Hiroshima University (HU) held its 2024 Entrance Ceremony on April 3, welcoming a total of 4,067 new students. This year, among the newcomers, there are 2,517 undergraduate and advanced course students and 1,550 graduate students, all embarking on their new journeys.

HU is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year since its establishment in 1949. Despite the rainy weather, many new students and their families gathered at the venue in the Higashi-Hiroshima Sports Park. The blooming cherry blossoms added to the welcoming atmosphere.

In his speech, HU President Ochi set his expectations for the incoming students. “Learning at university is not about easily finding the right answer to a given problem. In the real world, there may be several answers to a given problem, or sometimes there may be no solution at all,” he said.

“Please first think carefully about what you want to study at our university, and […] make lifelong friends through, for example, extracurricular activities on campus, while also making opportunities to talk with your seniors and teachers, and actively taking on a variety of challenges.”

After the ceremony, a commercial marking HU’s 75th anniversary and three video messages addressed to the new students were presented. These messages featured Japan national soccer team coach Hajime Moriyasu, comedian Takushi Tanaka (an alum of the School of Engineering), and non-fiction writer Keiko Horikawa (an alum of the School of Integrated Arts and Sciences). 

Furthermore, a mini concert was held featuring Michie Nakamaru, a world-renowned opera singer and visiting professor at HU, and the students of the Educational Design for Teacher Educators Program at the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, filling the venue with beautiful singing and music. 

President's full Ceremonial Speech (English) (Japanese)

As of 2024, there are around 1,300 cherry trees of 76 varieties on campus, a sight that brings joy to students, faculty, staff, and visitors every spring.

Also read: Cherry blossoms have started blooming in the Higashi Hiroshima campus!