Tokyo Day 2: Clubs Recruitment Day in Waseda University

This morning, I decided to visit Waseda University for the very first time. When I crossed the bridge to the university, I saw this:

Cherry Blossoms over Kanta River

Cherry Blossoms Over Kanta River 2

I felt as if I were lost in a painting.

Then I reached the university, and turned out that it was the uni clubs and sports teams' recruitment day. The whole thing was like a fair of insanely huge scale.

Club Recruitment Day in Waseda University

Club Recruitment Day in Waseda University 2

Club Recruitment Day in Waseda University 4

... then I saw this. I wondered whether it was a club for costumed superheroes.

Club Recruitment Day in Waseda University 3

Then I saw a band doing a cover of The Beatles' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. If I'm not wrong, the band is really a Beatles cover band.

A uni band sampling the Beatles

There's also a pretty funky Modern Jazz club.

The modern jazz club in Waseda University

Some really had some nifty costumes.

Club Recruitment Day in Waseda University 5

This could be the Cycling Club. I dunno.

... er, Cycling club in Waseda University?

There's even a Shaolin Kung Fu Club.

Shaolin Kung Fu club in Waseda University

The very popular male cheerleading team came out to strut their stuff as well.

Male cheerleaders of Waseda U performing

A guy dressed up as a bowling pin for the bowling club.

The bowling club

Unfortunately for me, since I'm doing postgrad studies, I can't join either of these clubs. Quite a bummer.

Later in the day, I made a decision to buy myself computer speakers at Akihabara, thus I headed off to the fabled Electric Town. But before I reached the station, I saw another part of the same river I crossed early in the morning.

Again, petals of cherry blossoms flowing languidly through the river. Many passerbys, despite being on their way to somewhere, would pause and look. Some savoured the view, some took photos.

More cherry blossoms

Petals of Cherry Blossoms flowing down the river

Knowing that this scenery won't last forever, I sort of understood why the Japanese love spring so much. The serenity that filled my heart as I looked was needed to counter the insanity that I encountered at the Akihabara Electric Town...


As I was shopping for computer speakers (I got it eventually), I visited the hobby shops that sell anime figurines. Unlike the shops in Malaysia, the Akihabara ones are pretty huge, and aren't frequented only by young people. I saw countless middle-aged and old guys... examining the naked anime figurines.

I also saw some people dressed up as maids handing out flyers at the streets, but I remembered Justin's chronicles at Akihabara 2 years ago, and figured they wouldn't appreciate me taking photos of them. I was bummed out that I didn't manage to find any maid cafes. Sigh. I won't give up.