Moscow Tomonkai

About the Moscow Tomonkai

The Moscow Tomonkai is still quite new as it was established as recently as in 2007, and is a small community with only 37 members. The members consist of people with various backgrounds, of all ages from alumni who graduated in the 1970s to current students. We hold events including barbecues in the summer, bowling competitions in the winter, and regular gatherings in the spring and the autumn. When there is an event in which we expect only a small number of participants, we hold the event with the Moscow Mitakai. When we hold the events, the members become very lively, and happily cooperate to make the events exciting. That prompts us to imagine the days they spent at Waseda. We ask everyone who comes to Russia, regardless of the length of his or her stay here or the area he or she is staying, to become a member of the Moscow Tomonkai. We are sure you will be able to find friends and gather information useful in your daily life or work. Let’s have fun and survive the harsh winter here together!
Toshio Asazaki (Graduated in 1995, School of Literature)

The attractive points of Moscow

Although Moscow is not a very popular place among Japanese people, most people who actually visit here return to Japan pleasantly surprised.

One of the attractive points of Moscow is its beautiful scenery. Historic buildings stand side by side in the center of the city, which attract people together with the natural beauty, surrounded by the Moscow River which leisurely winds through the city. People tend to avoid Moscow in the wintertime because of its cold weather. However, I recommend that you see the illuminations here which are extremely beautiful. The illuminations at the Kremlin are also beautiful, however, the illuminations at the nearby GUM department store and the Nikolskaya Street, which is closed to traffic, are also attractive.

I also recommend that you enjoy art, including music, in Moscow. You can casually enjoy in Moscow ballet, opera, and classical music which are considered to be rather formal entertainment in Japan, as there are many theaters here. The level of the performances is extremely high, and you can feel that the level of culture is very high in this country.

I think the saying “One picture is worth a thousand words” very much applies to Moscow. Please come to Moscow to see the city for yourself.
Daisuke Takahashi (Graduated in 1992, School of Science and Engineering)

Message from the Chairperson

The word Russia has a negative, gloomy image. However, things are very different today. While we still have long, dark winters and terrible traffic jams, there are no longer cars illegally parked on the streets, and widened sidewalks are paved with beautiful tiles. We can enjoy beautiful, breath-taking illuminations on the streets. Instead of suspicious, unlicensed taxis, internet taxis and shared cars dominate the streets. The corrupt police officers are gone, and there are much more kind, smiling people. The service at the restaurants has improved. There are more signs written in English, and there are English announcements in the subways. There are countless improvements which have been made recently.

At the Moscow Tomonkai, we have skipped holding softball games and golf competitions because of the decrease in the number of expatriates after the Ukraine crisis, the diversification of entertainments, and the increase in the opportunities for interaction. However, at barbecue parties and bowling competitions, many members participate with their families and we have a good time in a friendly atmosphere. At general meetings and farewell parties, we talk, are encouraged, and deepen our relationships.

Eleven years have passed since the Moscow Tomonkai was established as a result of the efforts made by our predecessors. We are determined to pass down the Moscow Tomonkai to the next generation by continuing to join our efforts to make the Tomonkai an active one.
Hironobu Obata (Graduated in 1991, School of Literature)

Messages from the Members

At the Moscow Tomonkai, we can talk with each other regardless of the member’s social status, and this is why the Tomonkai is a very important community. I believe that the more responsible position a member holds, the more that person will feel that the Tomonkai is an important place, as the Tomonkai is a community where the members can talk without considering his or her position or what he or she is expected to say. The Moscow Tomonkai is a comfortable community and it also supports the daily lives of its members. It is a rare community where we can obtain information vital to our daily lives such as “Which international school should my children attend?” or “Are there lessons I can take which will cheer me up during the gloomy wintertime?”
Takahira Natsume (Graduated in 2000, School of Political Science and Economics)

I have lived in Moscow for five years, and am working as a reporter at a Russian media outlet. The other day, I became acquainted with a person from Yakutsk in Siberia. In this city where winter prevails for eight months, its people are growing tomatoes in a greenhouse utilizing state-of-the-art technologies developed by Japanese firms. As these tomatoes are very good, they are extremely popular, and the person was able to purchase three of them after waiting for three hours to make the tomatoes a gift for the New Year. Although big cities have become convenient through advanced Information Technology, the fact that Japanese firms are playing important roles in a field very close to rural life makes me happy as a person from Japan.
Asuka Tokuyama (Graduated in 2006, School of Letters, Arts and Sciences)

This is the second time I have become a member of the Moscow Tomonkai, after leaving the community five years ago. The members have been replaced totally, but you need not worry. As in the school’s alma mater, the members “change from year to year, Meet and part with youth’s delight.” I am again blessed with the opportunities to meet the wonderful people who are seniors and juniors of all ages and industries. I also look forward to meeting many people in the coming years. The international students have told me that the environment surrounding Waseda has changed considerably as well. I would like to visit Waseda when I return to Japan and see my old friends again.
Name withheld by request (Graduated in 2003, School of Science and Engineering)

This is my ninth year in Moscow, although I temporarily returned to Japan because of a job change. During these years, I got married and a baby was born. I have been watching over the significant changes in Russia while enjoying both happy times and hard times at every occasion. The interactions with the seniors and juniors with whom I share the experiences in Russia are very stimulating but always comfortable, and I feel that Waseda is close to me more than I did when I was a student. I would like to cherish the relationships Tomonkai has given me and continue to make new memories in Moscow.
Satoshi Suga (Graduated in 2005, School of Letters, Arts and Sciences)

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, December 2018 Issue

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