［January 2021］
New Year Greetings from CLAIR Sydney

New Year Greetings from CLAIR Sydney

On behalf of all of the staff at CLAIR Sydney, I would like to wish all our readers a Happy New Year.

Last year was unprecedented for the people of Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the pandemic, the people of Australia also suffered through the worst bushfire season in history at the beginning of last year.

Compared with most of the world, Australia and New Zealand are in such enviable positions with their achievements in managing the pandemic and combating the virus. CLAIR Sydney staff have been learning a great deal from the resilience and cooperative behaviours of the people of Australia and New Zealand.

CLAIR Sydney is also undergoing an unprecedented Japanese financial year in our office’s history. Instead of customarily arriving in April, the beginning of the new Japanese financial year, last year’s group of new Assistant Directors did not arrive in Sydney until October. Our office also welcomed our new Deputy Executive Director, Mr Makio Yamada, earlier this month and you can find his self-introduction in this newsletter. I hope that the new Deputy Executive Director and the four new Assistant Directors can meet you at upcoming events and meetings very soon.

We sincerely hope that the COVID-19 virus will be contained soon worldwide. We also hope that you, your family, and the communities around you will stay safe and healthy in 2021.