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On Sunday, September 24th, WASEDA USA hosted the “Waseda Friends & Alumni Reception 2023,” the first official Friends event held on the west coast. The venue for the reception was the beautiful Takara Sake USA tasting room and sake museum in Berkeley.

Waseda Friends (former exchange students from the US who studied at Waseda) and Waseda alumni from the San Francisco Tomonkai (Waseda University alumni association – SF chapter) gathered at the tasting room with their invited guests where they were greeted by the Waseda USA staff.

Afterwards, San Francisco Tomonkai chairperson, Haruko DeArth, gave a welcoming talk that touched on the personal and professional challenges and triumphs she has experienced as well as Waseda’s impact on her life. She also spoke on the value of cross-cultural exchange and study abroad and the importance of the extended Waseda community.

Following the opening greetings, “Waseda Then and Now,” a slideshow and video presentation, was broadcasted on the tasting room’s presentation screen, followed by a slideshow entitled “Waseda Friends at a Glimpse”.

Waseda Then and Now showcased images from the university’s archives depicting some of its earliest images, including footage of rice paddies in the surrounding land and construction of the university’s first buildings. That portion of the slide show represented “Then.” Next, a video that was shot with the aid of a drone gave attendees, some of whom had not seen the campus for decades, aerial and closeup views of the campus as it appears “Now.” ”Waseda Friends at a Glance” slide show featured images, contributed by Friends and Tomon, that took everyone on a nostalgic trip back to the days of their Waseda experience. Some showed friends with host family members, classmates and friends, while others captured scenes from trips to various places in Japan, graduation ceremonies and familiar spots on campus.

Then it was time for food and drinks! Brief self-introductions were followed by sake tasting and a light meal.

Takara Sake USA is the US branch of Takara Shuzo Company, based in Kyoto, Japan. They brew the award-winning Sho Chiku Bai Sake, one of the top-selling sake brands in the world. Waseda Friends and alumni could taste a variety of sake types, served by the tasting room sommelier and staff, and enjoy savory Asian fusion dishes and desserts, which Waseda USA had catered for the event. It was a perfect setting for mingling and checking out the winery’s sake museum, a one-of-a-kind museum showcasing sake-making artifacts shipped in from Japan.

Friends in attendance represented years at Waseda from as early as 1976 on up to 2016, while the several Waseda alumni included graduates from the class of 1973 up to the class of 2015. In total, there were approximately 23 people in attendance, a moderate and suitable number for the venue, and the program, which lasted a fleeting two hours!