In this “Friendship Without Borders at Geiko” series, I usually interviewed a pair of international and Japanese student about their friendship. This time, I interviewed two students who know each other by chance and deepening their bond through creative work that contributes to creating a vibrant Geiko. I believe their friendship is unique to Geiko, something that may not be found in other faculties. Please read on!

Interviewee:
Aaron Browning: Environmental Design Course, Graduate School of Design, Master’s 1^st year

Hikaru Matsunaka: Industrial Design Course, School of Design, Undergraduate 4^th year　

Interviewer:
Megumi Hasegawa: Human Life Design and Science Course, Graduate School of Design, Master’s 2^nd year

First, how did you meet?
Aaron: The first time we met, Hikaru was holding the “Free Coffee”, a kind of event in Building 6 on the Ohashi campus. At that time, I was in the process of searching for something to do because I felt the distance between people on campus was becoming distant due to the coronavirus pandemic. Then I saw his “Free Coffee” event and thought that I would get along well with someone who was organizing such an event. I went inside, and we talked about various things over a cup of coffee, and I knew we could click and share the same values.

What is the “free coffee”?
Hikaru: It is an event where I give out free coffee and sweets. I first saw a senior student at Ijiri dormitory holding a “free coffee” event with the theme of deepening interaction between both students and the local community. Seeing this, I thought that I could do something similar on campus.

The student room in my lab faces the outside, so I thought I could use it as a base for this event.

I see, so that’s where the two of you met.

Hikaru: Aaron came to the event on the first day, and actually, I started the event on a whim, so I had no idea that I would have a good encounter with Aaron. At the time, I wasn’t interested in actively speaking English, so I was grateful that Aaron was fluent in Japanese. At that time, we talked about Aaron’s plans for his food stall project.

The food stall project is related to the event that you two held recently, isn’t it? Did you decide to hold that event right after you met?
Hikaru: We hadn’t kept in touch for a while after we met at the free coffee event. But I saw Aaron at one of the events and started talking to him, and that’s how we started communicating again. We have similar interests. Music and coffee.

It seems that your shared interests in music and coffee were a big part of how the two of you became friends.
Aaron: Yes, but it wasn’t just that our hobbies matched. Both of us also wanted to use coffee and music as a way to connect with people. That’s why I like Hikaru more and more.

I see. So, after you got back together, did you have a series of meetings that led to the event?
Hikaru: Yes, we had meetings in the student cafeteria, and I was invited to a Takoyaki party of ENTalk, a club to which Aaron belongs. Until then, when I was involved with international students, it was just a casual chat with people in the Ijiri dormitory. At the Takoyaki party, when I saw two Japanese students from ENTalk speaking fluent English with international students, I felt frustrated. That made me want to speak more with international students. I recently participated in a class at a Finnish university (conducted in English). Actually, the frustration I felt at that time encouraged me to take that class.

Aaron: I was glad to see Hikaru participate in the ENTalk event.

So, can I finally ask you about the event you two did?
Aaron: The project I originally had in mind was the “Yatai (food stall) project”. I came up with this project because I felt that the distance between people on the campus was becoming distant, and I wanted to see what I could do to help the situation. I thought that if events were easily visible to people, people would come, so I decided to offer an outdoor event still related to “the food stall project”, “IJIRI BLEND” by Hikaru and myself. We noticed that the Ijiri dormitory is a point of contact between Japanese students and international students, and we wanted to create a place where they could communicate with each other. So, we planned to provide a place where people have fun through coffee and music. The name “IJIRI BLEND” is a combination of the two blends. One is that Japanese and international students can communicate with each other in the Ijiri Dormitory, and another is the “coffee bean blend”.

Hikaru: In the “IJIRI BREND”, both of us were DJs. But Aaron was kind enough to do more work for the coffee, and I got to have a lot of DJ time.

Aaron: It was because it was fun to spin the coffee mill, haha. There were quite a lot of people who participated. About half of them were Japanese, and half of them were international students.

So, was the project a success?
Aaron: Yes, it was. I would say it was a success. I think it is important to plan and carry out the event. By the way, we haven’t had a review meeting yet. I would like to talk with Hikaru on this soon and make a better plan.

Is there a next event?
Aaron: I would like to do the food stall project at the next school festival and periodically after that at the Ohashi campus. In my idea, I want to set up a food stall and offer coffee and music. So, I’ll have to start working hard at the workshop next week.

I can see how close the two of you are, but again, how would you describe your relationship with each other?
Aaron: Hikaru is a cheerful person just like his name (The word “hikaru” means shining in Japanese), and I think he values meeting people very much. He values connecting people through music and events and is interested in doing so not only on a small scale but also on a social scale. We happen to have the same taste in music, and our personalities and values match each other very well.

Hikaru: I simply think Aaron is amazing. He is motivated to deepen exchanges between Japanese and foreign students. I don’t think it is easy to keep that kind of motivation. Moreover, I think he is a person who doesn’t let his ideas end up just being empty words. I admire him for how he takes things to the point of making it happen. I respect him a lot.

Aaron: I respect you, too. Hikaru has already got his job and is leaving Ohashi Campus next year, so I would like to talk with him more while he is still with us. I would like to do many things with him before he graduates if we have time.

Hikaru: There is an event this coming Friday at the Ijiri dormitory, and we can DJ together! It could be an opportunity to spread the food stall project or something.

You two are from different countries, did you encounter any difficulties when collaborating?
Aaron: There wasn’t really a problem because of the country, but I have worked in the business world and am in my 30s, so Hikaru and I are very far apart in age. I have a desire to support young people like Hikaru. If someone has an idea, I want to support them to realize it and help those who want to hold an event.

Hikaru: I wasn’t really aware of his age. It’s true that I had an image of him as a leader because he led in various ways. I didn’t really feel the difference between countries. When I go out with foreign students, everyone is usually late, but Aaron is not like that, and I think his way of doing things is close to Japanese culture. It may be because of Aaron’s personality, but it was different from the image I have of foreign students.

So, is there anything you would like to say in closing?
Aaron: We organized good events, so look forward to the next one. I hope it’s a better event than last time. Please let me treat coffee to everyone!

Hikaru: This may be my own imagination, but I think that international students feel uncomfortable talking to Japanese people because of language problems and Japanese people also feel uncomfortable talking to international students. Japanese people want to speak to them in English but cannot because they feel shy to speak or they are afraid of making mistakes. I was one of them. I think it would make everyone happy if both international and Japanese students had the courage to say “Hello” to each other!

Aaron: We like coffee and music, and it would be nice if both Japanese and international students happened to be there over a cup of coffee and music that everyone likes and if everyone could have fun and find themselves interacting with each other. I am now hoping to work with some of the newly enrolled international students to create a food stall for use at the food stall event. I believe that this will be another opportunity for people to communicate with each other, and through working together, we will be able to create something important.

As a Geiko student myself, I was very excited to conduct this interview. I think it is a privilege that Geiko provides an environment where people of all nationalities, ages, and backgrounds can study design, share the problems they face in society and their values and aspirations for a better world, and come together to do good for others. Whether you are a prospective or current international student at Geiko or even a Japanese student, I want to encourage you to take the first step to talk to someone on campus and who knows, voilà, you can be best of friends for life. All you need to do is simply start with a “Hello”, as Hikaru suggested!

About the Writer
I am a master’s student. I’m Japanese, but I really love foreign cultures, especially Chinese culture. It’s fun for me to hear the stories from international students because it broadens my horizons. If you also become a Geiko student, you can expand your creativity as well as your international horizons. Why don’t you join us? We are waiting for you!

Megumi Hasegawa
Graduate School of Design
Human Life Design and Science Course