Happy New Year.
At the beginning of 2026 (Reiwa 8), I would like to extend my warmest New Year’s greetings to you all.

This year corresponds to Hinoe-Uma in the traditional East Asian zodiac, a sign said to mark a time when passion and decisiveness open new horizons. The zodiac, based on a sixty-year cycle, reflects the ancient wisdom of China and has long been regarded as a marker of turning points in human activity and social change. It is widely observed that major transitions tend to occur roughly every sixty years—not only in human physiology, such as immunity and metabolism, but also in long-term economic cycles known as the “Kondratieff waves,” as well as in shifts in the international order. In this sense, this year can truly be described as one in which Hiroshima University itself takes a new step toward the future.

Over the past two years, 2024 and 2025, we commemorated the milestones of our 75+75th anniversary and the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. During this period, we hosted a reading of A-bomb-related poems by Sayuri Yoshinaga, convened the University Presidents for Peace Conference, and welcomed lectures and dialogue sessions featuring the French historian and demographer Emmanuel Todd. I believe that, in the face of an increasing nuclear threat, these initiatives enabled us to convey to the world Hiroshima University’s enduring philosophy—the “spirit dedicated to the pursuit of peace”, which we have upheld consistently since our founding—while also underscoring the vital importance of sustained dialogue.

In the area of research, Hiroshima University was again selected last year for a succession of major national funding programs. These include the Program for the Future-Leading and Advanced Graduate-schools—the only program of its kind among universities in western Japan—as well as the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)’s Medical Research Support Program, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Education Network for Semiconductor Technologies program. These achievements are the result of the concerted efforts of our executives, faculty, and staff, who worked together as one to secure large-scale competitive funding.

This year will also bring significant developments in our campus infrastructure. On the Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, an industry–academia–government collaboration hub for semiconductor and metamaterials research will be completed, and the University of Idaho Hiroshima Campus is scheduled to open this summer in one corner of our campus. Meanwhile, at the Kasumi Campus, following the completion of a vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing hub—the only one of its kind among universities in Japan—, the construction of a new building to house the Radiation Effects Research Foundation is also progressing at a rapid pace. We will devote our full efforts to strengthening the facilities and environments that form the foundation for nurturing highly skilled human resources.

“History is the light of truth and the teacher of life,” said Cicero, the ancient Roman statesman. It is essential for us to reflect on our past journey, reassess both our achievements and challenges, and apply those lessons to the future. Furthermore, guided by the spirit of shō-ō-satsurai—“examining the past to discern the future”—as expressed in the ancient Chinese classic I Ching (the Book of Changes), we will connect our accumulated academic knowledge to new innovation.

Japan today faces a series of profound challenges, including a declining population, the weakening of national strength amid economic contraction, and rising international tensions. Yet humanity has repeatedly overcome wars, pandemics, and natural disasters, opening new paths to the future through flexible thinking and bold challenges. As we reflect once again on the hardships and dedicated efforts of our predecessors—who rebuilt Hiroshima University from the unprecedented devastation of the atomic bombing—we reaffirm our determination to cultivate the resilience needed to turn crises into opportunities.

Since assuming the presidency in 2015, I have pursued a range of reforms—including the centralization of faculty personnel management, the establishment of the School of Informatics and Data Science, and the active attraction of overseas partner universities—with the aim of building a “University of World-wide Repute and Splendor for Years into the Future.” I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all past and present members of our university community who have supported Hiroshima University through times of adversity, including the torrential rain disaster of 2018 and the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020.

Going forward, I will continue to engage in close dialogue with all of you and devote even greater efforts to creating an environment in which you can sincerely say, from the bottom of your hearts, “I am glad I studied at Hiroshima University,” and “I am glad I worked at Hiroshima University.”

In closing, I sincerely hope for the swift restoration of peace in regions still affected by armed conflict, as well as for the continued safety and prosperity of Japan. With my heartfelt wishes that 2026 will be a better year for our faculty and staff, students, and their families, I conclude this New Year’s message.
 

5th January 2026 (Reiwa 8)
Mitsuo Ochi
President, Hiroshima University