In accordance with Rikkyo tradition, the dedication was held in the University Chapel, and included hymns, a prayer by the chaplain, and remarks by the President of Rikkyo University, Professor Hideitsu Ohashi. The ceremony was then followed by an orientation session where faculty, courses, and some ideas on campus life were introduced.

The College had 170 applicants, well above the fixed admission number of 70, and has accepted 96 students based upon the first (essay) and the second (interview) examinations. The students at the ceremony seemed to be filled with cheerfulness and expectation.

Rikkyo Second Stage College is a pioneering site of learning in Japan that provides over-50-year-old students (mostly centered around baby boomers) with opportunities to pursue liberal arts education, support their life-long learning, and challenge themselves. The college is now getting a lot of attention among other institutions as a site to literally open up and enrich the second stage of students’ lives.

(*) Rikkyo Second Stage College is an educational extension program for lifelong learning provided by Rikkyo University.