Scandal Sparks 30% Applicant Drop, 800 Million Yen Loss Surpassing Nihon University Gains Popularity

The entrance examination industry was shocked.

The number of applicants for this year’s university was almost finalized. Nihon University, the largest mammoth university in Japan with approximately 1.2 million OBs and 74,000 students, saw a nearly 30% drop in applicants. The number of applicants fell from 98,000 last year to 75,000, or 23,000 students.

University journalist Reiji Ishiwata could not hide his surprise.

“In recent years, Nihon University has experienced various troubles, but they didn’t have much impact on applicants. The year following the malicious tackle incident in the American football club in May ’18 saw a decrease of around 14,000 applicants, and the year following the arrest of the then chairman Hidetoshi Tanaka in November ’21 on suspicion of tax evasion and income concealment also saw a decrease of 4,000 applicants. These were transient issues within the sports clubs and university leadership, so for prospective students, it might have felt somewhat distant.

However, the marijuana incident involving American football club members that came to light in August last year is different in nature. The suspicion that the university concealed the problem, along with repeated criticisms among the executives, escalated the situation beyond a temporary scandal. The repeated coverage in the media until now has instilled a sense of distrust among prospective students, and it likely also tarnished the image of the university in the eyes of parents. The succession of scandals led to a decrease in applicants by nearly 30%.”

The departments hit particularly hard are those in the humanities. Departments such as the School of Commerce, the School of Economics, and the School of Law have seen decreases of around 40% compared to the previous year.

“If we assume an exam fee of 35,000 yen per attempt, the decrease of 23,000 applicants means a loss of approximately 800 million yen in revenue. Previously, Nihon University received the second-largest subsidy of around 9 billion yen from the Japan Private University Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation nationwide, but it has not been disbursed since the fiscal year ’21.

Despite being said to have total assets of 780 billion yen, Nihon University has been considered secure even with a slight decrease in applicants. However, if this situation continues for several years like this year, without curbing the decline in popularity, it may lead to a crisis. Radical reforms, including the overhaul of top members such as the chairman, may be necessary.”