［March 2021］
Unprecedented March for CLAIR Sydney

As described in the CLAIR Sydney Newsletter published in March 2019, similarly to most Japanese organisations, March is the last month of the Japanese financial year and it is when the standard annual personnel transfers take place at CLAIR Sydney. As written in the farewell messages in this newsletter, three staff members are finishing their two-year tenure and are departing Sydney to return to Japan.

Contrary to previous years, instead of leaving Sydney at the end of March, this year’s departing group has to leave in mid-March to allow them sufficient time to undergo two weeks of quarantine before returning to their original government organisations respectively at the beginning of April. It is unfortunate that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have had limited opportunities to meet with everyone in Australia and New Zealand in the second half of their tenures in Sydney.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who has kindly assisted or engaged with the three departing staff over the past two years. I believe that all three staff members received considerable support from our partners and partner organisations. I am sure that the three staff members will miss the people they have met and the experiences they have had in Australia and New Zealand. I would be grateful if you could keep in touch and visit them if you have an opportunity to go to Japan once the border restrictions are lifted.

All the remaining CLAIR Sydney staff will take over the three departing members’ responsibilities and wish for the same level of support and friendship you and your organisation have extended to the three departing members. I would be grateful if you could please kindly keep in touch with both the three departing staff members and the remaining staff of CLAIR Sydney.