Congratulatory Address

Today, I would like to sincerely congratulate all of you on your graduation and on earning a degree from the prestigious Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

I would also like to extend that congratulations to your families, who have shown you love and support during your journeys, and express my gratitude to all of the university’s faculty and members of staff, such as President Deguchi and Vice President Yoneyama, for their steadfast guidance.

Since its founding in April of 2000, APU has given the world many bright minds and has received high praise both domestically and internationally, such as from the renowned university ranking network, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). In addition, in April 2023, it will be adding the College for Sustainability and Tourism to its campus. Not only will this broaden the university’s curriculum, I trust we can also expect great things in those fields from the new college’s talented students.

APU is also firmly integrated in its local community and has been heavily involved in regional revitalization efforts through its participation in local events and assistance with English education in elementary and junior high schools. In addition, over the past year its students have also contributed much to the internationalization of Oita through their direct proposals of policies to help increase the number of international residents within the prefecture.

Those of you graduating here today are graduating from a multicultural campus with students from about 90 different countries and regions. You have worked hard so that you can spread your wings and become an active part of the international community. However, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, I can imagine some of you may have not been able to lead the student lives that you had initially envisioned. Nevertheless, with determination and ingenuity, you have all overcome much adversity and adapted to completely new learning environments and methods of study. I strongly believe that these experiences will help you to create a revolutionary new era in history.

I anticipate that now that you have graduated, you will utilize the global mindset and social networks that you have cultivated here so you may all play active roles in your respective fields and I am greatly looking forward to seeing your contributions to the development of the Asia-Pacific region.

I conclude this speech with the hope that all of you will always feel affection for Oita as your "home away from home," as a place full of fond memories, and also with the hope that every one of you may become a bridge between different countries, between different regions, between different people, and of course, between Oita and the world at large. I pray for the continued prosperity of this university, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

On behalf of the citizens of Beppu, please allow me to express my warmest congratulations to the graduating class of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University and also to your families.

I wonder how you are all feeling on this, your graduation day. Surely your hearts are full of the many fond memories you made in Beppu and at APU, but I imagine there are many of you with mixed feelings attending this graduation ceremony remotely. Nearly two years have passed since we transitioned to this so-called new lifestyle. During this time, you faced numerous changes and restrictions, and many of you may have spent your days stricken by anxiety and confusion. My heart goes out to all of you who have had to deal with these unexpected circumstances.

I would like to express my sincerest respect to the faculty and staff, who worked hard to keep classes in session by moving them online while providing the students with support, and to you, the graduating class, for the diligence and perseverance you displayed amid these difficult times to continue your studies and reach this day. You may not have spent your university life as you had envisioned, but this experience is sure to be something you can draw on in the future.

After overcoming this crisis, I hope that many people from all over the world will visit Beppu again, that the city will regain its vitality and liveliness, developing into a multicultural city where various cultures and ethnic groups coexist. I kindly ask you to all lend a hand to make this happen.

In closing, as you start your new lives today, I sincerely wish you all great success and look forward to seeing you again in Beppu someday.

You are graduating in the middle of a global pandemic, when the Japanese borders remain closed, when the number of Covid infections is high and the future is uncertain. Still, you made it today! You managed to adapt and show the resilience that the world now needs the most. Be proud of yourself. Don’t let the struggles of our societies overshadow your accomplishments and stop you from envisioning a better life for you and others. Instead, let these struggles drive you to think differently and redefine the ways we live, work and co-exist. You have witnessed a challenging time not imagined before. You are stronger than what you think. Be brave and have the courage to face what tomorrow brings. Strive for things not to get back to what they were, but to be better than they were. You have that power in you. Remember that you have developed and matured in APU, in an environment where normal is undefined, where strangers become your friends and allies, and where anomalies are turned into strengths.

Congratulations to you all, APU graduates! We are so proud of you. Go change the world and please keep in touch!

Congratulations on your graduation!

This day marks an important milestone of your life-long journey. Your achievement and accomplishment at APU, where you and your peers lived, studied, and nurtured friendships will be a force to carry you forward.

The change maker that you have become will carry the APU label wherever you go. The network of friends you built globally will be your ears, your eyes, your brain, and your moral support, collectively informing your decisions. Strive to create positive changes, small or large, in today's increasingly complex society.