By Christopher Sanchez

Reporter

Are you an otaku?  Do you love all things kawaii and chibi?  Have you been told your shipping of characters is excessive and borderline unhealthy?  If you answered yes to any of this, you need to find the Japan and Beyond club.

Japan and Beyond meets every Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the business development center in room 154.  The club focuses on Japanese culture, anime, games, and events.

“Anyone is welcome to come.  We appreciate different cultures coming together,” said Josue Cruz, senior business major and club president.  “If you feel like your culture is misrepresented, we’d want you to come by and present it to the club.”

Japan and Beyond is a very active club that hosts an array of events.  Their meetings are fun and they focus on including members to participate in activities.

The club was putting together a Discord karaoke session for Feb. 24.  Anyone who has the app can go on the voice channel, find the public link, and listen.

Joe Nitro, a sophomore computer science major had his hands full trying to convince his fellow club members to participate.

“The karaoke is about expressing our talents.  We wanted to do this and it’s nice that we don’t have to sing in a public place.  This will be our second attempt,” said Nitro.

Japan and Beyond’s big event for the semester will be their matsuri on April 20 from 4-9 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center at CSUB.  Matsuri is Japanese for a festival or celebration.

This event will be a festival that will highlight Japanese culture.  It is a free event for both students and the community.  Activities include games, a vendor hall, free food, and Taiko drumming.

In the second half of the meeting, Cruz led the club in a sumo wrestler origami session.

After the club finished their origami sumo wrestlers, members battled each other.  Participants placed their wrestlers on a raised surface and tapped repeatedly on the surface to make the wrestlers move.  It looked and sounded like a drum circle.  The winning wrestler was the last one standing.

“We try to do one activity or presentation,” said Tony Mendez, senior poly-science major.  “One time we did this game show from Korea where you put a gummy worm on your forehead and have to get it into your mouth without using your hands.”

Cody Besinaiz, senior communications major got second place in the sumo origami tournament and was proud of his newly created paper fighter.

“We really didn’t have a strategy.  We just went in and fought our own way.  He’s small, but he kicked butt.  I’m proud of him,” said Besinaiz.

If you knew chibi meant short, otaku meant a person obsessed with certain aspects of culture, and kawaii meant cute, you’ll fit right in.

If you love anime, Japanese culture, or you just find yourself on campus on Friday afternoons, stop by and check out Japan and Beyond.

You can find more information on their Instagram and Facebook at Japan and Beyond CSUB.