Japan Companies Hold Mask-free Ceremonies to Welcome Rookies

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:12 JST, April 3, 2023

New employees at major daily consumer goods firm Lion Corp. and its group companies attend a ceremony for fresh recruits in Taito Ward, Tokyo, on Monday morning. The participants, including 86 new workers, did not wear face masks. Many companies across the nation held similar events on the day, and for the first time in four years, some did not require participants to wear masks. In a late-February survey conducted by employment information company Gakujo Co., 81.2% of the 621 companies and organizations that gave valid answers said they would hold in-person ceremonies for their rookies, with 50% saying they would require employees to wear masks during the ceremony.