TUFS Global Community Gathering Held in Shanghai

November 7, 2025

On Saturday, October 25, 2025, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies hosted a Global Community Meeting in Shanghai, China.

As part of the TUFS Global Community initiative, the event aims to strengthen networks among faculty, alumni, and current students, while also supporting students studying abroad.

This year’s gathering brought together 27 participants, including alumni active in the Shanghai area and TUFS students currently studying in China. Vice President Toru Aoyama, who was visiting China to attend the 5th Presidents’ Forum of the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities (GAFSU) in Hangzhou, also joined the event.

Vice President Aoyama delivered a lecture titled “What Language Did the Parrot in The Pillow Book Speak?” Drawing on historical records, he explored the possibility that the parrot mentioned in The Pillow Book—a gift from Song merchants to the Heian court—may have originally come from Java and spoken an Indonesian language. The talk offered a fascinating glimpse into the diplomatic and cultural exchanges facilitated by historical trade networks across East and Southeast Asia.

Following the lecture, participants enjoyed lively conversations over Shanghai cuisine, deepening intergenerational and cross-cultural connections.