Gallery: Neptune Dining Hall hosts Japanese dinner

By Sofia Howell, Photojournalist

October 22, 2025

A student receives a plate of rice and tonkatsu from Neptune Dining Staff at the main food bar on Tuesday during the Japan Special Dining event in Neptune Dining Hall. The Japan Special Dining event provided a boba station, a ramen bar, a fruit salad bar and a variety of fried Japanese cuisine. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

Junior psychology major Ryan Le unsheathes his katana to showcase his favorite part of Japanese culture on Tuesday during the Japan Special Dining event in Neptune Dining Hall. The Japan Special Dining event featured live music performances, Japanese cuisine and a raffle. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

Jocelyn Thammavongsa, a junior human resources management major, displays a Japanese doll as her favorite part of Japanese culture on Tuesday during the Japan Special Dinner in Neptune Dining Hall. The Japan Special Dinner was held in Neptune Dining Hall for dinner featuring a free raffle, live musical performances by student organizations and Japanese cuisine. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

Students eat at their tables and walk around Neptune Dining Hall on Tuesday during the Japan Special Dinner. The Japan Special Dinner was held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday for all meal plan users and guests. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

NIU Idol Club and community K-pop cover dance group Imagen performed the song “What’s Happenin’” by Psychic Fever from Exile Tribe on Tuesday during the Japan Special Dinner in Neptune Dining Hall. Psychic Fever from Exile Tribe is a Japanese boy band with seven members. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

Lisa Raneses, a senior electrical engineering major (center), dances in the middle of the circle of the dance performance by NIU Idol Club and Imagen. Imagen is a local club in DeKalb that performs K-pop, J-pop and P-pop dance covers. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

The NIU Japanese ensemble performs a mix of eight traditional and contemporary songs from Japanese culture on Tuesday during the Japan Special Dinner in Neptune Dining Hall. The Japanese ensemble used hakuhachi, similar to a wood flute, a shamisen string instrument and a koto, which is a half-tubed string instrument. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

Members of the Japanese ensemble seated on the floor play the Japanese string instrument koto on Tuesday during the Japan Special Dinner in Neptune Dining Hall. The koto is a string instrument typically played on the ground and plucked by three fingerpicks. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

About the Contributor

Sofia Howell

Sofia Howell, Photojournalist