Hanoi Tomonkai

About the Hanoi Tomonkai

The Hanoi Tomonkai was established in 2002, and has 140 members as of March, 2020. The members come from all age groups and various industries. The main activities include regular social gatherings (held four times a year), reading sessions held by Professor Emeritus Yoshiharu Tsuboi (held six times a year), golf practice sessions (held at irregular intervals), Waseda-Keio golf competitions (held once a year), Sanae-Kai (held at irregular intervals for younger members of the Hanoi Tomonkai), and gatherings held for members who share the same hobbies. When we get together, we naturally talk about Waseda, and at the end, we sing together the alma mater. The members enjoy participating in our events saying, “The events at the Hanoi Tomonkai remind me of my younger days, which I had totally forgotten,” “Our events make us remember how we enjoyed ourselves as students, and we can enjoy good drinks,” “We can meet people whom we cannot usually see, as they are from fields other than mine.”

Please let us know if you ever plan to come to Hanoi.
Hiroki Kawano (Graduated in 2006, School of Commerce)

The attractive points of Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam with more than a thousand years of history. It is an attractive city with many lakes and parks where people can relax. In the early morning, we can see people enjoying aerobics and social dancing. In May, red and purple flowers on roadside trees start to bloom, and in June and July, lotus flowers fill the city. There are small tea rooms on the streets, and people are having a good time chit-chatting even on weekdays. Many tourists wonder when Vietnamese people work.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the government swiftly exercised leadership and people promptly followed the government’s policies. Through the way the Vietnamese government and its people fought together against the pandemic, people inside and outside Vietnam have come to learn that Vietnam can be very flexible and highly resistant in a difficult situation. The people are energetic, and they cherish the ties with their families and friends. It is true that the more you become good friends, the more they tend to meddle in your business. However, Hanoi is a city which always reminds me of what “happiness” truly is.
Megumi Katsu (Graduated in 1999, School of Social Sciences)

Message from the Chairperson

During the recent decade, more than 80 people registered with the Hanoi Tomonkai as new members, which reflects the remarkable advance into the Vietnam market by Japanese companies and the expansion of their scale of operation in recent years.

At present, the activities of the Hanoi Tomonkai are halted due to the outbreak of COVID-19. However, last year we held four regular social gatherings, and six reading sessions hosted by Professor Emeritus Yoshiharu Tsuboi, and this January, we held a Waseda-Keio golf competition. The regular social gatherings have about 30 participants each time and have become a precious place for exchanging information among members. One of the noteworthy activities is the reading sessions, where we pick up works of authors from a wide range of fields including Shusaku Endo, Hirofumi Uzawa, and Sayaka Murata. Non-members of the Tomonkai also participate, and we enjoy being instructed by the Professor who comes from Japan each time. We also won the Waseda-Keio golf competition after a close battle, and we ended up winning three times in a row. In the future, we are planning to hold golf competitions with the alumni associations of the University of Tokyo and Rikkyo University, in addition to Keio University.

The number of members is increasing every year, and the Hanoi Tomonkai is becoming a very active group. We are seeking to hold events that will further promote exchanges among the members, and we hope to make the Tomonkai even more active by planning not only meaningful social gatherings but also exchanges with outside groups and organizations.
Tadahiro Kinoshita(Graduated in 1986, School of Science and Engineering)

Messages from the Members

I’ve taken on overseas assignments seven times in six countries in total during about 36 years since graduating in 1982. The assignment in Hanoi this time is the second one since I was assigned here for the first time in 1998. This time, I have been stationed here since 2008. At the overseas locations I was assigned to in the past, I became a member of the local Tomonkai, and I’ve managed to survive until now, having the seniors from Waseda take care of me around the world. Many people ask me which location was the best, and I always answer immediately that Hanoi was the best.

I mainly participate in golf events among the activities of the Hanoi Tomonkai. The government fought against COVID-19 by making decisions and implementing stringent countermeasures quickly, successfully controlling the number of people infected. There are more than ten golf courses around Hanoi, and in May, such golf courses finally reopened. I am hoping that during the remaining year, I will be able to play golf more than I used to.
Yasutaka Honda (Graduated in 1982, School of Social Sciences)

I have lived in Vietnam for 18 years. At present, I am involved in an activity called “Hirogare, Nihon no ehon!” (Japanese picture books for everyone) to spread picture books to the children in Vietnam by translating Japanese picture books into Vietnamese. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were engaged in a project to give picture books to children whose parents are having a difficult time, such as medical workers or those who are in quarantine at certain facilities. Many members of the Hanoi Tomonkai were supportive to our idea, and provided us with financial help. This was when I felt very proud to be a Waseda alumna.
Megumi Katsu(Graduated in 1999, School of Social Sciences)

Two and a half years have passed since I came to Hanoi. I had never even visited Vietnam until then, but as the food is good and people are kind, I am leading a very fulfilling life both officially and privately here in Vietnam. When you are working overseas, there are many opportunities for you to talk with people who are rather difficult to meet in Japan, including those of various industries or positions. The Hanoi Tomonkai obviously provides such opportunities. Every time I listen to the informative talks of my seniors who are mentors of life, I feel fortunate to be a Waseda alumna.
Riria Higashi(Graduated in 2014, School of Culture, Media and Society)

I became a member of the Hanoi Tomonkai in 2016 when I was assigned to a post in Hanoi, and I have been Chief Secretary since 2018. I truly feel since I became Chief Secretary that the members come from a variety of ages and industries, and that there are many occasions in which I am helped by them both officially and privately. If you are ever in Hanoi on business trips or private trips, please feel free to let us know.
Hiroki Kawano (Graduated in 2006, School of Commerce)

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, October 2020 Issue

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