What's a Japanese spring without university entrance ceremonies in cherry blossom season? That's precisely what happened last year after many festivities were canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Things then took a turn for the worse. For the class of 2020, campus life in Japan was reduced almost entirely to remote lectures and online interactions with people the students never actually met in person.
One year later, universities nationwide are getting ready to hold a new round of entrance ceremonies and welcome new students, albeit with strict precautions observed by both the faculty staff and the freshmen.