Niji no Kai Shinkan Gashuku

One thing I have enjoyed and appreciated immensely is the chance to befriend and get to know the Japanese students at Waseda and other universities in Tokyo through the international society called Niji no Kai. The various events they put on showcase aspects of Japanese culture and university life that no amount of classes could ever compare to. ‘Shinkan Gashuku’, the freshmen welcome trip, was one of the highlights of my year so far studying at Waseda, because I finally understand enough Japanese to be able to keep up with what’s going on without having to get someone to explain everything to me again separately. It was organised by 9 leaders, and the effort they put in to make sure that all 150 people who attended were looked after and enjoyed themselves was quite amazing, and something I can really appreciate having spent a bit of time helping out and behind the scenes. It really is the definition of ‘organised fun’, something I would never have thought I would enjoy, but I’ve discovered that the location of your travels is hardly important when you’re with people you love and can laugh with. I also surprised myself by taking part in a comedic sketch, totally in Japanese, and being thankful that everyone laughed, whether at me or with me I’ll never know, but it was enjoyable all the same. A friend of mine wrote the sketch, and it was performed entirely by exchange students, including the current trending skit in Japan which is stuck in everyone’s heads… 

Lassen Gorelai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Z46GxZtd4