The University of the Philippines Philippines- Japan Friendship Club, or UP Tomo-Kai, has relaunched their official website this May 2009. UP Tomo-Kai is one of the oldest, most active, and most respected university organizations centered around Japan and the Japanese culture and language.

UP Tomo-Kai was originally established in 1990 by individuals dubbed by the organization as The Seven Samurai. In 1997, the organization put together one of it biggest projects, the UP Tomo-Kai Filipino-Japanese Speech Contest. The contest still survives today in a number of other incarnations, including a digital film festival and a short play competition.

Nearly twenty years on, UP Tomo-Kai continues to support The Japan Foundation Manila, The Japan Information and Cultural Center, and The Embassy of Japan in Manila in various academic and cultural endeavors. They also hold outreach programmes, learning seminars, and homestay visits for Japanese exchange students in UP Diliman.

Membership campaigns are held once or twice yearly, at the beginning of each semester. If you are a student of the University of the Philippines at the Diliman Campus and would like to join, please drop by the organization’s tambayan at the Center for International Studies (CIS), Benton Hall (Palma Hall Annex) or visit the website for updates.