Dr. Kunihiko Terasawa hosted 15 Wartburg alumni at the second annual Tokyo Outfly July 26.

Attendees included Mari Funabayashi (1990), Takao Saitō (1992), Takashi Saiga (1996), Akiko Ōsato (1996), Kiichirō Yokoyama (1998), Tomoko Shibuya (2005), Mayumi Hayashi (2005), Sayumi Abe (2006), Shigeru Ōta (2007), Satoru Ishikawa (2007), Ayako Shimizu (2008), Yumi Mikajiri (2008), Masaichi Hirakawa (2012), Aiko Onitsuka (2013) and Keita Furumoto (2013).

Terasawa, an assistant professor of religion, was excited to see the group grow and hear how Wartburg impacted the lives of these alumni.

“Wartburg education is the foundation of my career and life. I’ve become an international banker, went to England and am now working at the GE Capital Japan as the female vice president of structured finance,” said Ōsato, a business major.

“Everyone shared the most enjoyable and hardest memories of experiences at Wartburg and how these experiences are related to their lives and work,” Terasawa said.

“Japanese Wartburg alums have challenged themselves to pursue their dreams,” he continued. Mikajiri, a biology major, finished medical school in the Czech Republic this year. Ishikawa, a computer science major, is pursuing his Ph.D. in Helsinki, Finland.

After dinner, the group watched video of last year’s fishermen dances—Shimizu and others started the dances for International Week—and saw photos of campus and recent events.

Saitō, a computer science major now working in IT for the U.S. Navy in Yokosuka, still remembers Outfly morning as a student.

“When I stayed in the (residence hall), at a very early 5 a.m., someone shouted ‘Today is Outfly!’ I did not understand its meaning until my classes were canceled,” Saitō said. “I still remember that voice.”

To see more photos from this and other 2014 Outfly events visit the Wartburg College Facebook page.