In Japan, initiation ceremonies for new employees are traditionally held in April, the start of the fiscal and school years, when freshly minted graduates hired through the mainstream recruitment process begin their new jobs.
But as companies adopt more diversified recruitment strategies, such as hiring more foreigners and Japanese studying abroad, an increasing number of firms have begun to hold an additional welcoming ceremony in the fall for those joining midway through the April-March business year.
Given the increasingly diverse backgrounds of the new employees, company executives said they see the initiation ceremony as a precious opportunity for direct communication with the new staff and as a way to convey their corporate philosophies.