Then and Now: Former Sony exec attends Homecoming, recalls international exchange and decades of visits to WMU

KALAMAZOO, Mich.— Decades after his study abroad experience at Western Michigan University, Shun Fujishima returned from across the Pacific for a campus visit during Homecoming 2026. The celebration was especially meaningful.

In photographs from the 1970s, Fujishima appears as a college student finding his way in the world, a young Japanese national exploring the United States for the first time. 

The aspiring tech executive would go on to build a global career at Sony Computer Entertainment, where as a senior vice president he would help introduce the PlayStation to the American and European markets. His work took him to Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles and back.

Yet, Fujishima's time in Kalamazoo never left his heart. Over the decades, he revisited campus several times, often posing in some of his favorite spots. Seen side by side, the pictures trace not only how campus has changed, but how long Fujishima's connection to Kalamazoo has lasted.

“That's me, believe it or not,” he jokes, looking at the earlier photos during his Homecoming 2026 visit.

Fujishima was 21 and a junior at Keio University in Tokyo when he studied abroad at Western from 1971-72. “I really wanted to see the world,” he says. 

Fujishima's time at WMU was made possible by the Yukiko Murakami Memorial Fund, a scholarship established in memory of WMU exchange student Yukiko Murakami, who tragically lost her life in a 1962 bus accident while traveling the United States after completing her studies at Western. The fund still supports international student exchange between Keio University and WMU. 

A Home Away from Home

When Fujishima was at Western there were approximately 20 Japanese students on campus. Today there are around 16 and American students still study abroad at Keio.

Fujishima's favorite memories at Western include joining Japan Club, sharing food at the International Buffet and going apple picking with friends in autumn. All these years later, he still keeps in touch with his roommate.

He says the Western welcome extended well beyond campus. He recalls the late Dr. Michitoshi Soga and his wife, Ryoko, opening their home for holiday celebrations, creating a sense of belonging for Japanese students far from their families. The couple would later found the Soga Japan Center.

The Soga family’s kindness stayed with Fujishima. “I wanted to return the favor if at all possible.”

Kalamazoo-Kai: Keeping the connection alive

Fujishima stayed in touch with Japanese classmates through letters and postcards. Whenever they visited Japan, he helped coordinate plans and get everyone together for meals. As the network grew to nearly 50 people, it officially became Kalamazoo-Kai. In Japanese, kai means “association.”

Founded by Fujishima in the 1980s, Kalamazoo-Kai brings together Japanese alumni and friends whose educational and professional paths have led them to Kalamazoo. Today, the group is led by WMU Japan Liaison Officer Jin Abe.

Fujishima wrote a song for the group that celebrates the strong connection its members share, and they sing it together when they gather for reunions. The song, titled “Kalamazoo in Our Heart,” includes these lines: 

Though the times were different when each of us was there
We have a lot that we share
Memories we cherish of the city of the mall
Are live and vivid for us all

—Shun Fujishima, "Kalamazoo in Our Heart"

For Fujishima, returning to campus and revisiting familiar locations is part of a connection he has carried with him for decades. “It’s been a dream through the years,” he says.

Although the cost of international study and other challenges can make studying abroad feel out of reach, Fujishima says his experience at Western was worth it. He hopes future Japanese students will have the same opportunity, and that after returning home, they’ll stay connected with Kalamazoo-Kai.

 “When they go home, I'd like to have them continue their involvement,” he says. “That’s my hope."

Explore Programs and Apply today

Ready to become a Bronco? Apply to WMU as an international student. Interested in an exchange program abroad. Learn more about a short-term exchange at Western Michigan University or travel to Japan on a WMU Study Abroad program.