75th Anniversary Weekend
March 29 and 30, 2025
The Internationalist 2024-2025 Vol 72
Part 2 of 2
...continued from previous post
Saturday
Activities at School
Visitors were welcomed back to Nishimachi on Saturday to participate in Family and Alumni Activities at School, which offered a means to not just see the school, but participate in activities that they may have done as students. This also welcomed the opportunity for families to join in on the fun and make new memories at Nishimachi. While the weather was less in our favor, plenty of indoor activities were still available, including pottery and ikebana. Taiko led by Moko-
sensei provided an exhilarating demonstration from current students along with the opportunity to participate. Shodo written during Shimohigashi-sensei’s class also became part of Nishimachi history, being stamped with an exclusive stamp for the 75th Anniversary, which is now preserved in the Matsukata House Museum. Additionally, the Matsukata House Museum offered shelter for many from the rain, allowing visitors to get up close to retro technology they may be familiar with, or were seeing for the first time.
Saturday Night
75th Anniversary Dinner
I offer, on behalf of you all, our thanks to Tané Matsukata for the wonderful legacy she has left us.
—HIH Princess Takamado, in her opening remarks
The Tokyo American Club has been strongly connected with Nishimachi and our community throughout the years, and was the gathering place for the 75th Anniversary Dinner on Saturday night. Her Imperial Highness, Princess Takamado, was an honoured guest for this evening and spoke as to her experiences in diversity, herself being a former student at Nishimachi. Music was provided, starting with the school song, “Let There Be Peace On Earth,” performed by current Nishimachi students, with attendees joining in and filling the room with Viking spirit. Nishimachi alumna and harpist Naoko Yoshino performed four musical selections, including “Toccata” (Jean-Baptiste Loeillet) and “Au matin” (Marcel Tournier). Decorated with a spectacular ikebana installation by Sogestu, the evening exemplified the incredible talent
and feats of our community, brought together with a delicious dinner. All attendees entered the draw to win one of the exclusive anniversary prints by Taika Kinoshita, with the recipient being none other than Masamoto Yashiro, a pillar of the school community and former trustee, of whom the Yashiro Media Center is named after. His heart warming and delightful impromptu speech brought this special evening together in a way that could not have been previously imagined.
Sunday
A Visit to Kazuno
The final day of the 75th Anniversary Weekend offered a trip outside of Tokyo, to visit Camp Rioichiro Arai (Kazuno). For some attendees it had been decades since their last visit, or it being their first visit entirely, drawn from hearing all the stories of adventure and discovery from students, past and present. Cherry blossoms dotted the roads on the bus trip over, on a day where the weather couldn’t have been more sublime. Attendees were welcomed to a tasty lunch in the main building, before taking a tour of the facilities and revisiting the okura, a familiar sight to all alumni who visited as students. Among the intimate group that consisted of a range of ages, it was clear to see the familiarity and shared experiences of many, being expressed through telling stories, or by picking up a ball and to play with former strangers,
who all remember playing in the same location. Prior to departure, a detour was made to visit Kurohone Elementary School and see the field where Nishimachi and Kurohone students carry on the tradition of planting and harvesting rice.