From Sushi to Saké: HEC Students Celebrate Japanese Culture in Style

Each year, HEC students get to explore the beauty of Japanese culture on campus from dressing up in colorful Kimono robes to learning the art of origami and calligraphy.

“We want everybody to experience the great cultural vibes of Japan,” said Mariko Nakata, MBA’26. Mariko curated the musical entertainment for ‘Japan Night’ with popular Japanese hits as 180 guests sampled Japanese food, learned calligraphy, drank traditional Japanese green tea, played Japanese games and more. The cuisine included grilled Takoyaki balls made of cheese and octopus, karaage chicken, edamame and sushi. There were also multiple varieties of Japanese saké to taste. 

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Japanese candidates for about six months,” said Allison Brown, Marketing Recruitment Manager. “Our Japanese students have a really special reputation for being one of the most supportive and engaged communities that we have on campus.”

Derrick Blackwell-Hunt, MBA ’26, said he is passionate about Japanese culture (he is learning Japanese) and plans to study at Keio University as a Double Degree student. An HEC Paris MBA partner institution, Keio is one of Japan’s prestigious universities. 

The event was not only a social gathering but also an opportunity for the organizers to apply what they learned in class to a real-world setting, explained Shogo Kodama, MBA ’25, the president of Japan night operating team.

Shogo recently attended a Japanese whisky event and met a lot of Japanese companies that want to expand their market in Europe. He approached a Japanese sake company to discuss the challenges it is facing and showcased Japan Night as an opportunity. 

“This is kind of like a sales pitch,” Shogo said. “I can help the Japanese company and I can also help students to know more about Japanese culture. Of course, we have fun but on the other hand we learn from this. When we look inside of this event – the logistics, sales pitches, etc. – this is a real hands-on opportunity to apply what we learn. This is more like a company. We allocated several different departments and tasks. I had to check the progress of each team and maintain communication with the sake company.”

Sergio Briceno, MBA ’26, said he really appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the Japanese culture from eating sushi and Takoyaki balls to writing his name in calligraphy. “It’s great to see how the culture is well represented even by a few students,” he said.

A special thank you to those who sponsored the event and made it even more special.