Today, under clear and refreshing weather, we held the enrollment ceremony for the April 2026 term students. Chairman Ryotaro Hibino and Principal 坂本正 also attended and offered warm words of encouragement to the new students. In addition, Principal 坂本 generously donated his new publication — Communication Training Course for University Students — to ASAHI文化学院, following his previous works Applied Test: Listening — 500 Solvable Questions and Applied Test: Reading — 500 Solvable Questions. We wholeheartedly cheer on each of you who have taken this new first step!

April 1st — the new school year has begun! At ASAHI文化学院, we invited Mr. Tani, an expert in business etiquette, to deliver a lecture titled "Let's Think About Manners" for our young faculty and staff members. The lecture was very easy to understand and could be enjoyed while learning — the time flew by. It was an extremely valuable learning opportunity for the participating staff members. It may not be easy to absorb everything right away, but going forward, we hope each person will remain mindful and continue working on it, leading to an even better school environment. We look forward to the continued growth of ASAHI文化学院!

In the morning, ASAHI文化学院's new Principal, Mr. 坂本正, gave a lecture on "Let's Use Generative AI in Japanese Language Education!" The content was filled with concrete examples and demonstrations, and will be of great use in future lesson preparation. In the afternoon, Professor Eiji Isono, Dean of the Faculty of International Studies at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, delivered a lecture at our request entitled "Hints for Transitioning from Grammar Pattern Accumulation-Based Lessons to Action-Oriented Lessons." His talk was grounded in specific personal experiences, which greatly deepened our understanding.

Also, during the lunch break, Bonjinsha hosted a book exhibition, which became a valuable opportunity for instructors to exchange opinions and share information with one another. It was a very fulfilling day. We look forward to the next training session!

Congratulations to all of you on your graduation!

I truly believe you have worked incredibly hard. From here on, this is an important time when each of you will move forward — further ahead — toward your own goals and dreams.

While there is a sense of sadness, seeing each of you walk your own path is the greatest joy our school could ask for. Please take care of your health as you continue to grow. We look forward with all our hearts to seeing your future success.

Also, congratulations to all those who received Perfect Attendance Awards! Continuing to come to school every day without missing a single day is a truly admirable accumulation of effort. That perseverance is what led to this award.

We hope you will continue to cherish that spirit of perseverance and grow even greater going forward. Once again, heartfelt congratulations on your graduation!

Today, we received a wonderful notification from Chubu Nihon Automotive College that ASAHI文化学院 graduates have been employed by Toyota Corolla Aichi Co., Ltd., Aichi Toyota Co., Ltd., Aichi Daihatsu Co., Ltd., and Isuzu Motors Chugoku-Shikoku Co., Ltd. We are truly overjoyed. Wonderful news! As you begin in your new environments, please never forget your original motivation, take care of your health, and keep moving forward one step at a time. We are wholeheartedly cheering on your success. Once again, heartfelt congratulations!

The other day, we held an academic advancement information session for first-year students at ASAHI文化学院. Were you able to get a bit of an image of what advancing to the next stage involves? From here on, it is important to steadily build up effort toward each of your goals, step by step. If there is anything you don't understand in your studies, don't leave it unresolved — actively ask your teachers and classmates. Each day's accumulation will surely become a great strength for your future. Don't rush, don't give up — keep moving forward one step at a time.

Starting from February 2nd, ASAHI文化学院 has begun accepting international student interns from Nihon Fukushi University, Chubu University, and Nagoya University of Economics, who are originally from Sri Lanka, China, and Vietnam. On the first day, in addition to orientation sessions and other classroom activities, the interns actually experienced our student reception and send-off duties. On this, the second day, they seemed to have relaxed a bit, and we could see them working alongside school staff — enjoying themselves while taking charge of preparing for the Setsubun event for current students and handling photography duties. Although it is only a short internship period lasting until February 6th, we hope that through their training at the school, they will gain some learning that will be useful for their future job hunting and careers.

"Demons out, good luck in!" This year's Setsubun was celebrated by throwing beans together with the university intern students. Everyone drove out the demons and welcomed in good fortune while sharing smiles and enjoying a wonderful time. Through this traditional Japanese celebration, students and staff deepened their connections, and it was a lively and joyful Setsubun. We hope this year will be a fruitful one in which each person can positively take on a variety of challenges.

Today is Coming-of-Age Day. 10 students participated in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony in the Yakuma school district. Congratulations to all the new adults! From now on, please go forward with the responsibility and awareness of adulthood, moving powerfully toward each of your dreams and goals. We sincerely wish you a wonderful future filled with hope.

Today was the first class of the year. Students tried their hand at New Year's calligraphy (kakizome), learned how to visit a shrine for the New Year and how to write ema (votive tablets), and also experienced traditional New Year's games. It looked like everyone had a wonderful time. And since lessons begin in earnest from tomorrow — let's all do our best!!

Today, we held the autumn enrollment ceremony and warmly welcomed all new students. On this special occasion marking a new beginning, we presented each student with a gift card as a warm token of celebration and care from the school. This is a tangible expression of our wish to support everyone's new life in even a small way. We hope that each of you, standing at this new starting line, will value your time, study earnestly, maintain a healthy balance of mind and body, grow, and spend these irreplaceable years of your youth without regret.

The event was also covered by the Chunichi Shimbun, and the ceremony was reported in the news. ASAHI文化学院, in response to recent rising food prices, presented 80 new students with gift cards worth 6,000 yen each to support students who are anxious about their daily living expenses. The students, who have come from Vietnam, Nepal, China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and other countries to study Japanese language and culture, were given gift cards that can be used at supermarkets and other stores — taking into account religious dietary restrictions — so that any student can use them. The school plans to provide the same support to the 220 currently enrolled students at a later date.

At the ceremony, new students received the gift cards directly from Chairman Ryotaro Hibino. School Administrator Takao Kinoshita expressed his hope that "the cards will support students' daily lives and give them the strength to study hard." Zhang Rongzhe (18), originally from China, had just started living in the student dormitory, and said with a smile, "I want to use it to buy Japanese ingredients and Chinese ingredients."

We held a study session in preparation for the Registered Japanese Language Teacher Examination, which is beginning this year.

We invited two instructors from Human Academy and had them share difficult points, the latest information, and even valuable behind-the-scenes insights.

From new teachers to veteran teachers, everyone likely has different worries and concerns, but I believe our school's study session helped to ease those anxieties.