I am Masashi Suzuki, the newly appointed president of Soka University as of April 1st. As we move from our 50th anniversary towards the 100th anniversary of our founding, I would like to work together with students, faculty, and staff to advance and aim for 2030, the 100th anniversary of Soka Education. We ask for your understanding.

Thank you to all students for their continuous cooperation in taking measures against the novel coronavirus infection on a daily basis. As announced on the University's website and portal site, on March 26th, the university's activity restriction policy was changed to "Level 1 (Partial Restrictions)".

However, although the priority measures to prevent the spread of the disease have been lifted nationwide, the number of infected patients may be slowly decreasing now, but there are signs of re-spread of the disease.

In particular, the number of positive cases at the University has exceeded 200 since January 2022, with positive cases exceeding 100 in the month of March alone, representing an unprecedented spread of infection. Furthermore, after the lifting of the priority measures to prevent the spread of infection, the number of reported positive cases has increased rapidly, with 35 cases reported since March 22, and the situation is extremely worrisome. The activity histories of infected people indicate that the cause of the sharp increase in the number of infections was due to eating and drinking, such as drinking parties, meals in large groups, staying at a friends' house, and actions before and after club activities. Now that the entrance ceremony and guidance are coming up, and classes are about to start, taking appropriate action is mandatory to prevent a cluster outbreak.

We have been asking you to take action to prevent infection, but at the start of the new academic year, we ask that you pay special attention to the following points in particular. 
   1. Avoid activities that involve eating and drinking in large groups. During meals please eat silently, and wear a mask except when eating
   2. Avoid closed spaces, such as karaoke and live houses
   3. Clubs and other extracurricular activities shall comply with the guidelines established by each organization
   4. Avoid high-risk behavior such as staying at a friend's house.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the “Soka University Guidelines for the Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreaks” state that you should "use the COVID-19 contact confirmation application (COCOA)," "enter information into the temperature log system of the University's portal site," "wear a mask," "wash your hands and gargle," and "avoid the three 3c’s. The following precautionary measures should be taken to prevent infection.
・Continue social distancing
・Wear a mask and continue hand disinfection
・Measure temperature daily (*must be entered into the “Temperature Record System” on the University Portal Site)

As a university, we recommend getting vaccinated as it is believed to be effective in preventing infection. Students are encouraged to receive vaccinations. 
The University will continue to work to prevent the spread of infection and continue to take measures against infectious diseases so that you can live your student life with peace of mind. In order to protect yourself, your family, friends, and other loved ones, please take appropriate actions to prevent the spread of infection. 

Masashi Suzuki, President, Soka University