The 2025 Autumn-Semester Matriculation Ceremony was held on October 1st at Yasuda Auditorium. Attendees included undergraduate, masters and doctoral students who will begin their studies at UTokyo in the autumn semester. The ceremony was conducted in English, with a live feed broadcast online.

President Teruo Fujii reflected on UTokyo’s upcoming 150-year anniversary by connecting it to the broader theme of time throughout his speech. He stated that “how we perceive time is an essential theme for understanding both our society and our lives” and that “the time you will spend studying at this university will be an instant compared to the universe’s 13.8-billion-year history”. Through this theme, Fujii explored various human constructs and perceptions of time throughout history, from sundials, atomic clocks, and hourglasses, to the Greek gods of Kronos and Kairos. To conclude, Fujii emphasized that students’ “years at UTokyo come with no guarantees… Ultimately, you will shape their meaning and forge their value through your conversations, cooperation, and friendly competition with those around you today.”

Fujii’s speech was followed with addresses given by the Dean of the Graduate School of Economics, Dr. Makoto Kasuya, and President of the UTokyo Alumni Association, Mr. Takeshi Kunibe. Pledges were then given by two class representatives, Ms. Kumakawa of the Doctoral Program of the Graduate School of Medicine and Ms. Li Xinyue, a first-year PEAK student. The ceremony concluded with the song of UTokyo, “Ōzora-to”, along with “Tada-hitotsu”.

Directly after the Matriculation Ceremony, the Todai Shimbun interviewed several incoming students outside of Yasuda Auditorium.

PEAK Student Interviews

The Autumn-Semester Matriculation Ceremony marks the start of the school year for the PEAK Program, a 4-year undergraduate program taught in English established in 2012. The PEAK Program will stop accepting students after the fall of 2026 and will be succeeded by a newly established faculty, the College of Design. (Kamil Zeribi, Takuto Oka)

The Todai Shinbum interviewed Camille Lememager (France-Hungary), Diya Sharma (India, raised in Japan), and Michelle Soerjanto (Indonesia), incoming PEAK first-year students studying Japan in East Asia.

──What was your motivation for coming to UTokyo?

Camille L.: I came because most of my education was in a Western-influenced world, and I wanted to explore something new. I think there’s way more to see in the world than just Europe and America.

Diya S.: I love the safety in Tokyo, and since I grew up here, I thought that if I got into a decent university, I would go there.

Michelle S.: I came to Japan mostly because I like the urban lifestyle and I believe that having an international experience, learning new languages, and being able to meet people of a very different culture is important for everyone. This is especially important to me, as I’m interested in humanities and society.

──Is there anything you are excited or looking forward to?

Camille L.: Meeting the teachers and seeing the vibe of classes, as most of what I’ve heard is about American schools and I want to see if the teaching style is different in Japan.

Diya S.: The chaos of college life.

Michelle S.: I’m looking forward to starting my classes, but also looking forward to getting to know my friends and classmates better, as well as the Greater Tokyo area community.

Graduate Student Interviews

Next, the Todai Shinbum interviewed Ana Hash (Palestine) and Niina Isokääntä (Finland), two incoming architecture master students.

──What was your motivation for coming to UTokyo?

Anas H.: I was studying architecture in Palestine, where the MEXT scholarship is famous and a lot of people apply for it. I applied last year and got accepted. Also, the reputation of UTokyo is very well-known, so it was my first choice. Luckily, I am here now.

Niina I.: I studied architecture in Helsinki and I always found inspiration in Japanese architecture. I did an internship, two years ago, in Tokyo and I really loved it and wanted to come back. I also wanted to try a different school for master’s, I found a scholarship, and now I’m here.

──Is there anything you are looking forward to or would like to do?

Anas H.: A road trip around Japan would be really nice on a motorbike, that’s the dream.

Niina I.: I just want to travel and explore. When it comes to studying, I also want to do other internships and learn about the working life and construction here.

Doctoral Student Interview

Finally, the Todai Shimbun interviewed David Wolf (Luxembourg), an incoming doctoral student in architecture.

──What was your motivation for coming to UTokyo?

David W.: For me, it was the scholarship. I wanted to do a PhD, and the scholarship brought me to Tokyo because I wanted to study at a university where I can pursue what I want to study.

──Is there anything you are looking forward to or would like to do?

David W.: I want to go skiing, go hit the slopes in Hokkaido. But actually, I’m trying to get my motor bike license.

These interviews were conducted in English and have been edited and condensed for clarity.