Major Japan firms cancelling initiation ceremonies amid virus spread

Sony Corp., Honda Motor Co. and other major companies in Japan are cancelling or postponing their spring initiation ceremonies for new recruits in response to the government's call to avoid mass gatherings to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.Sony scrapped a plan to hold a ceremony at its Tokyo headquarters for around 900 new recruits and instead plans to show them an online video message from its president and CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida.Honda and ANA Holdings Inc., parent of All Nippon Airways Co., also cancelled their ceremonies for new employees, while Toshiba Corp. and Mizuho Financ…READ FULL ARTICLE