NEWS

APU hosted its 22nd annual Tenku Festival on campus on October 26th and 27th. Tenku Festival is an event where local people can experience the multicultural environment of APU, where students from more than 100 countries and regions. The festival not only fosters cross-cultural understanding and contributes to local revitalization, but it also serves as a platform for students to showcase their activities.

This year’s Tenku Festival Executive Committee, organized by students, chose the theme “YOU.” This theme encourages each participant to “embrace your unique self, appreciate the joy of co-creation with others, and soar together into the world.”

This year's festival was larger in scale than previous years, featuring around 100 booths and activities. Beppu City Mayor Nagano and APU President Yoneyama kicked off the event with a declaration of commencement. Over the two-day event, clubs, student organizations, and alumni held food stalls offering multinational cuisine, hosted exhibitions, and organized flea markets. On the special stage, powerful performances by students, club members, and local residents energized the audience. Special programs organized by the Tenku Festival Executive Committee included a campus-wide stamp rally treasure hunt and the Lantern Festival, which illuminated the night sky with lanterns. For the first time this year, there were special projects connecting with the local community, including a photo booth and a lecture by an airline, workshops on crafts, and a magic show.

On the second day, the band TENSONG, comprised of APU alumni, returned for a triumphant concert titled “We are back with APU ~ TENSONG LIVE @ TENKU FESTIVAL 2024 ~” at Millennium Hall. TENSONG had previously performed at Tenku Festival during their student days, making this their second appearance on the APU stage. The band members expressed their joy at returning to Beppu and captivated the crowd of over 600 guests from both inside and outside the university with a stunning performance.

Tenku Festival Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenkufes_apu/?hl=ja

Message from the Tenku Festival Executive Committee

We envisioned a Tenku Festival that could open APU to the community, allowing everyone to feel, “This is how fun Tenku Festival is! APU is such an amazing place!” We continued our preparations with that goal in mind, and with approximately 100 booths and programs, this year’s Tenku Festival attracted around 6,000 visitors. We can proudly say that this was the biggest and best Tenku Festival to date. Thank you so much for joining the 22nd Tenku Festival. We hope it became a memorable, enjoyable experience for each of you.

22nd Tenku Festival Executive Committee - General Affairs Team of 4 Members

Representative: MATSUMOTO KAZUSHI, College of International Management, 3rd year
Vice Representative: CHEN Kuan-Lin, College of Asia Pacific Studies Graduated in 2024
Vice Representative and Stage Department Leader: RHODES ALEXANDER MIKUTO, College of Asia Pacific Studies, 3rd year
Vice Representative and Booth Department Head: OKADA KAI, College of International Management, 2nd year