21 April, 2023

Welcome to the spring semester of 2023.

A new semester has started as spring is passing by quickly with cherry blossoms peaking earlier than usual this year. After three years under the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Wearing face masks is basically left to the discretion of individuals. You can now cheer aloud at sports events and the University is shifting back to in-person classes in principle. After the May "Golden Week" holidays are over, the classification of COVID-19 will be downgraded to Category 5 under the Infectious Diseases Control Law. In line with this change, the quarantine period request for people who tested positive for COVID-19 will be downgraded, and you will no longer be identified as a close contact by a public health center nor will close contacts be legally asked to stay home. Consequently, the handling of positive cases at medical institutions and procedures of notification to the University will also be changed. For details, please visit our official website. The latest version of Niigata University Activity Restriction Guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19 infections is also available on this website. Please have a look of the guidelines and I hope you can enjoy a vibrant campus life.

However, please remember that this does not mean that COVID-19 has subsided. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in February, percentage of individuals who tested positive for SARS-COV-2 antibodies against the N protein in nationwide Japan was 42.3%. This means that approximately 40% of Japanese acquired COVID-19 in natural infection during the last three years. Considering that 80% or more of Europeans and Americans have the N-antibodies, you can see how effectively Japan has taken measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In contrast, this data suggests that we are still at a greater risk of being infected, as the antibody prevalence rate is relatively low in Japan. You should remain alert particularly because, looking by prefecture, the rate for Niigata Prefecture was as low as 33.5%.

For example, risks of people with a pre-existing condition and the elderly have not yet disappeared. Therefore, care to these people will still be necessary, such as wearing a mask in a crowded train and poorly ventilated places as well as at hospitals and nursing care facilities, although you do not need to be too meticulous. You must always be aware of the risks when you are being infected, but what matters most is to care others, considering at all times how crowded your surroundings are, how the infection situation looks like, and with whom you are in contact. If you don’t feel well, take care and get some rest and stay home. If you think you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, you might consider to limit going out to a minimum. We would like to ask you to be kind to, and considerate of, others as a student of the University.

Now, as I have been mentioning before, if you find any difficulties in your student life or if you need help on campus, do not hesitate to talk to your supervisor or to consult with the Student Affairs Office of your faculty or graduate school. You can talk to your families or friends, of course. If you are mentally or financially stressed, please feel free to visit the Student Consultation Room or the COVID-19 Emergency Student Support Desk .

The society has drastically changed in many ways over the last three years, likely causing you to develop a lot of stress that you may be unaware of. If you feel any stress or anxiety, don’t take it all on yourself. Talk things over with someone. You are not alone.

Universities are "knowledge hubs," and Niigata University is a large-scale comprehensive university, holding experts of diverse academic fields and offering a variety of learning experiences as well as enabling you to pursue your academic field. You will have abundant opportunities to study abroad from now on. Various activities will make further progress by combining real and virtual experiences learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. I sincerely hope that you will experience a variety of things and encounter a wide range of people while you are with us, which I believe will be a great asset in the future and empower yourself for future growth. I hope you would pursue your academic dreams and passions and make the most of your campus life. Thank you.

USHIKI Tatsuo, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Niigata University