Taipei Tomonkai

About the Taipei Tomonkai

Hello, Waseda alumni!

The Taipei Tomonkai was established by seven volunteers after a branch manager of a Japanese company in Taipei ordered his junior (also a Waseda alumnus) to establish one in 1983. At present, there are about 100 members mainly living in Taipei. Most of them are either long-term residents, company representatives, or international students; however, some people come from Japan to take part in our events, making Taipei Tomonkai a group which is cozy but has members with various backgrounds. Our main activities are gatherings called “Inago-kai”, golf competitions called “Toyu-hai”, and “Taiwan Waseda-Keio Golf Competition” held twice a year, where we compete against our rival, Keio University.

In Taiwan, there is Waseda University Taiwan Alumni Association (Chairperson: Chen Guang-Ming, No. of members: about 470) organized by Taiwanese alumni. We participate in each other’s events, and by doing so our events have become ones where there are no barriers between Japanese and Taiwanese people.

In the Taiwanese movie “KANO” shown in Japan this year, the ties between Taiwan and Japan was described through a pre-war high school baseball match. I feel that through such friendship which can still be observed today between Taiwanese and Japanese alumni in Taiwan, the bonds between the people in the two countries have become tighter as the years go by.

In 2014, the passenger traffic between Taiwan and Japan reached about 4.6 million. The amount of total trade between Taiwan and Japan was about 61.6 billion U.S. dollars, while the amount of total investment between the two countries was about 1.23 billion U.S. dollars. The amount of trade and the scale of tourism exchanges between the two countries are increasing year by year.

I hope that with the help of the alumni in Taiwan, economic exchanges, trade, and traffic between the two countries will increase further, and the alumni around the world including those in Japan will come to visit Taiwan to strengthen the ties between Taiwan and Waseda.
Chairperson Kazunori Shima (Graduated in 1982, School of Political Science and Economics)

The attractive points of Taiwan

Although the area of Taiwan is as small as that of Kyushu, it is truly multifaceted. In addition to the lingering influence of the period under control of Japan which lasted for 50 years until the end of WWII, the Chinese culture that came from the Chinese continent across the Taiwan Strait and the culture of Hakka and indigenous people were mixed, making the Taiwanese culture truly diverse. As the ancestors of many people are immigrants, Taiwanese people treat foreigners very warmly.

What is more, there is a special feeling about Japan in Taiwan. It is not too much of an exaggeration to call Taiwan a region which is the most pro-Japanese in the world. Taiwan helped us by providing both psychological and material support including sending donation worth more than 20 billion yen through the Red Cross for the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, which many Japanese people may still recall today.

However, not so many Japanese people knew much about Taiwan until then. Although the earthquake was truly a disaster, I think it gave the Japanese people a chance to reconfirm the existence of Taiwan.

I hear that at present, many Taiwan-related books and magazine articles can be found in Japan. I am looking forward to the start of new Taiwan-Japan relations whenever I see Japanese tourists flocking around the city.
Mitsuo Nagata (Graduated in 1991, School of Science and Engineering)

Messages from the Members

Although the business environment in Taiwan is severe, I have been able to lead a fulfilling life both privately and professionally. I think this is due to the warm help from the seniors in the Taipei Tomonkai who are all very unique. I think one of the reasons the gatherings of Tomonkai are very fun and substantial is that we have a rivaling school. That we can improve even after graduation because of the rivaling school is a pleasure only the alumni of Waseda can enjoy. I truly hope that Waseda will educate and instruct its students so that they will be able to come up with solutions that match the high reputation of Waseda. I hope a good news, which tells that Waseda students have accomplished something in the field of their specialty or in some sports, will come to Taiwan, so that alumni like myself will be able to gain a lot of energy.
Toshimasa Watanabe (Graduated in 1986, School of Education)

I came to Taiwan with my family in July 2014, and almost a year has passed since then. The heat of the summer time in Taiwan is intense; however, I always feel that the love for Japan of the Taiwanese people is even more so. The other day, I was having a difficult time trying to understand the menu at a restaurant. Then, the waiter of the restaurant ran to the convenience store next door and came back with a person who understands Japanese. Older people come to talk to me in Japanese smiling, saying that they are happy to be able to use Japanese which they learned in school a long time ago. Trying to respond to this love of Taiwanese people, I am working hard to learn Chinese which I studied during my college days but have not been using since then.
Daishi Tsuruha（Graduated in 2004, School of Political Science and Economics）

I studied at a graduate school in Taipei for two and a half years from 2008. After working for several years, I came to Taichung in 2013 to study medicine. I am having a very difficult time now, trying to read difficult medical books and studying for tests that cover wide array of fields. However, I am always thankful for the classmates who help me, and I really think the attractive point of Taiwan is that the people are warm and kind-hearted. At Taipei Tomonkai where I joined in 2008, students are also welcome and the members treat us warmly as seniors who have much more experience in life than we do. They are like my family in Taiwan. I am trying my best to become a full-fledged doctor as soon as possible so that I can return the kindness that I received from them.
Isao Ito (Graduated in 2008, School of Law)

After finishing a short-term study abroad program during my undergraduate years, I have come to love Taiwan. I came to Taiwan after finishing my undergraduate studies and now I am studying translation and interpretation at a local graduate school. The members of Tomonkai are working globally. They are very energetic and very serious whether they are on or off duty. Every time I see such attitude of the members, I feel encouraged and I tell myself I must do more. I am thankful for the fact that I have come to get to know people from Waseda.
Tsugumi Kumagai (Graduated in 2011, School of Human Sciences)

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, August. 2015 Issue

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