Prince Hisahito to Advance to Third Year of High School, Imperial Household Agency Concerned Over University Choice

“As March begins, His Imperial Highness Prince Hisahito (17), the eldest son of Crown Prince Akishino, has completed the curriculum for his second year at Tsukuba University Affiliated High School and will finally become a third-year student in April. It seems he is approaching his exam studies with high motivation and is full of enthusiasm,” said an Imperial household journalist.

Prince Hisahito utilized the affiliated school transfer system, transferring from Ochanomizu Joshi University Junior High School to Tsukuba University Affiliated High School.

“Ochanomizu becomes an all-girls high school, requiring external transfer for boys, so there has been attention on ‘what will happen after high school’ from the beginning. With the result being his selection of Tsukuba University Affiliated High School, the focus has now shifted to ‘what about university.’ It seems unprecedented for such attention to be paid to the future Emperor’s university enrollment,” the same source added.

There was a wide range of speculation about the highly anticipated choice of his future educational institution.

“From the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Hitotsubashi University, Tsukuba University, Waseda University, Keio University, Sophia University, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and more, there were numerous names floated. Among them, the most anticipated was admission to the University of Tokyo through recommendation,” said the same source.

There were reports suggesting that Princess Kiko showed particular interest in the University of Tokyo.

“According to sources within the Imperial Household Agency, there have been indications that when it comes to recommendations, it reaches the level of participating in the Mathematics Olympiad, and it seems that even for regular admission to the University of Tokyo, the hurdle appears to be quite high,” the same source revealed.

However, as reiterated, Prince Hisahito seems to be persisting in his exam studies with high aspirations.

“As he continues his studies, it seems that using the recommendation framework of his high school for university admission is a possibility. Since retaking the exams is not an option, it’s likely he wants to avoid a make-or-break situation during the actual exams,” the source continued.

If he were to use the recommendation framework, universities like Waseda, Keio, and Sophia would naturally become candidates. However, there have been recently mentioned concerns regarding this matter.

“The concerns voiced by sources within the Imperial Household Agency revolve around the possibility of Hisahito pursuing his education at an overseas university rather than a domestic one. While studying abroad has precedents and can be seen as a necessary step to broaden one’s knowledge, there are worries associated with such a decision.

If Hisahito were to study at an overseas university, the following points are causing concern, ‘Even if he were accepted, there’s a higher likelihood of facing issues such as repeating a year or being unable to advance due to various reasons compared to Japanese universities. It’s undeniable that both Komuro Kei and Princess Mako faced significant challenges with the New York bar exam. While it’s not the same case, it’s a point that can’t be overlooked, and it naturally makes one nervous,’ “ the source explained.

It’s possible that as a future Emperor, not only retaking exams but also repeating a year may be considered undesirable.