More Japan Firms Back to In-Person Welcome Ceremonies for Rookies

Tokyo, April 1 (Jiji Press)--Companies in Japan welcomed new recruits Friday, the first day of the country's new fiscal year, with an increasing number of them holding entrance ceremonies in person while taking coronavirus countermeasures.

Progress on vaccinations against the novel coronavirus in Japan and other circumstances prompted many companies that had been holding such ceremonies online to hold face-to-face ceremonies this year.

Nonlife insurance firm Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. held an in-person ceremony for the first time in three years, citing difficulties building a sense of togetherness among new employees through online events.

At the ceremony, President Giichi Shirakawa handed an artificial sunflower to each one of the 182 people newly joining the company. The sunflower is the symbol flower of the company and the national flower of Ukraine, where military attacks by Russia continue.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s <7203> in-person ceremony was attended by almost all of some 1,100 new employees of the auto giant.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]