The 37th edition of the Tohoku University International Festival (TUIF) - always one of the most popular social events in Sendai - was held at Kawauchi Campus on October 12 as part of Homecoming weekend.

Despite heavy rain the night before, more than 2,000 students and community members attended the event, enjoying a day of delicious international cuisine, cultural activities and performances.

Organised by the Tohoku University Foreign Students Association (TUFSA), this year's theme was "Passport to the World," a celebration of the university's "Open Door" policy and its emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

"As you can see, we have used the travel motif in all our decorations - boarding passes, planes, passports and country stamps - because we want everyone to feel like they are visiting different cultures," said Avin Sharma, president of TUFSA.

Alumnus Makoto Tahara, who graduated in 1993, said he was pleasantly surprised by the scope of the event. "I was away from Sendai for many years, so this is my first time attending the festival. It is really impressive that Tohoku University has so many international students from so many different countries."

Some 10 food stalls offered popular delicacies from around the world, prepared, cooked and served by Tohoku University students, many of whom were keen to introduce their favourite dishes from home.

"We are serving tacos and sopes poblanos with beans, chicken sauce and pickled onions," said Saul Perez, a master's student from Mexico. "We've had a lot of people visit our stall who said they like Mexican food, so I'm really happy."

"Our dish is called tequenos, which is like a fried cheese stick," said Jesus Urbaneja from Venezuela. "Last night was really hectic because we had to prepare everything in advance and we weren't sure how things were going to turn out with the rain. But today has been so fun and we're happy that people seem to like our tequenos!"

Juthatip Wiwattanapantuwong, president of Tohoku University Alumni Thailand (TUAT), who was in town to receive the university's International Award on Homecoming Day, even helped out at the Thai stall. "This is always a lively event, and a great opportunity to catch up with people whom we have not seen in a long time," she said, adding that she felt slightly nostalgic.

"I remember doing Thai dancing at the festival in my first year as a student. The next year we also did some cooking and wore traditional dress. I'm happy to see that there are so many more Thai students today, and I told them that the Alumni Association can be a home for them when they return to Thailand."

To encourage festival-goers to try new things and to learn about the different cultures of the people who live in the community, there were interactive corners. The festival's main stage also provided all-day entertainment, including folk songs and dances.

Local idol Zunda Akane wrapped up the day's festivities with a high-energy set that got everyone dancing and singing along.

"The message of our festival is that Sendai and Miyagi - even Tohoku as a region - is a very international and collaborative place where we can learn a lot from each other," said Sharma. "Hopefully, everyone who came today experienced something new and interesting and took home happy memories."