On April 1, the Seibu Group hosted an entrance ceremony (nyushashiki) at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise to welcome newly employed graduates. Situated in Kanazawa, Yokohama, the amusement park is famous for its aquarium.
In spring 2024, the Seibu Group hired 598 fresh graduates from universities and vocational schools, marking their first step into the professional world.
It was the first time for the theme park's aquarium to hold a company entrance ceremony. Dolphins and penguins took center stage, offering a spirited display to "cheer on" the incoming cohort of working professionals. The new graduates erupted in applause as the dolphins soared through the air.
Attending the ceremony was new employee Takuya Kojima, who shared: "My university years were spent in the COVID era, so I'm very happy that we could all participate in the entrance ceremony together."
The new graduates will be working at various entities under the Seibu Group umbrella, including Prince Hotels and Seibu Railway Company.
西武グループの入社式が4月1日、横浜市金沢区の「横浜・八景島シーパラダイス」で行われた。今春は大学や専門学校などの新卒者598人が採用され、それぞれが社会人としての第一歩を踏み出した。
同水族館で入社式が行われるのは初めての試み。観客席に座った新入社員たちを前に、イルカやペンギンが新社会人を〝応援〟するパフォーマンス。大きなジャンプをすると大きな歓声が上がった。
新入社員代表の小島拓也さん(22)は「大学在学中はコロナ禍だったが、みんなで入社式に参加できて、とてもうれしい」と述べた。新入社員は西武・プリンスホテルズワールドワイドや西武鉄道などグループ各社に採用されている。