November 13, 2010
On Saturday, November 13, the 5th Kyoto University Homecoming Day was held in and around Clock Tower Centennial Hall. The event was planned and held by a combination of about 1,800 students, student and staff alumni, and current educators and university staff.
An event-wide assembly was held at Centennial Hall, where opening remarks were given by Kyoto University Alumni Association Chairman, President Hiroshi Matsumoto. This was followed by remarks from representative members of the Kyoto Alumni Association: Ehime Alumni Association Chairman Kouichi Sato, Korea Alumni Association Chairman Hong Jong Pil, and Vietnam Alumni Association Chairman Ta Thanh Van. Then, a commemorative lecture presentation was given by the Director of the Organization for the Promotion of International Relations, Professor Junichi Mori titled, “Kyoto University’s International Strategy – Competition and Cooperation”. Afterwards, a commemorative performance of "The Lake Biwa Rowing Song" was given by the 60-member Kyoto University Mandolin Orchestra. This year, the commemorative lecture and performance were opened to the public for the first time, and there were a greater number of attendees from previous years.
After the commemorative performance, a reception was held at the International Conference Hall. Remarks were made by President Matsumoto, and a toast was given by the Kyoto University Alumni Association Adviser, former President Toshio Sawada to kick off the event. As with previous Homecoming Days, alumni from overseas and various cultural and sports club members were among the participants. The student circle TREVIS put on a cheerleading show and the hall was filled with excitement. In addition, for the first time, a drawing was held, and two alumni and two students were awarded commemorative gifts by the President, which was met with great applause from throughout the hall. In closing, all present clasped each other’s shoulders and sang a rendition of the original school cheer, "Breath of New Life", which was led by former members of the cheerleading squad, Mr. Shoukichi Urasaki and Mr. Seiji Sasakura. The reception ended on a high note with a level of excitement exceeding that of previous years in an atmosphere of fraternity and friendship.
Following the reception, in Centennial Hall, Makoto Kobayashi, the 2008 recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics and Executive Director of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, gave a lecture titled “Elementary Particles, Past and Present”.
Other planned events included a meet-and-greet between alumni and current undergraduate and graduate students held at International Hall, which was a well-received event last year. Current students spoke with recent graduates earnestly about job-hunting and careers. Also, at the Kyoto University Museum's Library, a collection of the writings and drawings of figures such as Ryoma Sakamoto and Hanpeita Takechi were put on display in a special exhibit titled “Letters by Ryoma and Hanpeita”. A large number of visitors crowded the exhibit. There were also large numbers of participants for visits to the Seifuso Villa and tours of the North Campus.
Another special feature of this year’s events was the participation of multiple alumni associations representing various regions and fields of study, who held reunions jointly with Homecoming Day events. Events included a lecture by Professor Junichiro Kawaguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), sponsored by the Keikikai (Mechanical Engineering Alumni Association). The lecture was titled “The 7-year journey of Hayabusa”, and covered the survey of the asteroid Itokawa by the space probe Hayabusa. The lecture was open to the general public and was very well received. Other lectures and receptions were held by various regional and academic alumni associations at Clock Tower Centennial Hall and the recently renovated Rakuyu Kaikan. Their activities made for a lively and event-filled day.
The next Homecoming Day is scheduled to be held on Saturday, November 12, 2011. We welcome not just alumni, but all staff, students, and parents as well to join.
 Opening remarks by President Matsumoto |  Chairman Sato of the Ehime Alumni Association |
 Chairman Hong Jong Pil of the Korean Alumni Association |  Chairman Ta Thanh Van of the Vietnam Alumni Association |
 A commemorative lecture given by Professor Mori |  A commemorative lecture given by Professor Kobayashi, Executive Director of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science |
 A commemorative lecture given by Professor Kawaguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency |  The commemorative performance given by the Kyoto University Mandolin Orchestra |
 The student circle TREVIS puts on a cheerleading show |  Former President Sawada giving a toast |
 A scene from the drawing for prizes |  The singing of "Breath of New Life" featuring cheerleading alumni |
 The meet-and-greet between current undergraduate and graduate students and alumni |  A tour being given of Seifuso Villa |
 A tour being given of the North Campus (an explanation is being given by Dean of Graduate School of Agriculture Takashi Endo and Associate Dean Eiji Nawata at the Graduate School of Agriculture/Graduate School of Biostudies Bldg.) |  A tour of the North Campus (touring the Kitashirakawa Testing Grounds) |