The Spring season marks the beginning of a plethora of things in Japan, such as the blooming of cherry blossoms, a new semester for schools, and end too for many students. It is a perfect time for schools to hold large-scale graduation ceremonies across Japan; however, the lingering epidemic makes this cherished tradition of large-scale gatherings a challenge.
As fate is on our side, the metaverse is there to address the necessities of institutions for welcoming thousands of new students while keeping them safe. It’s already happening, and there are reports that academic events are taking place in the unproven metaverse of Minecraft. However, an officially-licensed platform has risen exclusively to host an entrance ceremony.
On the 8th of April, a total of 29 schools in Niigata under the NSG College League hosted a grand welcoming ceremony for new students in Metaverse! The event saw the participation of over 3800 students. The ceremony was held on the virtual intersection and featured a proper stage for speeches.
The event began with the hilarious style of Satoshi Mukai, fresh from his highly successful performance in the cult Netflix program “Last One Standing.” After the crowd was warmed up, Niigata Business College Principal Toshihiko Watanabe addressed all the pupils on behalf of the 29 principals of the school group.
The event included video messages from fellow student representatives such as Harukazu from Sado Traditional Welfare School. Okiyama urged the newcomers to adopt technology to build closer connections with fellow students.
In the second portion of the event, Mukai’s Manzai Unit fellow members Panther, Ryotaro Kan, and Takahiro Ogata were also present. They were free to interact through the virtual world via robot avatars.
It is possible to argue that the ceremonies for entrance are more important for parents than for students, which is why they were able to watch through a live stream on YouTube during the event. According to NSG, the event was watched by 1,200 people who could log on to view it.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to say that the metaverse event was a huge success. Although the pandemic seems to be easing off, the other benefits of this kind of ceremony can be derived from enabling top talent to perform better and having students participate in the comfort of their homes and their pajamas while checking their Instagram feeds during dull moments with complete impunity. It’s an all-win situation.
Source: JapanToday
Also read about A 35-Year-Old Man Has Married The Doll Of Virtual Singer