Prince Hisahito Faces Tough Choice, University of Tokyo or Sophia University?

As mid-February arrives, society enters the exam season. Prince Hisahito, a second-year student at Tsukuba University Affiliated High School, who is 17 years old, has less than a year until his exams.

“As for his future educational path, there have been many options proposed. The University of Tokyo is one of them, especially since it has been reported that his mother, Princess Kiko, has expressed such a wish.” (Imperial Family Journalist)

 

From Tsukuba University Affiliated High School, 42 students (including 28 current students) passed the University of Tokyo entrance exam in 2022, and 29 students (22 current students) passed in 2023. Like other highly competitive schools, it goes without saying that many students aspire to attend national/public universities and medical schools, including the University of Tokyo.

“Approximately one year remains until the so-called exam season, and considering the premise of recommendation-based admissions, we are already approaching the one-year mark. It seems that the process of narrowing down the desired schools is progressing. Of course, it appears that Prince Hisahito himself is in such a situation. I have heard that during future career counseling sessions, discussions will be held between Princess Kiko, the school, and himself, ultimately leading to a final decision.” (Same source)

What specifically is it likely to entail?

 

“I heard that there seems to be a judgment that The University of Tokyo, including recommendation exams, might have high hurdles, might be tough. It was also mentioned that Prince Hisahito understands this. Of course, this is just an evaluation at the moment, so it’s not definitive because there may be improvement in future grades. Regarding Princess Kiko’s reaction, there is no choice but to speculate, but of course, it must have been shocking, don’t you think?”

By the way, in the so-called recommendation entrance exams for the University of Tokyo, out of 253 applicants in the 2023 academic year, only 88 were ultimately accepted.

“Looking at just the acceptance rate, it may not seem so difficult, but all accepted students possess an outstanding excellence far beyond common sense, making it not so easy to compete with them. Also, considering that for general entrance exams, the condition of ‘no repeating a year (ronin)’ is a premise, it may be challenging for some to step forward.” (Same source)

What is likely to happen with regard to the school of higher education?

“Considering the issue with not being able to repeat a year (ronin), it seems that some are considering settling for recommendation entrance exams at private universities. There is also a strong belief in the possibility of attending Sophia University, especially due to its proximity to your residence.” (Same source)

The future Emperor’s educational path is likely to attract even more attention in the future.