Keio students Active in Diverse Fields - 2024 Portrait -

02/07/2025

The public relations magazine "Juku" features a Portrait section that introduces the various activities of Keio students, mainly through photographs. This issue reprints articles from "Juku" 2024 SPRING (No. 322), 2024 SUMMER (No. 323), and 2024 AUTUMN (No. 324).

Forming a Creative Group Beyond the University,Engaged in Video ProductionTakuya Miyata, 4th-year student, Faculty of Business and Commerce

Takuya Miyata

He began making independent films immediately after entering university, and in his second year, he formed the creative group "TSUNAGU" with friends from beyond the university. Last year, his video submission to the "Minato Ward Shopping Street Video and Photo Contest" won the Grand Prize. To date, he has worked on media videos for outlets like NewsPicks and PIVOT, a tie-in movie with KOSÉ Corporation, and a promotional video for a candidate in the 2024 Minato Ward mayoral election. "Many creators have little interest in the business side. As a result, a lot of talent disappears without their work ever being seen by the public." Miyata says he chose to enter the Faculty of Business and Commerce out of a desire to connect creators with business. After graduation, he is busy working on his film project with the aim of entering a graduate school of arts.

(As of publication in the "Portrait" section of the public relations magazine "Juku" 2024 AUTUMN (No. 324))

Aiming for the Gold Medal in Women's Wrestling 68 kg ClassNonoka Ozaki, 4th-year student, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies

She moved up two weight classes from her usual 62 kg division and won a fierce playoff to clinch her ticket to Paris. Inspired by wrestler Kyoko Hamaguchi, she started wrestling at the age of seven, quickly distinguished herself, and eventually joined the JOC Elite Academy, where top athletes gather. Her decision to enter Keio University surprised many, but she explains, "I didn't want my life to be only about wrestling. I wanted to broaden my horizons by studying so I could become a person who contributes to society." Balancing her studies with wrestling has been challenging, but she says, "I am proud to have forged my own path with a strong will, thanks to the cooperation of many people." In the future, she hopes to widely advocate for gender equality for athletes and for religious considerations in international competitions. To that end, she is determined to achieve the best possible result in Paris this summer.

(As of publication in the "Portrait" section of the public relations magazine "Juku" 2024 SUMMER (No. 323))

The women's 68 kg class competition will be held on August 5 and 6. "I aim to win the first gold medal for the Japanese wrestling team."

In the Paris Olympics qualifying playoff match, she persevered until the final seconds to secure victory. ©SACHIKO HOTAKA

At SFC, she is a member of the Yo Nonaka Seminar, which studies Islamic culture.

A Leading Slugger in College Baseball,Becomes the First Professional Baseball Player from Keio Yochisha Elementary SchoolRyuta Hirose, 4th-year student, Faculty of Business and Commerce

*Note: The formal notation for the '廣' in Ryuta Hirose is the character with '黄' inside the '广' radical.

Following in his older brother's footsteps, he started playing baseball in the first grade at Keio Yochisha Elementary School. "Even back then, I admired the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League, watching games at Jingu Stadium." He practiced with a local team on weekends and devoted himself to baseball in school club activities on weekdays. After entering Keio Futsubu School, he joined a Little Senior team in Setagaya Ward, and with his high school baseball team, he played at Koshien twice. From his first year of high school, he devised his own training methods, practicing swinging the bat with his entire body to build himself into a slugger. On the university baseball team, he made the bench from his first year and hit a total of 20 home runs in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. In his fourth year, as captain, he led the team to victory at the Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament, making them the champions of Japan. "I had decided to go pro after graduation." His dream came true when he was selected in the third round by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the 2023 professional baseball draft, and this spring, he will take his first step as a professional.

(As of publication in the "Portrait" section of the public relations magazine "Juku" 2024 SPRING (No. 322))