President Address at the 2026 Academic Year Entrance Ceremony (April 3)

Congratulations to all the new students on your admission. We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to your families and guardians. On behalf of the university, I would like to offer a welcoming address.

Today, you have all taken a new step forward. I'm sure you all had a variety of emotions on your journey to this venue. Joy. Relief. And a little anxiety. "Will I be able to do well from now on?" "What will I discover at university?" I'm sure some of you are feeling that way.

But please don't worry. That anxiety is something only those who have stepped into a new world experience. University is not a place where you are taught the right answers. Rather, it is a place where you encounter the questions: What do I want to know? Who do I want to become?

This year marks a significant milestone: Otemae Educational Corporation celebrates its 80th anniversary, and Otemae University celebrates its 60th anniversary. Its origins trace back to 1946, in Osaka, shortly after the end of the war. The city, devastated by war, was a burnt-Otemae Educational Corporation. Buildings were lost, daily life was lost, and even the future seemed uncertain. Standing in that place was one educator: Kenzo Fujii, the founder of Otemae Gakuen.

Nothing remained. Nothing was left. In that situation, Professor Fujii pondered, "How can we rebuild Japan?" And the answer he chose was education. It's not something you can see, and it doesn't produce immediate results. Nevertheless, he believed that nurturing people would create the future. That belief still flows through this university, 80 years later.

Our university's philosophy is STUDY FOR LIFE: "Lifelong learning for life."
The learning I'm referring to here isn't about increasing knowledge. Learning is the process of self-creation, the act of shaping oneself. So, where does this learning begin?

It's an impulse in your heart. "Why?" "I want to know more," "I want to change myself"—just a small feeling. But that small impulse is what drives your life. However, that feeling doesn't last forever. In the midst of busyness, in the midst of daily life, it gradually fades away.

That's why, at our university, we value learning that "shakes, resonates, and touches the heart."
You experience various events that stir your emotions. You put their meaning into words. Those words remain within you. Through this repetition, your own words gradually begin to emerge. And those words will become the strength that supports you when you are lost or when you are stuck.

Our university has another symbol. Please refer to the entrance ceremony program you have in front of you.
OTEMAE FLOWER.

The five petals of this flower symbolize passion, curiosity, intelligence, health, and a yearning for truth, goodness, and beauty. Seeking truth. Living in harmony with others. Appreciating beauty. What does it mean to live a fulfilling life as a human being? The answer lies within this flower.

To all new students: Please remember just one thing during these next four years.
The starting point for STUDY FOR LIFE is that small impulse within you, that desire to learn. It's very small, very uncertain, and seems like it could disappear at any moment. But that small flame is what will illuminate your life.
Finally, there's just one thing I want to tell you all.

Just as one educator believed in the future amidst the ruins of post-war Japan, now it's your turn to believe in your own future. It's okay to feel anxious. It's okay to feel lost. But even so, listen to the urge in your heart to learn, and take just one step forward. That one step will eventually become a path.

That path isn't something given to you by someone else; it's something you create yourself through questioning, learning, and forging.
Study for life. The first step is up to you, today, this very moment.
The Nishinomiya Shukugawa Campus and the Osaka Castle Campus are adjacent to Shukugawa Park and Osaka Castle Park, respectively, which showcase beautiful natural scenery throughout the seasons. We look forward to learning together with you on campus when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom starting tomorrow.

Congratulations to all the new students on your admission.

April 4, 2025

Mitsutoshi Hirano, President Otemae University