Peer Life Coaches

Our team of Peer Life Coaches consists of dedicated students who are integral members of the Student Support Center staff. They proactively offer peer support as fellow students in various areas, with a primary focus on assisting first-year undergraduate students in their academic and personal growth.
　　
Comprising 38 undergraduate and graduate students from different Schools, our team is organized into four specialized groups: Student Media Team, Guidance Resources Team, Study Support Team, and International Exchange Team. Collaborating closely with faculty members serving as Student Life Coaches, they undertake a wide range of diversified tasks, fostering a collaborative and multifaceted approach to student support.

We are committed to supporting Science Tokyo students in realizing the following objectives:

Our commitment lies in cultivating the spirit of “learning and creating” through comprehensive support initiatives.

Through a spectrum of diversified and multifaceted activities, we aim to:

We will engage in proactive support activities for learning, focusing on collaboration, creativity, and the development of latent potential.

We aim to grow alongside Science Tokyo students through our efforts toward a common goal.

We will challenge ourselves by growing together through the pursuit of self-directed learning and thinking.

The Student Media Team provides useful information for Science Tokyo students to take on the challenges of proactive learning and endeavors in their specialized fields. Specifically, we are in charge of planning, production, dissemination, and implementation of the following:

The handouts are full of information to help make your academic life easier. You can download them from the following links and make effective use of them. Available in Japanese only.

At Science Tokyo, each undergraduate student will join a Department in their second year, and develop research plans and pursue studies at their affiliated laboratory starting in the third or fourth year. Every year, many students become concerned about which Department and laboratory they will belong to. Similarly, students
will be urged to make choices regarding their career paths — selecting a field in which to specialize or whether to advance to a doctoral program or seek employment.

With the aim of helping in the students' decision-making, these interviews are focused on how the interviewees, who were (then) Tokyo Tech faculty members from various fields, determined their future career paths and areas of study when they were university students. Whether determining future plans or even if plans have been set, we hope these stories will inspire and encourage anyone's decision-making.

Download and enjoy the interviews from the links below. Provided in Japanese only.
(Titles of interviewees are as of the interview date)

We plan and manage events for the purposes of deepening and expanding curricular learning, broadening perspectives and developing learning through extracurricular activities, and promoting academic communication among students.

The team organizes orientation sessions and student-unit based exchange opportunities for newly enrolled undergraduate students, with the aim of enabling them to think for themselves about what to achieve at Science Tokyo and to make a plan of the steps toward their goals.

Peer Life Coaches are in charge of planning, operating and facilitating the sessions, which have been held every April since 2017.
　
Based on a needs analysis, the sessions cover a comprehensive range of information that is considered especially useful at the start of Science Tokyo student life. Topics include: study planning, course registration, on-campus events, tips for a career path, and available campus facilities. After the session, the students are divided into their respective student units and relish communicating with each other in the group. The team continues to explore different formats for the sessions.

Of the basic science and technology courses, the team is in charge of tutoring in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Tutoring is offered on a one-on-one basis for undergraduate students.
Tutoring is conducted in Japanese.

We organize events and activities to promote international exchanges, cross-cultural understanding, and language learning at the Global Lounge, Taki Plaza B1 Floor, and other places inside and outside of Science Tokyo.

Campus tours at Ookayama Campus were held by the Peer Life Coaches International Exchange Team on April 1 and September 30. They showed around Taki Plaza, Honkan Main Building, Cafeterias, Nihongo Space, Financial Support counter, etc. for about one hour. The information for those places will be very helpful for new comers when they start their campus life. The tours themselves were compact but very informative.

International Exchange Team had a walking tour on Saturday, May 18. In order to enjoy the night view, the participants gathered at 3:00 pm at Tokyo Teleport Station and the Peer Life Coaches led the tour to Odaiba and Tennozu Isle. The tour took about five hours. 16 participants from European and Asian countries had a great time strolling by the beach and alongside the canal on early summer afternoon.

International Exchange Team had a "Yukata and Maccha Experience" event on Tuesday, July 23 as part of the summer events. 13 participants from Asian and European countries enjoyed wearing yukata and networking. They also learned how to make and drink tea from a tea master. "Yukata and Maccha" were a precious opportunity to learn Japanese culture for them.

Manga Workshop which was held on December 26 was the third event for this academic year. International Exchange Team invited a professional manga artist, Kazuo Maekawa*, to give a workshop on how to draw manga promptly. Manga is now one of the mainstream Japanese cultures and very popular inside and outside Japan. 25 participants from Asia, Europe and Africa were divided into small groups to have a better communication. At the end of the event, each group created a four-panel comic and shared it with the other participants. That was an awesome time!
* Kazuo Maekawa is known as one of the authors of "Ace Attorney," which is originally a computer game.

On Saturday, January 11, the second walking tour for International Exchange Team was held in Ikegami. They made puzzles inspired by Shichifukujin - Seven Lucky Gods - and long-time-beloved local stores in advance. The participants were guided by the members and given hints to solve the puzzles. Ikegami is a nice place to visit because there are historical temples, buildings and tea sweets, and it is quite near from the university. Some participants thought that the puzzles were a bit difficult to solve, but they enjoyed walking and were happy to see Mt. Fuji on a beautiful winter day!

This program is offered in Chinese, Korean, English, and Japanese, facilitated by the fellow students with international exchange experience. You can choose one or more languages to speak in a small group. Multilingual Chat is intended to promote communication among students through free conversation.
If any of the following applies to you, you will enjoy the program:-
I want to speak English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
I want to learn about different cultures.
I want to chat about daily life and various topics.
I want to share my thoughts and stories with someone.
I want to make friends and study together.　

No reservation or preparation is necessary. Just come and join us!

April 4, 8, 9, 12 / October 2, 4　Campus Tour in English

Campus Tour in English was held for newly enrolled international students. Accompanied by our team members, they explored Taki Plaza, the Main Building, and the library among other facilities on Ookayama Campus.

• Campus Tour in English - Spring
• Campus Tour in English - Autumn

May 20　Local walking tour to Todoroki Ravine

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Together with our coaches, the group visited Todoroki Ravine and nearby temples, shrines, and museums. Located not far from Tokyo Tech, it is the only ravine in Tokyo’s 23 special wards.

• Poster for Local walking tour to Todoroki Ravine
• Report

June 18　Kamakura walking tour: enjoying history and flowers

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Kamakura is known for beautiful hydrangeas that bloom all over the city in June. Our team guided the tour in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, visiting famous spots on foot and on local trains.
This tour is designed for those interested in traditional Japanese culture and landscapes, as well as international exchanges.

• Poster for Kamakura walking tour:
• Report

July 14　Paper sumo wrestling tournament

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Sumo wrestling is a cherished tradition in Japan and also enjoys widespread popularity overseas. Kami-zumo, which translates to “paper sumo” (with "kami" meaning paper), has emerged as a fun pastime. Players face off in lively matches with scaled-down paper-cut wrestlers and a “dohyo” wrestling ring. Participants reveled in crafting palm-sized paper wrestlers, experiencing Japanese culture through this traditional game. Prof. Hirofumi Yamamoto of the Section for Japanese Language and Culture also joined the event on the day, offering expert insights into the rich tapestry of general sumo culture, and an overview of the kami-zumo playing rules.

• Poster for Paper sumo wrestling tournament
• Report

Dec. 4　Christmas craft workshop

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Participants made Christmas tree ornaments using colorful origami and other materials.

• Poster for Christmas craft workshop
• Report

Dec. 10　Autumn leaves walking tour in Tokyo's "Yanesen" downtown area

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Our team members acted as guides for a walk through Tokyo’s downtown area on an early winter’s day. The tour included visits to Nezu Shrine and Rikugien Garden where participants could fully enjoy the autumn leaves, as well as a stroll back in time around the traditional downtown area.

• Poster for Autumn leaves walking tour
• Report

Jan 16　Japanese Comedy Workshop with the Yoshimoto Agency

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The workshop was held with the international duo "Franpone" from Yoshimoto Agency. The participants were international students, Japanese students and faculty/staff members from more than 10 countries. They learned how to make "manzai" in both Japanese and English. The workshop room was filled with laughter from beginning to end, and the three hours flew by.

• Poster for Japanese Comedy Workshop

We are currently recruiting new members!!

For those interested, please come and join one of the information sessions (no registration required /Hybrid*) at Global Lounge Ookayama Campus at Taki Plaza (B1F). Or alternatively you can directly apply via application form embedded within PDF named Application Process.

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【Information Session Schedule】
●　4/10 (Thu) 17:30 - 18:15
●　4/15 (Tue) 12:30 - 13:15
●　4/15 (Tue) 17:30 - 18:15
●　4/16 (Wed) 13:30 - 14:15
●　4/17 (Thu) 12:30 - 13:15
*For those would like to join info session(s) via Zoom, please contact Student Life Coach Consultation Desk via Email: concierge.info@jim.titech.ac.jp.

For further questions, please contact Student Life Coach Consultation Desk.