2025 Portraits of Student Diversity at Keio

2026/04/14

Portrait is a photo essay that showcases student activities at Keio in the quarterly Juku. In this issue, we look back on articles published in the Spring 2025 (No. 326), Summer 2025 (No. 327), Autumn 2025 (No. 328), and Winter 2026 (No. 329) issues of Juku.

Seira Yajima started learning karuta as a fourth grader. Memorizing the Hyakunin Isshu was so difficult it brought her to tears, but her efforts paid off when she won the fifth-grade division at the national elementary school tournament the following year. Asked about the appeal of competitive karuta, she explains that it’s anyone’s game, regardless of age or gender. In junior high school, she advanced to Class A, the highest rank in the competitive sport. In high school, she became the Japanese champion in both individual and team competitions, and just before graduation, she earned the title of Queen, the highest women’s rank. It was the first time in 17 years that a high school student had achieved this distinction. “What brings me the greatest joy is being able to play karuta alongside some of the most talented and supportive senior members of the Keio Karuta-Kai, long admired as the top university team in Japan,” Seira says. “I hope to introduce competitive karuta to audiences overseas and ultimately see it become a professional sport.” Looking ahead, she aims to defend her Queen title and contribute to consecutive university championship victories for the Keio Karuta-Kai. Beneath her calm demeanor lies a fierce determination to win.

  (Original article published in Portrait in the Winter 2026 [No. 329] issue of Juku)  

In 2020, Jotaro Sugiyama became the only Japanese winner in Apple’s international programming competition, the Swift Student Challenge (SSC), during his first year of high school. After graduation, he enrolled in Keio’s Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, believing it would allow him to pursue his passions. He joined Prof. Keiji Takeda’s seminar, focusing on fields such as augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI). In the autumn of his first year, he founded Infinity Inc. and has engaged in several projects, including corporate collaborations and the development of apps used daily by SFC students. He does not limit himself to any one genre, explaining, “All I want is to create things that don’t exist yet.” In the 2025 SSC, he was once again named a winner, marking his second time receiving the distinction. “All of the students and faculty members at SFC are truly unique, so I’m eager to create an app that connects this diversity of talent across campus,” he says.

(Original article published in Portrait in the Autumn 2025 [No. 328] Issue of Juku)

Daiki Ishizuka was appointed head coach of the baseball team at his alma mater, Keio Shiki Senior High School, in the autumn of his first year at university. He set aside any lingering desire to remain a player, as well as the anxiety about his unprecedented appointment, in the hopes of giving something back. He embraces a demanding schedule with evident enthusiasm, commuting to Shiki five to six days a week, including morning practices. “With very little age difference between us, I feel close to the players and can guide them by demonstrating plays myself,” he says. “Whether it’s the players or the coaches, we’re all growing together through trial and error.” His emphasis on character building, which includes respectful greetings, cleaning, and maintaining the baseball field, owes much to the dedicated guidance of former head coach Yasuo Shibata. “I hope to internalize my mentor’s teachings in my own way and pass them on to the next generation.” The Saitama Prefectural Tournament for the National High School Baseball Championship (commonly known as the "Summer Koshien") is just around the corner. “I’ll do everything I can so we can keep playing together for as long as possible!”

(Original article published in Portrait in the Summer 2025 [No. 327] Issue of Juku)    

In September 2024, Rio Hasegawa won the women’s middleweight division (under 73 kg) at the amateur World Sumo Championships in Poland. Rio grew up in Ajigasawa in Aomori Prefecture, where sumo enjoys immense popularity, and she won a national championship as an elementary school student. In her third year of junior high school, she placed third at the women’s division of the Junior Sumo World Championships. Motivated by the frustration of losing, she single-handedly revived her high school’s sumo club, which at the time had no members. She devoted herself to her training with the goal of becoming the best in the world. In her first year of high school, she won a gold medal at the Junior Sumo World Championship. After graduation, she enrolled at Keio University, where her older brothers had previously studied, becoming the first-ever female member of the Keio Sumo Club. “My perspective has broadened through my undergraduate studies and interactions with friends, allowing me to step back and reflect on sumo more objectively,” she says. “This has also had a positive impact on my competitive performance.” Looking ahead, she remains committed to striving for the world’s top position while also contributing to raising the profile of amateur sumo.

(Original article published in Portrait in the Spring 2025 [No. 326] Issue of Juku)

*All affiliations, years, and titles are current as of the time of their respective publication.

"Juku" 2026 WINTER（No.329）

"Juku" 2025 AUTUMN（No.328）

"Juku" 2025 SUMMER（No.327）

"Juku" 2025 SPRING（No.326）