Major Japanese companies hold ceremonies for new employees

October 2, 2017

TOKYO,- Major Japanese businesses on Monday held ceremonies for university students and graduates to whom they have made offers of employment next spring.

Under the rules of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, on recruiting campaigns for university students, member companies were allowed to issue job offers from Sunday, at the beginning of October.

Many companies, including Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. , held ceremonies for new employees on the month's first business day.

Meanwhile, some other firms, including retail giant Aeon Co. and electronics and machinery maker Toshiba Corp. , chose to hold such events on Sunday.

During its ceremony in Tokyo, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking President Makoto Takashima stressed the importance of basic skills based on experience to bring about innovations in a world going through constant major changes.

"I want you to build up basic skills," he said.

Keidanren's rules gave only three months from the start of meetings with students in March to that of screenings, including job interviews, in June for this year's job-hunting season, unchanged from the previous year. Jiji Press