Soka students held the 38th Soka University Festival on October 12 and 13, attracting some 35,000 people. The festival, a central event on the university calendar, kicked off with an opening parade on campus, and featured among its many highlights a special exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of university founder Daisaku Ikeda’s proposal calling for Japan’s restoration of diplomatic relations with China in 1968.

Members of student seminar and extracurricular groups operated a total of 69 food stalls and held public presentations of research on dozens of foreign languages and cultures, while presenting dance performances and live music. The Pan-African Friendship Society, for instance, presented an exhibition on education and the environment in Africa, while an arts and crafts exhibition displaying the works of Soka education students around the world drew viewers of all ages.

Meanwhile, foreign students set up a special café offering popular dishes from their native lands and also staged traditional dances and concerts.