In the evening following the undergraduate seminar, we held a social gathering (welcome party) among the seminar members. Although I had not been in charge of the seminar in the 2022 academic year, the idea of an in-person social gathering takes me back to around 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Going out for a meal with the students felt like a distant memory, almost forgotten.

This time, the newly appointed third-year students in charge of social parties organized a reservation at an izakaya near Takadanobaba. I immersed myself in the youthful atmosphere and enjoyed conversations about topics that currently interest the students. Often, hints about the directions of future activities can be gleaned from such conversations.

Mr. Saldarini, who had participated in the bonding activities for today's seminar, also joined us for the social gathering. He has now become quite familiar with Tokyo and Waseda University, hasn't he?