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Keio University held undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies at its Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall on Monday, March 23. The Keio community gathered to celebrate the graduation of 6,231 students from the 10 undergraduate faculties (including 274 students from correspondence courses) and 1,599 students from the 14 graduate schools (including 212 doctoral students, 1,200 master’s students, and 187 professional degree students).

The graduate commencement ceremony, which was held during the morning, began with the Graduating Class Report, delivered by Vice-President Yoshimitsu Matsuura. Then, President Kohei Itoh conferred diplomas to three students representing those who completed doctoral, master’s, and professional degree programs respectively. He proceeded to address the graduates, offering his congratulations on their great achievement. The president’s address was followed by congratulatory remarks delivered on behalf of the university’s faculty and staff by Professor Koji Hase of the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The ceremony concluded with a rendition of Keio’s school song, the "Juku-ka."

The undergraduate commencement ceremony, which was held in the afternoon, commenced with the singing of the "Juku-ka." Next, Vice-President Matsuura presented the Graduating Class Report. This was followed by President Itoh’s conferral of degrees and awards for academic excellence. In his address to the graduating class, President Itoh encouraged the graduates to cherish the friends and teachers they met during their time at Keio. He expressed his hope that they would apply the curiosity and drive that defined their Keio education to the challenges they will face in their new lives beyond the university’s gates.

President Itoh’s address was followed by remarks made on behalf of the Keio alumni community by Teiko Kudo, who serves as Director and Deputy President of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and is also a university trustee. She offered her expectation that the graduates would serve as guiding lights for others in their coming careers, illuminating the path to a brighter future. The ceremony continued with a valedictory address delivered by a representative of the graduating class, Yuki Masuda, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Business and Commerce.

The day’s events were also attended by many alumni marking the 25th anniversary of their graduation, who celebrated the achievements of their young successors as they embark on a new life journey. In anticipation of this occasion, the Class of 2001 Mita-kai (alumni association) organized a campaign of giving called the "KEIO Future Co-Creation Fund." Their generous contributions were cataloged in a Donations Register, which was presented at the ceremony on behalf of the Mita-kai by the Chair of the Giving and Membership Committee, Takayuki Ohnishi, and the Chair of the IT and Publicity Committee, Yusuke Ikeda. Next, the Chair of the Executive Committee, Shigehiko Suhara, and the Chair of the Keio Rengo Mita-kai, Yutaka Aso, offered their respective greetings to the Keio community. The ceremony then concluded with a rendition of the "Keio Sanka."

After the commencement ceremony, a reunion was held for Keio alumni who had graduated 25 years prior, providing an opportunity to reminisce about their schooling days. As the morning rain gave way to gentle sunshine on this heady spring day, the assembled members of the Keio community celebrated the launch of a new chapter in the lives of the Class of 2026.