Los Angeles Tomonkai

About the Los Angeles Tomonkai

The Los Angeles Tomonkai celebrates its 65th anniversary this year, proud of its position among one of the world’s oldest Tomonkai Associations. Our 130 members are engaged in a wide range of activities. We are particularly active in various sports such as tennis, softball, golf, and table tennis. We enjoy competitive games with Keio University and also hold exchange matches with four universities in Japan and Korea. The golf club participates in a tournament with 22 other university alumni teams. In addition to sports, we also emphasize joint volunteer activities such as tree planting ceremonies with Yale University. We value ties with other schools.

Subjects at monthly board meeting held on the third Thursdays are versatile from the activities to the management of LA Tomonkai. Attended by not only board members but also the newer members, we try to make Tomonkai that is enjoyable for everyone. In the fall, we will host a welcome party for newcomers, and we will focus our efforts on mutual networking by inviting Japanese exchange students from Waseda to U.S. colleges. Under Chairperson Tomonaga, we intend to continue to energize our activities toward our big goal of 70th anniversary of LA Tomonkai.
Mitsuko Osuga (Graduated 1976, School of Education)

The attractive points of Los Angeles

Greater Los Angeles area has a population of approximately 19 million people. Unlike one of the largest cities in the United States, it has beaches where people can enjoy surfing and beach volleyball, and it is said to have 329 sunny days per year on average, and has a laid-back West Coast-style atmosphere.

Due to its close proximity to Japan across the Pacific Ocean, it has a strong relationship with Japan. Approximately 70,000 Japanese residents and over 2,000 Japanese companies are based in the region. The first Japanese immigrants arrived more than 130 years ago and currently over 180,000 people of Japanese descent live here. It is also the home of diverse ethnic groups, such as Asians, Hispanics, and Africans.

Los Angeles embodies “diversity,” the driving force behind America in many aspects, with its thriving industry in film, agriculture, tourism, IT, aerospace, and logistics.
Masako Miki (Graduated 2004, School of Humanities and Social Sciences)

Message from the Chairperson

The Los Angeles Tomonkai was established in 1954 and has a 65 years of history. It has about 130 members, ranging from international students to a 90-year-old member. We interact with each other in a relaxed atmosphere that transcends generations and gender.

Furthermore, the West Coast is easy to access from Japan, and I am inspired by many political and business leaders visiting LA, including both former and current presidents of Waseda University. A welcome party was held on June 25th when Mr. Aiji Tanaka, who was assigned the 17th president of Waseda University last fall, visited here. In order to put his vision “A Waseda that shines on world stage” into practice, everyone at the LA Tomonkai contemplates how to contribute to the further development of our alma mater.

The LA Tomonkai will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2024. We are hoping to invite the cheering pep squad from Japan to celebrate the anniversary at the general assembly and sing our school song and supporters’ song, “Konpeki no sora (Deep Blue Sky)” under the blue sky of Los Angeles. At that time, we hope many of you can come to Los Angeles to join us singing together.
Junpei Tomonaga (Graduated 1990, School of Education)

Messages from the Members

No matter how many people have tried to convince you to get rid of their comfort zones, there are places where you just want to stay in. For me, that place is Tomonkai. It is because it’s not easy to live in a foreign country. It is undoubtedly fascinating to interact with people under different cultures, political situations and wisdom, because it stimulates your intellectual curiosity. It is, however, like continuously running at full speed. Sometimes you need to sit back and relax. The sentiment I have for the LA Tomonkai is perhaps quite similar to the one that business people in Tokyo have for Shimbashi district.
Yuki Kurosawa (Graduated 1994, School of Literature)

The Los Angeles Tomonkai is notable for its large number of permanent resident groups. Many of the members were once expats from Japanese organizations, or tourists to Los Angeles, fascinated by its openness, and chose to live here permanently, The LA Tomonkai is a comfortable group compose of optimistic and cheerful people. It gently embrace the members with the nostalgia of Japan, remind them of their pride for their alma mater, and take them through a time-warp to their younger days. Those are what I love with the LA Tomonkai. Regardless of the age, careers and paths, there exists ties and bonds that are built through common experiences, spending their younger days in the “Northwest of the Capital (Miyako no Seihoku).” Again, I am happy to be a graduate of Waseda University.
Yuji Hirose (Graduated 1997, School of Political Science and Economics)

I have been in business in Los Angeles for 30 years. The great thing about this multiethnic country is that it is free of constraints, making it relatively easy to enter the business market. On the other hand, there is fierce and intense competition in the business. Under such circumstances, the Los Angeles Tomonkai is a compassionate society where we have the same background, living in harmony as alumni, and have no seniority-based hierarchy. This is a wonderful association where members can enjoy and help each other. I’m glad I’ve joined the Los Angeles Tomonkai. I have met many good, older graduates, and I cannot begin to describe how much they have helped me.

Los Angeles is home to a variety of people of different ethnicities, and there is a diverse culture nearby. I am very interested in what has been cultivated over a long history in each country. I feel the wonders of Japan’s history, culture, and ethnicity anew while touching such a multiethnic culture with my skin. Furthermore, another attribute for a multiethnic country is that it is possible to enjoy the nearly authentic flavors of the cuisine of each country. The climate of Los Angeles is also an attraction.
Yoshinori Mizuno (Graduated 1967, School of Education)

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, December 2019 Issue

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