2019/12/4

On Saturday, November 23rd, a commemorative ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Department of British and American Studies was held at the Morita Memorial Hall, in which about 150 people gathered including alumni, faculty and staff, and current students.

The master of ceremony was Ms. Yuki Nishimoto, a KUFS graduate, and the ceremony began with opening remarks by Dr. Yoshikazu Morita, Chancellor and Chair of the Board of Governors, followed by a lecture series titled “The Transformation and Future of the Department of British and American Studies” presented Professor Tetsushi Horikawa, Vice Chair of the Board of Governors, Professor Takahiro Ono, Former Chair of the Graduate School of Foreign Studies, and Professor Makoto Kurata, Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Studies. The professors, who have also graduated from this Department, spoke about the 60 years of history over the three Japanese eras of Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa, and shared their future prospects.
Then, three KUFS graduates who are now successfully working on a global level shared their memories at KUFS and their current professions: Mr. Masanori Tonegawa (Global Media Corporation / Director of the KUFS Alumni Association Tokyo Branch), Mr. Takashi Endo (Mazda Motor Corporation), and Mr. Komei Shibata (jazz pianist), who impressed the audience with his uniquely rhythmic jazz piano performance.
The ceremony was concluded with memorable speeches in English by current students Yumi Watanabe, who has studied abroad as an exchange student, and Daichi Fujita.

A friendly reunion followed after the ceremony, in which attendees were rejoiced to meet with professors for the first time in a while. Professor Yutaka Sasaki, Chair of the Department of British and American Studies, said, “This ceremony was held today because of those who cooperated and our graduates who are here now. For 60 years, the Department of British and American Studies have built a continuous ‘mountain range of people.’ We hope to continue to hold this gathering in the 65th and 70th anniversaries, and strengthen the bond between faculty and staff, graduates, and current students.” The party closed with an ippon-jime (“single clap”), a Japanese custom of handclapping at the conclusion of a celebration.

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