Congratulations on your entrance to university. We also welcome about 1000 new students at Korakuen Campus this year. I sincerely welcome you all.

In starting your university lives, I believe all of you have ambitions and enthusiasm. Especially those of you entering the Faculty of Science and Engineering, I think most of you have dreams of acquiring professional knowledge and working in science and technology fields. I hope that you will continue to be motivated as you are now.

The four years at university may be more than enough for university study alone. During this time, you will no doubt meet friends with similar interests in your club activities. I think you will have opportunities to talk with your friends about life. Once you reach twenty, it will be OK to talk at pubs. You will also be able to broaden your experiences by reading books unrelated to your field, such as literary works, and visiting unknown places in your long vacations. You may even get the opportunity to study for three months or half a year at a foreign university. These four years at university may be the last time in your life where you can do what you want without restriction. This precious time is the “greatest gift” from your parents and those around you. Do not waste this gift by selling yourself at an hourly rate just to earn extra money. Part-time work may also be necessary, but it is not something I would recommend under the pretext of learning about the world. Please use this “greatest gift” as a personal asset you can retrieve in the future.

I hope you will treasure the time you have been given and that your student lives are fruitful. Congratulations.