On Thursday, April 2, 2026, Ritsumeikan University held its AY2026 Matriculation Ceremony at Miyako Messe (Kyoto International Exhibition Hall), welcoming 8,088 new undergraduate students, 1,810 new graduate students, and their family members.

　　　

　　　

　　　

　　　

In his address, President of Ritsumeikan University Yoshio Nakatani presented the new students with a call to action: “Chance encounters are a kind of miracle. I am truly delighted to have met you here today, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Through your studies at Ritsumeikan, I hope you will cultivate the strength to carve out your own path in life and shape your future. Let’s work together to create campuses that fill us all with excitement.”

Prior to the ceremony, the Ritsumeikan University Symphony Orchestra performed at the venue to welcome the new students and their families. Next, the Ritsumeikan University Cheering Squad gave a rousing performance entitled “Fight on Stage,” and a video introducing the many different extracurricular activities at the university was shown. The new students were certainly filled with anticipation as they watched the upperclassmen of Ritsumeikan University in action.

At the graduate school matriculation ceremony, Professor and RARA Fellow Hiromitsu Maeda (Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Life Sciences) delivered a lecture entitled “Exploring the Boundless World of Nanotechnology.” While introducing his own research, he offered words of encouragement to the incoming graduate students, reflecting on his time at graduate school during which he immersed himself in his research and learned to turn failures into opportunities.

A large flower wall and several photo spots were erected in the venue and many new students could be seen taking photos with their friends and family amid the festive atmosphere.

Ritsumeikan University Matriculation Ceremony Special Site

Visit this site to see congratulatory messages from President Nakatani and the President of the Parents Association for Student Education Assistance as well as posts from new students describing their aspirations. A video of the ceremony is scheduled to be posted on theRitsumeikan Channel (YouTube) in mid-April.

　Matriculation Ceremony Special Site: Spring Welcome 2026 (Japanese only)