Japanese Student Association expands cultural presence on campus

Despite Lehigh being known for having more than 50 student-led cultural associations on campus, it wasn’t until fall 2024 that the Japanese Student Association was created to spread awareness about Japanese culture.

Yuya Oshima, ‘27, was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. After arriving on campus, Oshima realized there was no club or organization related to his home country.

“I wanted to make a Japanese Student Association to not only connect Japanese students, but also to spread the culture, because I love it so much,” Oshima said.

At first the Japanese Student Association only had seven members, a small group of students looking for cultural connection. However, with the help of other cultural clubs and organizations, the association garnered attention. Today, it has more than 130 members, with continuously growing interest in Japanese culture.

Oshima said spreading awareness about Japanese culture is important because of its complexity and because people often miss the depth of the traditions, values and everyday practices. He said it’s easy for people to form misconceptions through pop culture and social media that reduces it to “watching anime or reading manga.”

“There are a lot of other things about Japan that are really beautiful,” Oshima said. “Obviously, anime is great, but I want people to see more about Japan, and that’s our goal.”

The association frequently hosts events with other clubs, such as the Maid Cafe event with Southeast Asia at Lehigh and a sushi-making event with the Asian Cultural Society. The Maid Cafe was one of their most memorable events, drawing more than 140 attendees. 

Not only was it one of their most attended events, but it also gained the club recognition outside Lehigh. A video of the Maid Cafe posted on the Japanese Student Association’s Instagram received more than 750,000 views.

This event featured a group of male members dressed in maid costumes who served tea and snacks to attendees. 

“The most rewarding part of (the Japanese Student Association) is receiving compliments about our events,” Oshima said. 

He said the club plans to keep hosting events, including one called “White Day,” which is similar to Valentine’s Day.

Emma Tsujimoto, ‘27, the vice president and co-founder, said it’s important for Japanese students to be part of something where they can relate to one another and express their heritage. She said she wanted to start the club to find a community she could connect with based on her background. 

She also said although she felt ashamed of her culture while growing up because of limited and inaccurate representation, she eventually learned to value and embrace it. 

“I think the way people viewed Asian culture 10 years ago today is much different than now,” Tsujimoto said. “I felt like it wasn’t cool to be Asian. But now, I am definitely appreciative of my culture and I’m proud of who I am.”

She said she hopes the club can help other students experience a similar shift in perspective.

Sophia Smith, ‘26, an executive member who handles internal and external relations, also takes pride in her Japanese background, as she was born and raised in Japan.

She said because she attends a university in another country, she wanted to keep certain aspects of Japanese culture in her life.

She also said during her first two years at Lehigh, she was disappointed there was no club centered on Japanese culture. When she heard other students were starting one, she felt as though she finally had a place here at Lehigh. 

“(The Japanese Student Association) brought me back to my roots and also allowed me to meet a lot of people I would not have crossed paths with,” Smith said. “It was nice to meet other students who have the same heritage and history as me, like going to school in Japan.”

Smith said she urges students to come to the club’s events even if they have no Japanese background.

“I want people who come to (our) events to walk away with an appreciation for exploring different cultures, experience things with an open mind, and have fun, because that is what (the club) is really about.”