Fall semester is such a dull semester… says no one ever. Here are the top 5 highlights that make us eager for the start of a brand new semester!
- Waseda Campus in autumn
Image credits: Waseda University Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/WasedaU)
The gorgeous autumn foliage in Waseda is a sight not to be missed. Walk into school from the south gate and you’ll get to enjoy the golden ginko tree-lined path that will set your mood right for the school day. Enjoy picnics at Okuma Garden while you feast your eyes on the beautiful maple leaves that will temporarily overwhelm the garden with hues of red and yellow as the season changes.
- Waseda-sai/早稲田祭 (http://www.wasedasai.net/)
Image credits: Waseda-sai Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/Wasedasai)
Waseda-sai (Waseda Festival) is legitimately THE school festival to look out for every November. And how do we know that? We know when there are more people coming for the event than people visiting Tokyo Disney Resort on the same day!
Waseda-sai promises a wide array of performances, food, exciting activities and sights that will tantalise all five of your senses. Among the plethora of performing acts that will be carried out at the two-day fiesta, several that you should definitely not miss include stunt sequences from our all-male cheerleading star squad SHOCKERS and a line-up of Chinese, Scottish, Bollywood, Taiwanese, Japanese and other vibrant cultural dances by Waseda Internation Festival (WIF).
- Soukeisen/早慶戦
Image credits: Waseda University Baseball Club (http://www.wasedabbc.org/)
Soukeisen loosely translates to Waseda-Keio battle. Among several other sports, the rivalry between Waseda University and Keio University is the strongest when it comes to baseball games. In fact, the term “soukeisen” started from a baseball match between Waseda and Keio in 1903! The annual baseball soukeisen is arguably one of the most significant and attention-receiving sport events of the year.
This coming season, don’t miss your chance to cheer for your very own varsity team, who are amongst the finest teams in all of Japan (if not the finest – afterall, they emerged to the top at the 64th Japan National Collegiate Baseball Championship this year)!
- Tokyo Hike/東京ハイク (http://www.waseda.jp/student/tokyohike/)
Image credits: Waseda University (http://www.waseda.jp/)
Tokyo Hike is a chill 20-km walk around Tokyo, making stops at a few other universities in town, including Meiji University and Toyo University. What makes Tokyo Hike so special, however, is not the walk itself but what you wear for the event. Check out some outfits from past years below!
Image credits: Tokyo Hike Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/Tokyohike2012)
If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
- Halloween Night
Image credits: Hideya HAMANO (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mawari/)
Experience Halloween like no other right in the heart of Tokyo city, Shibuya! This is where Halloween means much more than trick-or-treats. Join the sleepless crowd of zombies, bloody nurses, Super Marios and more for the most fantastical, out-of-this-world night you’ll ever experience in Japan. Be whoever or whatever you want to be. Elaborate costumes only.
Image credits: Len Ishimaru on G-CREW Entertainment’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/eventswaseda)
If you fancy a wild, creepy night with your homies at a club, keep your eye on G-CREW’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/eventswaseda) for a special Halloween event coming your way this October. Like and follow the page to stay updated on other regular parties they hold throughout the semester!
What makes you excited for the new semester? Let us know below!