Hundreds of booths line the University of Tokyo’s Hongo Campus, the walkways brimming with bustling children, couples, and eager university students. Students in anime cosplay weave through the masses between performances, while vendors hawk yakisoba and takoyaki, hollering over each other.
The 99th May Festival, more commonly known as Gogatsu-sai in Japan, was held on the 16 and 17 May 2026. The Japanese custom, in which universities across Japan hold festivals at various points across the year, serves to raise funds for club activities, showcase research, and bring the university community together. UTokyo holds two festivals a year, starting with the May Festival at the Hongo Campus and Yayoi Campus, followed by the Komaba Festival in November.
On the second day of the May Festival, the Todai Shimbun interviewed international participants running booths to learn more about their experiences participating in this classic Japanese campus tradition. (Interview and Photos by Mika Shindo and Kamil Zeribi)
The May Festival presents a unique opportunity for cross-cultural exchange as UTokyo students from France, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Uganda, Tanzania, Pakistan and more participate and manage booths in the Japanese festival.
This celebration held an even deeper meaning for international students who connected it to their own experiences from home. A representative at the Africa booth explained that in Uganda, it is “very rare for parents to come to the university”, resulting in families often having little connection to, or understanding of, university life. As a result, they greatly appreciate the Japanese event which provides a “very important” opportunity for the wider public to “get to know the students, what we’re doing, and to see the different projects that we do”.
The international booths were easy to find, grouped together in a circle and visitors lined up for every booth. A participant in the Africa booth commented that they found the configuration convenient, as grouping international booths makes providing English support easier. However, being grouped together also elicited mixed opinions. A representative from the France booth shared that while they understood the potential concerns of managing English speakers across campus, it felt isolating to section off international participants to a dedicated space.
In addition to English-speaking staff, English information sessions and brochures have also been introduced over the past couple years, which has made navigating the application process easier for international booths. The Indian representative stated that they are “very grateful” for the accommodations.
Some difficulties still remain with the process; cultural diversity also means the May Festival Standing Committee may be unfamiliar with some of the foods. The India booth mentioned that one common issue that international booths encounter when promoting cultural or local foods is that it can be “very difficult to convince the committee and the health centre that this is hygienic” which the India booth said causes stress every year.
Nonetheless, all interviewed booths responded that the May Festival was welcoming for international students, with a representative from the Indonesia booth remarking that the annual occasion allows for diverse groups at campus to “promote their culture” and experience “other cultures as well”.
This year’s May Festival was memorable for reasons beyond its cultural diversity.
On 16 May, the opening day of the 99th May Festival, a bomb threat was sent to Ugo no Shū, a conservative university group that organized a lecture by Sanseitō leader Sohei Kamiya, as well as to the 99th May Festival Standing Committee. As of 24 May, the sender had not been identified, and the motive remained unknown. This initially resulted in the brief cessation of all activities, including sales. In the end, the day’s activities were cancelled and visitors and participants were guided off campus. The availability of English support became especially clear at 13:53 on the first day of the festival, when the May Festival Standing Committee notified representatives for safety reasons. A committee member came by the international booths, notifying the Vietnam booth that activities were paused for “political reasons” and providing information that helped members of the Africa booth “understand clearly what was happening”. All interviewed booths safely vacated the area and restarted their activities on the second day, allowing for more visitors to experience diverse cultures within a traditionally Japanese event.
From their cultural contributions through cuisine and tradition to the accommodations made for English-speaking participants, the 99th May Festival ultimately illustrated how international students are increasingly shaping one of the University of Tokyo’s most established traditions.
The post International Students Shape UTokyo’s 99th May Festival first appeared on 東大新聞オンライン.
International Students Shape UTokyo’s 99th May Festival 2026 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2025 2026-06-09 14:00:41
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