3868_Annual Concert of the Salesian Polytechnic, Machida City, Tokyo

Modern dance, Concert and beyond

By Fr. Mario Yamanouchi, SDB
Photos by Mr. Tanigami, Salesian Polytechnic

Tokyo, Japan, 9 January 2016 - Every year on first or second Saturday of January the Groups of Modern Dance and Students Orchestra of the Salesian Polytechnic, Tokyo perform a special presentation for the whole ‘Salesio Kosen’ school community. It’s one of the finest artistic and musical expressions of our Polytechnic.

Also this year about 600 persons took part in this event: teachers, students, parents, past pupils and Friends of the Salesian work. There were present also few Salesians with the Rector and Principal Fr. Tomohiro Kojima and Father Provincial in Tokyo - Suginami Ward to Machida City, almost at the boarder line of Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture. At present there are more than 800 students enrolled in four departments of electronics, electricity, informatics and design (5 year course) with a possibility of two more years of higher technical education level.

The 39th Salesian Concert was accompanied by the 34th edition of the Modern Dance group performance. The Orchestra is under the guidance of Fr. Louis Fushiki (77 years) who is the living soul, assistant and director of the Orchestra every year since 1991. The student Orchestra is known for a fine teamwork also thanks to the summer camps at Nojiriko, where the parents of the young musician are cooking in a family spirit. This family experience is very much appreciated in the whole Educative – Pastoral Community of the Salesian Polytechnic. Some members of the student Orchestra also participate as volunteers in the cultural celebrations of the Salesian Polytechnic for the fundraising.

At the extra-curricular level the Salesio Kosen participates every year in the Robotics competions organized by the NHK Japanese National Radio and Television Broadcasting. Our students also participate in the animation of several Machida City events. Every year a small group of young volunteers participates in the Timor Leste immersion experience thanks to one committed Past Pupil.

Salesian Polytechnic is the only private Christian Polytechnic Institution in Japan, in the context of a variety of Catholic higher education institutions like the Tokyo based Jesuit Sophia University with 12.000 students and many Catholic Universitites run by other religious congregations. There is an outstanding high rate (80%) of employment of our past pupils, who are very well appreciated for a high professional standard.

At the level of the IUS (Salesian Tertiary Education Institutions) our ‘Salesio Kosen’ is networking with other similar institutions in the EAO region: Philippines, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and beyond our region in Argentina. There is also some Salesian secondary schools twinning with Thailand and Australia.