Toronto Tomonkai

About the Toronto Tomonkai

The Toronto Tomonkai was allegedly founded in 1968 and will celebrate its 60th anniversary in three years (2028). We currently have 43 members, including immigrants, expatriates, students, and those on working holidays, who gather utilizing the ties of Waseda graduates to deepen friendships. However, the number of expatriates has declined greatly in recent years, posing concerns about our operations. Every year, we host a New Year’s party, spring and autumn hikes and lunch, and a golf tournament and a joint year-end party with Keio’s Mita-kai. We occasionally enjoy gourmet dishes, barbecues, and welcome or farewell parties for members. At the beginning of last year, we began offering monthly consultations for current students through social media, which has now spread to Germany. During the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to refrain from face-to-face events as instructed by the Waseda University Alumni Association office, but we continued to interact with each other through several Zoom meetings. We hope for further development of the Toronto Tomonkai.
Akira Tsushima (Graduated in 1971, School of CommerceⅠ)

The attractive points of Toronto

Toronto is a large city comparable to Chicago in size, following only New York and Los Angeles, in North America. It is a melting pot with many immigrants and is therefore welcoming to foreigners, including Japanese, which is significant for everyday life. The city is also relatively safe with gun control regulations in place and is dotted with cultural and entertainment facilities.

Canada, where Toronto is located, is a member of the Commonwealth. Influenced by British culture, Canada values gardening. There are many beautiful gardens not only in residential areas but also downtown that inspire us to take pictures.

Canada is known for its great nature. Autumn leaves can be enjoyed from late September to November in both the suburbs and center of Toronto, offering unmatched magnificence not found in other countries. The northern lights have also been observed lately due to solar flares, making Toronto perhaps the only Tomonkai city where they can be seen.
Tetsuo Takamatsu (Graduated in 1993, School of Science and Engineering)

Message from the Chairperson

It has been eight years since I took over the post of the Chairperson from my highly esteemed predecessor with the hope to further vitalize and develop our Tomonkai. I have been doing my best to run our Tomonkai keeping in mind its 60-year tradition built by our seniors since its founding.

I set up and managed the Canadian office of a Japanese company for 10 years before being asked by the head office to return to Japan in the 11th year. However, with my family settled in Toronto, we were reluctant to return to Japan, so we decided to stay in Canada.

Canada is a very comfortable country, with rich nature and warm people. As the Chairperson, I sincerely hope our Tomonkai can serve as a place of emotional support, where members can gather and interact freely through Waseda ties in a foreign land. However, as I age, I began to feel the loss of physical strength. I am considering handing over my post to a successor who can lead our Tomonkai with a young spirit.
Akira Tsushima (Graduated in 1971, School of CommerceⅠ)

Messages from the Members

It has been a year and a half since I came to Canada. I came here to start a company and had no Japanese acquaintances and little information about daily life. I then joined the Tomonkai, where other members helped me by sharing various information on supermarkets with affordable Japanese food, hospitals, and so on. It is wonderful that the Tomonkai is located across the world and members can help each other.
Atsushi Kubo (Graduated in 2005, School of Commerce)

After obtaining my master’s from Osgoode Hall Law School, I have been working as an lawyer at a local office in Ontario since 2021. Students at the law school were half Canadians and half international, and I studied in a global environment unique to Toronto. Currently, I mainly work on legal affairs related to immigrants and refugees, with clients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Being able to experience cultural diversity every day and grow even as an adult is part of Toronto’s attractiveness!
Ayaka Yoshinari(Graduated in 2011, School of Law, Graduated in 2013, Waseda Law School)

I moved to Toronto with my family three years ago. It was my first time here and I had no acquaintances, but the Tomonkai members provided local information beforehand, so I could start my new life smoothly. I attend the Tomonkai events with my family and enjoy meeting people from different generations. Since we have no relatives here, the Tomonkai is like our second family, and we are grateful to be a part of it.
Minori Fukuda (Graduated in 2015, School of Social Sciences)

Currently, I am studying at the University of Toronto. The Toronto Tomonkai invited me to meals and other events, which gave me precious opportunities to speak with various people. For a student reflecting on future career paths, learning about work and life in a foreign country has been especially meaningful, and I am grateful to the Toronto Tomonkai members. They also shared and recommended spots and restaurants in Toronto, making my life in Toronto even more enjoyable.
Yamato Shimada (the second grade at School of Social Sciences)

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, October 2025 Issue

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