Keio University

2026 School of Medicine New Year's Celebration Held

Publish: January 07, 2026
School of Medicine/Graduate School of Medicine

Every year at the beginning of the new year, the School of Medicine holds a New Year's Celebration for faculty, staff, and members of the Sanshikai.

This year, the ceremony was held on Monday, January 5, in the large conference room on the 11th floor of Building 2 of Keio University Hospital, and the event was also streamed live via Zoom webinar.

The ceremony welcomed guests from the Kitasato Institute, which has close ties with Keio University, including Chairperson Yasushi Asari, Vice Chairperson Akiyoshi Takahashi, and President Toshiaki Sunazuka of Kitasato University. At the beginning of the ceremony, Dean of the School of Medicine Toru Takebayashi delivered the New Year's address, followed by congratulatory remarks from President Kohei Itoh, Kitasato Institute Chairperson Yasushi Asari, Sanshikai President Junzo Takeda, and Professor Koichi Matsuo of the School of Medicine (representing faculty and staff).

Furthermore, at the reception that began with a toast by Hospital Director Koichi Fukunaga, officers of the Sanshikai, members of the Keio-affiliated hospitals, and faculty members of the university participated, deepening their friendship by exchanging New Year's greetings.

In conjunction with the New Year's Celebration, the Keio Medical Science Prize Rising Star Award ceremony was held based on the "Mitsuhiro Sakaguchi Memorial Keio University Medical Science Fund." Two individuals, Assistant Professor Itaro Sadahiro of the Department of Internal Medicine (Cardiology) and Senior Lecturer Yoshinori Katsumata of the Institute for Integrated Sports Medicine, received the award.

New Year's Address by Dean of the School of Medicine Toru Takebayashi
Congratulatory Remarks by President Kohei Itoh
Congratulatory Remarks by Kitasato Institute Chairperson Yasushi Asari
Congratulatory Remarks by Sanshikai President Junzo Takeda
Congratulatory Remarks by Professor Koichi Matsuo
Scene from the New Year's Celebration
Commemorative photo with the Keio Medical Science Prize Rising Star Award winners (From left: Toru Takebayashi, Dean of the School of Medicine; Itaro Sadahiro, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine (Cardiology); Kohei Itoh, President; Yoshinori Katsumata, Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Integrated Sports Medicine; Keisuke Kataoka, Chairperson of the Medical School Faculty and Alumni Grants Committee)

Photography: Aki Takematsu