President's Daily Report

On October 11, the 24th Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa was held in the area around Heian Jingu Shrine and the Okazaki Promenade. As President of the University Consortium Kyoto, I participated in the opening ceremony and the grand finale.

The Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa has been held every October since 2003 and attracts over 100,000 visitors. As a festival produced entirely by university students studying in Kyoto—a city known as a “student town”—it is truly wonderful. This year’s Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa adopted the theme “Today, I Love Kyoto the Most,” aiming to deepen collaboration among businesses, universities, local government, and the community, while reexamining and promoting the charm of Kyoto.

At the “Kyōen Sodefure!” event, the “Shibuyō” dance group—a joint performance by Doshisha University, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts, and Ōtani University—also participated. Additionally, in the “Muchū de Marche” section, our university’s “Coffee Club: Saigetsu” and the food truck “io—Pizza Napoletana,” operated by students from our Faculty of Economics, had booths set up.

I participated in the parade during the opening ceremony and joined the grand finale group dance on stage. In the grand finale address, I noted that university students make up 11% of Kyoto’s population, making Kyoto literally a “city of universities and students.” I expressed the hope that the students involved in the Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa would connect Kyoto’s old and new elements, as well as its diverse values and people, to make Kyoto an even more attractive place.

It was a day that made me realize how the presence and interaction of a diverse student body have the power to shape Kyoto’s future.

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