Perth Tomonkai

About the Perth Tomonkai

Perth Tomonkai is still quite new, as it was inaugurated in 2009 under the leadership of Mr.Yoshio Terasawa, former Director General of the Economic Planning Agency. Although Mr. Terasawa has already returned to Japan, we are still an active group with an objective of deepening friendship between members. We are holding gatherings several times a year, and in January 2010, we held a concert named Japan-Australia Friendship Charity Concert featuring Mr. Takao Okamura who was a Waseda classmate of the Honorary Chairperson Yoshio Terasawa. In 2015, we are planning to hold a golf competition. The number of Japanese company representatives in Perth has been increasing, and the number of our members has reached twelve. We will seek to promote further development of the Perth Tomonkai.
Tomihiko Futaesaku (Graduated in 1969, School of Science and Engineering)

The attractive points of Perth

The most attractive point of Perth, the capital of the state of Western Australia, is its mild climate. Although it is hot during summer due to its Mediterranean climate, it is dry and therefore comfortable. In winter, it is sometimes somewhat cold in the morning and at night; however, we almost never need coats in the daytime. Of course, it never snows. The primary reason why English immigrants will not leave Perth is said to be the large number of days when it is sunny. As the hours of sunlight is long and the difference in temperature between daytime and nighttime is large, fruits, especially grapes, grow well, and there are many wineries with wine cellars around Perth. It is fun to visit them one-by-one and taste their wines. We can therefore enjoy high-quality wines at relatively low prices.

From September to October, more than 70% of wildflowers around the world bloom in Western Australia, and wildflower lovers around the world visit Western Australia. In November, an Antarctic observation ship Shirase will stop at Port Fremantle and will hold events to promote exchanges with local Japanese people. Furthermore, we can enjoy recreations including golf or marine sports at a more reasonable price than Japan.

The list of the attractive points about Perth will be endless; however, we are sorry to say that there are no direct flights from Japan since 2011. Being 8,000 kilometers away from Japan and 4,000 kilometers away from Sydney, it is an isolated city, and as such, we feel that the city is even more inconvenient. As Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has become effective in January 2015, there is a rumor that the direct flights will resume, and we are counting on it.
Ryuichiro Suzuki (Graduated in 1987, School of Commerce)

Message from the Chairperson

Perth is the capital of Western Australia which is a state that occupies one third of the entire Australia. It is a large producer (even when compared to other cities in the resources-rich Australia) of iron ore which is indispensable for producing steel, a source of Japanese revival after WWII. Furthermore, the city is a treasure house of underground resources including gold, nickel, diamond, LNG (liquefied natural gas), and crude oil. You might get the image of a bleak land, but Perth is a city where that famous Kaoru Kanetaka (very well-known for the TV program “Kaoru Kanetaka’s ‘The World Around Us’” shown on the TBS channel for 30 years since 1959) called “the most beautiful city in the world”. The population is a little over 1.7 million. It is also called “a metropolis which is the farthest in the world from other large cities”.

I worked in Perth as an overseas representative of a Japanese trading house in the beginning of the 1990’s, and fell in love with this city. Although I experienced working in other countries afterwards, I came back to Perth right after I retired seven years ago. At present, I play golf two or three times a week with my Aussie friends, grow vegetables, and most importantly, work on staying healthy by taking in polyphenol via wine which I enjoy while having dinner every night.
Tomihiko Futaesaku (Graduated in 1969, School of Science and Engineering)

Messages from the Members

We relocated to Perth in 1999 after my husband’s retirement, and recently welcomed the 16th Christmas and New Year’s Day here. My husband suffered from cardiac infarction in 1992, and said that after retirement, he wanted to enjoy playing golf every day in a city where he would not have to feel stress. I agreed and we considered Canada, Hawaii, and Australia as the candidate places to immigrate. We decided to live in Perth as it is a safe and inexpensive city without time difference with Japan.

As I did not want to become a golf widow here, I started to play golf. I am also singing in a chorus, which I have enjoyed since when I was a student. I am singing in a Japanese women’s choral group and a local mixed choral group. I have decided to return to Japan when I cannot continue to play golf or sing in a chorus any more.
Junko Nakamura (Graduated in 1963, School of Letters, Arts and Sciences)

What I came to realize after coming to Perth is that Japan is a very unique country. I think that such image is due to Japan’s demographic structure where 98% of the people living in Japan were also born in Japan. However, Japanese people themselves (including myself) are not aware of this fact, and tend to forget English as there are almost no chances to use English in Japan, although we have spent much time studying it. English education in Japan (where you start from reading and writing English using textbooks) and that in an English-speaking country (where you start from being talked to in English by many non-Japanese people) are truly different. I cannot help addressing this issue as a Japanese who has lived abroad for more than 15 years.
Kentaro Nakamura (Graduated in 1961, School of Political Science and Economics)

I came to live in Perth after quitting working as an office worker 20 years ago. As I will be living in Perth permanently, I have always been in charge of administrative duties for Perth Tomonkai. I think that the rate of the people signed up as a member of the Perth Tomonkai to the entire Waseda alumni living in Perth is still low. I hope this article will let people know the existence of Perth Tomonkai, and will lead to the increase in the number of alumni who will join us.
Ryuichiro Suzuki (Graduated in 1987, School of Commerce)

I have lived in four countries other than Japan for a total of 20 years, but wherever I have found myself, Tomonkai has always provided emotional support. Waseda’s long history, its tradition, and exchanges with various kinds of both seniors and juniors nurtured at a university with such history and tradition have always supported me.
Shigeaki Maejima (Graduated in 1975, School of Commerce)

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, April 2015 Issue

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