Michigan Tomonkai

About the Michigan Tomonkai

Michigan Tomonkai organizes events and activities for the Japanese community in the suburbs of Detroit, which is the center of the U.S. automobile industry. The population of the community slightly exceeds 10,000, and most are engaged in automobile-related businesses. The alumni come from a wide range of age groups who earned degrees in various majors at Waseda University. The members are not just people in businesses and their families but also students enrolled in local universities for Graduate degrees. They strengthen their relationships by holding parties, golf tournaments, BBQ, and other events.

Co-events with the Detroit Mita-Kai, an alumni association of Keio University, which is traditionally Waseda’s archrival, have also continued over generations, through joint events such as the Waseda-Keio championship golfing and barbecues. We have the opportunity to sing both schools’ songs and look back on our school days together with respect for attachment to each other’s old school.
Ryuta Miyamoto（Graduated in 1995, School of Commerce）

The attractive points of Michigan

Michigan, a state that borders four of the five Great Lakes, is rich in greenery, with both deciduous and coniferous forests thriving throughout. Most of Michigan’s residents live in the southeastern region, including the Detroit metropolitan area. Summers there have temperatures similar to Sendai, while winters are as cold as Hakodate, but with less snowfall. The state offers abundant outdoor activities, with numerous state parks, golf courses, and tennis courts. Additionally, Michigan is home to teams in all four major professional sports leagues, making it a hotspot for sports enthusiasts.

As a hub of the automobile industry, Michigan attracts a significant number of Japanese professionals working in the sector, contributing to a Japanese population of approximately 13,000. Many expatriates bring their families, and the Ringo-kai Japanese School accommodates nearly 800 students from kindergarten to high school. This makes it one of the largest Japanese supplementary schools in the U.S., alongside those in major metropolitan areas in California and New York. Except for certain historic urban areas, Michigan is generally safe, offering spacious and comfortable living environments for those looking to experience classic American life.

A four-hour drive northwest from southeastern Michigan will take you to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which was named “The Most Beautiful Place in America” by the TV show Good Morning America in 2011. The stunning dunes rise 135 meters above Lake Michigan, with slopes as steep as 33 degrees. Meanwhile, Detroit is located right on the border with Canada, separated by the Detroit River. A four-hour drive east will bring you to Niagara Falls or Toronto, a city renowned for its excellent French and Chinese cuisine.
Kazuhiko Shinki（Graduated in 1998, School of Science and Engineering）

Message from the Chairperson

I am Yasuhiro Kishida, serving as the chairperson of the Michigan Tomonkai. While I am not sure exactly when the Michigan Tomonkai was established, I was told that the Michigan Tomonkai held a reception each year when I moved to Michigan in 1992.

People living in Japan are probably unfamiliar with Michigan except that it borders the Great Lakes; however, there is a large Japanese population in Michigan.  Most of them are the expatriates from automobile manufacturers and auto parts suppliers and their families and the students who came to study at local universities. Their turn-over rate is high because they return to Japan after a few years.

Life in Michigan is not very eventful, but I often hear that Japanese residents don’t want to go back to Japan after living in the relaxing natural environment. If you have a chance, please come to experience Michigan’s great nature.
Yasuhiro Kishida（Graduated in 1988, School of Law）

Messages from the Members

Michigan is known for Detroit, an infamous city, and I assume that only a limited number of Japanese people recognize the Michigan state’s appeal, including its beautiful forests, lakes and marshes, rivers, and stunning scenery in every season.
I enjoyed living in Michigan for almost 2 decades with nearly 50 alumni and more than 10,000 Japanese living here.
I hope that you may have a chance to visit Michigan with your friends, Alumni someday. Hopefully you can see the Northern Lights, Aurora!
Yoshihiro Naka（Graduated in 1982, School of Science and Engineering）

Michigan boasts many cozy and charming cities such as Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan (ranked 23rd in Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2024) is located, and Traverse City, a summer resort to which recreational vehicles and campers rush to retreat from the summer heat.
While it may depend on the area, this state is racially diverse and open to people with multicultural backgrounds, making it easy for Japanese residents to raise their children. The state also provides a comfortable working environment, as the climate is pleasant, and commuting by car and working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement are convenient.
Miku Negishi（Graduated in 1998, School of Social Sciences）

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, April 2025 Issue

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