. Around 5000 alumni from the classes of 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2008, and 2009 attended the festival.

The Homecoming Day Ceremony

The ceremony was led by the NHK broadcaster, Kozo Takase (Waseda alumna, School of Commerce, class of 1999), and was divided into 2 sessions, one that took place in the morning and one in the afternoon.

“Alumni, welcome back”

The ceremony started with Waseda University President Aiji Tanaka as the first presenter. President Tanaka, now in his second term, talked about the progress and initiatives that have taken place over the past five years. He then proceeded to explain the formulation of “Waseda Vision 150 and Beyond” and said that by 2040 in Japan and 2050 across Asia, Waseda University aims to be known for being the most beneficial university to attend.
President Tanaka then continued to express his gratitude to all of the alumni for the incredible support they provided the younger generation of Waseda students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and asked for their continued support to actualize the goal of creating a “Waseda that shines on the global stage.”

There were a few other alumni that also spoke at the event. These speakers included a novelist and professor in education from Tokyo Tech Institute for Liberal Arts, Kenichiro Isozaki, who gave the congratulatory address. Then the executive chairperson for the Waseda University Alumni Association (WUAA), Akira Mandai, who, with the Waseda Cheerleading Club, led the assembly in the school song. Lastly, Lee Hak Soo was presented with an honorary doctoral degree.

Waseda University Alumni Association’s “Tomonsai”

Hosted by the Waseda University Alumni Association, the “Tomonsai” was held on the same day, to which around 9,000 guests came to Waseda’s campus. Through the planning of many Tomonkai members and current students, many booths and food stalls were present at the event. There were even people who held a reunion in the Okuma Garden underneath a refreshing autumn sky.

On the day of the event, the Waseda University History Museum, Waseda Sports Museum, the Waseda International House of Literature (Haruki Murakami Library), and other museums were open to the public, and many visitors viewed the exhibits.
The prohibition on alcohol within the campus continued to be in effect for this year, and the event couldn’t be hosted without changes to rules and regulations due to COVID-19; however, the event was full of smiling parents and families that span over three generations, happy that the event took place again after a long hiatus.