2024 Portraits of Student Diversity at Keio

Shortly after entering university, Takuya began producing independent films. In his second year, he founded the creative collective TSUNAGU alongside peers from different universities. They won first prize with their video Guess What at last year’s Minato Shopping Arcade Video Contest. They have created media videos such as News Picks and PIVOT. Other productions include a collaborative movie for KOSÉ and a political promotion piece for a 2024 Minato City mayoral candidate. "Many creatives have little interest in the business aspects of their work. This often means their work never sees the light of day, and their talent is lost to obscurity," Takuya says. His motivation for choosing the Faculty of Business and Commerce was his desire to connect creators and business (tsunagu means "connect" in Japanese). Takuya is now busy making films as part of his preparations to enter a graduate program in the arts after graduation.

(Original article published in Portrait in the Autumn 2024 [No. 324] Issue of Juku)

Rising two weight classes from her usual 62kg division, Nonoka Ozaki secured her ticket to Paris with a hard-fought victory in the playoffs. Inspired by the legendary Kyoko Hamaguchi, she took up wrestling at the age of seven and quickly made a name for herself, eventually joining the ranks of the JOC Elite Academy. Her decision to attend Keio University surprised many, but she explains, "I didn’t want wrestling to be my whole life. I wanted to broaden my perspective through education and become someone who can contribute to society." Balancing academics and rigorous training has been challenging, but she takes pride in the path she has forged with determination while acknowledging all the help she has received along the way. Looking ahead, Nonoka hopes to advocate for gender equality in sports and religious inclusivity in the international sporting arena and is determined to deliver her best performance in Paris this summer.

(Original article published in Portrait in the Summer 2024 (No. 323) Issue of Juku)

Following in his brother’s footsteps, Ryuta started his baseball journey in the first grade at Keio Yochisha, the elementary school affiliated with Keio University. "Even as a child, I was captivated by the Tokyo Big6 Baseball games at Jingu Stadium," Ryuta recalls. His weekends were devoted to training with his local team while he spent weekdays practicing at his school club. After entering Futsubu Junior High School, he joined the Little Senior team in Setagaya City and later competed in the Koshien tournament twice during high school. Eager to maximize his power as a hitter, he developed his own full-body swing technique during his first year of high school. At Keio University, he earned a spot on the bench as a freshman and racked up 20 home runs in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. As a fourth-year, he became captain, leading the team to a national title at the Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament. "Going pro was always my plan," Ryuta says. That plan became reality when he was selected as the third pick by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the 2023 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. This spring, he takes his first step into professional baseball.

(Original article published in Portrait in the Spring 2024 (No. 322) Issue of Juku)

*All affiliations, years, and titles are current as of the time of their respective publication.
*These articles appeared in the Autumn 2024 (No. 324), Summer 2024 (No. 323), Spring 2024 (No. 322) issues of Juku.