Mexico Tomonkai

About the Mexico Tomonkai

The Mexico Tomonkai was born in 1975 under the leadership of Shigekazu Hosokawa (Graduated in 1952, School of Commerce) who was then CEO of NEC Mexico. The inauguration ceremony was held at Restaurant Suntory, and about 20 people participated.

When we started singing “Miyako no Seihoku”, a few other guests at the restaurant joined us saying they were also alumni of Waseda. Even some Mexicans started singing “Waseda, Waseda”, swinging their chopsticks, and the restaurant that night was dominated by the love for Waseda.

Many current and former Japanese residents in Mexico are Waseda alumni. Some were even ordering lecture transcripts from Waseda to study. An alumnus generated electricity for the first time in a rural area near the border with Guatemala a hundred years ago. During the Mexican Revolution in 1910, some army doctors are said to have claimed that they graduated from “the Medical School at Waseda”. Afterwards, there were some who contributed to the spread of abacuses and Buddhism.There are many Waseda alumni in Mexico. The current number of members is about 40.
Shozo Ogino (Graduated in 1970, School of Education)

Mexico Tomonkai Golf Team

We have restarted holding Waseda-Keio golfing tournaments two years ago, after a long interval. The Tomonkai won three times in a row. This seems to be unstoppable, and the Mitakai discouraged. We were extremely well prepared, as we prepared crimson uniforms, crimson-and-white caps, and official balls decorated with the school emblem, and we bought all of these directly from Waseda Co-op at the Waseda campus. We don’t feel we are going to lose easily. We won because of our mental preparedness, before our techniques become an issue.

We would sincerely like to say thank you to the former chief secretary Koyo Nakano (Graduated in 1991, School of Human Sciences) who carried everyone’s uniforms from Waseda to Mexico in order to support our victory. We are going to train ourselves, especially our techniques, so that we can extend this winning streak.
Minoru Tomita (Graduated in 1991, School of Commerce)

Message from the Chairperson

I came to the Mexico City to take up a new position for the second time in December, 2009. At that time, my only impression was that the air pollution, which used to be extremely severe, had significantly changed for the better. This country has a population of 120 million, has many World Heritage sites, and is the tenth largest oil producer in the world. It is a country rich in natural resources. It seems that all of these facts coincide with the high potential of the Mexico National Soccer Team.

However, recently, many car makers have come rushing into Mexico, and private companies have begun seeking opportunities for capital participation in the natural resources and energy fields as a result of the regulation reform. Consequently, we can now feel that Mexico is attracting more and more attention. I feel that “the sleeping lion is finally awake and standing up”. The soccer team survived through the qualifying games through a playoff, and it seems that we can expect them to do well in the World Cup in Brazil.

Economic growth attracts new people. Many young members joined the Mexico Tomonkai, and the Tomonkai is now back and alive again. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to former chairmen Kenji Tamura (Graduated in 1981, School of Commerce) and Tetsu Nagame (Graduated in 1991,School of Commerce) for their efforts in reviving the fundamentals of this Tomonkai.

In addition to regular gatherings held twice a year, we hold Waseda-Keio Golf Tournaments to defend each other’s prestige and dignity. Through these activities, we are strengthening the ties with the Mitakai, a great rival. I hope to do my best to provide a place for deepening the ties among the members and for meeting people that leads to self-improvement here in Mexico, a place which will be attracting more and more attention in the future.
Ryohei Ota (Graduated in 1999, School of Law)

Messages from the Members

I came to Mexico in December 2010 to take up a new position here. I was with my family when I took up overseas assignments in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Shanghai; but this time, I must stay here alone from the beginning to the end. I came here with a guitar which I started to learn by myself since when I was a junior high school student to avoid feeling lonely.

When I was invited to a party by a Japanese man living here for about 40 years, I had an opportunity to meet two people who had experience in seriously playing drums and the saxophone in big bands since when they were university students. Moreover, the wife of the Japanese man hosting the party played the keyboards. Later, we asked her to play with us in our band, and she willingly accepted our offer. Afterwards, we met those who are vocalists and those who play music instruments including bass guitars, keyboards, saxophones, trombones, and trumpets. In October 2012, we formed a new band “Don Tacos y Amigos”, which mainly consisted of middle-aged men. We held Christmas charity concertsorganized by the Japan-Mexico Association and played at New Year parties organized by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mexico. We enjoy various kinds of music ranging from Japanese enka to jazz as a part of promoting friendly relationships between Japan and Mexico.
Masayuki Nishikawa (Graduated in 1978, School of Political Science and Economics)

I have been living in Mexico City and have been working for an independent electric power company here since the autumn of 2012. As my boss at the company was the former Chairperson of the Mexico Tomonkai, I joined the Tomonkai immediately after I was transferred here. I was able to meet various alumni. There are many members at the Tomonkai who have experienced various situations including those who have lived in Mexico for a long time and are actively working and taking part in various activities, who are Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers from JICA, and overseas representatives of Japanese companies like myself. I always get stimulated by meeting such people at the events of the Tomonkai including general meetings and golfing tournaments. Through the Tomonkai, I hope to learn more about Mexico and, by doing so, love Mexico even more, and to make even more contributions to the Mexican society.
Yuki Maruyama (Graduated in 2007, School of Science and Engineering)

Shocking facts about Mexico

I would like to introduce to you the top-five facts about Mexico that are shocking to me, although I have lived in this country for more than 30 years. You will be able to realize what sort of a country Mexico is.

No. 1: I wonder why the richest man in the world is a Mexican although there are very many people in poverty.

No.2: Young people from impoverished rural areas jump on the roof of the cargo trains, arrive at the boarder without paying for the transportation, cross the desert area, and head for the U.S. However, many die along the way.

No.3: Are they cemeteries? Sometimes, large holes used to hide the dead bodies of the people who were killed in the conflicts between the mafias are found.

No. 4: The posts of public servants, office workers at public hospitals, Pemex, and national universities, and teachers at public elementary and junior high schools can be sold and bought. Furthermore, if a parent has such a post, it can be inherited, and the post and the salary are guaranteed for life. As a result, people are not very motivated to work hard.

No. 5: Teachers of public elementary and junior high schools from rural areas come rushing into Mexico City on a large bus, and occupy the main street. They put up tents and stay there for a long period of time. Sometimes, the teachers (excluding female teachers) sit in circles naked to defend their prestige as teachers – this is not an entertainment at parties; it is a serious act of protest!

There is only one reason why such incidents occur: that there have been no social upheavals where those below overcome those above in a country that consists of the conquerors and the conquered. The poor either head for the U.S. or become workers in the mafias in large cities and die. When they once get a position at a public office, they carry out unbelievable acts of protest in order to keep the position.

The most surprising thing about Mexico is that people are very cheerful amid the hardships of life. They seem to be talented at finding joy amid the hardships, as they are equally poor and do not have strong ambitions that put them under stress. They would be very surprised at knowing that many people suffer from depression and commit suicide in Japan which is known to be a rich country.
Tokiyo Tanaka (Graduated in 1971, School of Humanities and Social Sciences)

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, February 2014, Issue

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