The Graduate Entrance Ceremony for the 2021 academic year was held at the Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall on Friday, April 2, 2021, with a total of 1,737 students enrolling across the 14 graduate schools (1,304 in master's programs, 275 in doctoral programs, and 158 in professional degree programs).
To give maximum consideration to preventing the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), participation was limited to the new students and certain related parties only. A video of the ceremony was streamed online for all others interested in following the proceedings.
The ceremony began with Provost Tojiro Aoyama giving the Incoming Class Report, which was followed by the welcome address of President Akira Haseyama. In his address, the president expressed his hope that the students would study deeply in their respective fields of specialization at graduate school and be mindful of developing creative "knowledge" that can address social issues and global-scale problems by integrating what they have learned. Afterward, Associate Professor Sachiko Yamao of the Graduate School of Business Administration gave a congratulatory speech on behalf of the faculty and staff members and the ceremony came to a close with a recording of the Alma Mater, "The Juku-ka."