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University of Tokyo to assist new female students with Y30,000 a month for rent

41 Comments

The University of Tokyo has announced that it will provide rent money of 30,000 yen per month for new female students. Those eligible for the university’s housing assistance program are girls who will enter the university in the spring of 2017 and have a commute time of at least 90 minutes from their home to the Komaba campus in Meguro Ward, Fuji TV reported.

The 30,000 yen monthly rental assistance will be available for a maximum of two years. Furthermore, the university said it will secure roughly 100 rooms near the campus with high security and earthquake resistance.

The number of successful candidates and enrollees at the University of Tokyo has remained less than 20% for female students. The rental assistance program is aimed at raising the proportion of female enrollment, the university said.

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41 Comments
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So some female students decide not to go to Todai because they can't afford the rent in the area?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Well, that is just unfair. What happened to equality between the sexes?

16 ( +18 / -2 )

JalapenoNOV. 16, 2016 - 03:41PM JST

So some female students decide not to go to Todai because they can't afford the rent in the area?

Yes. A lot of students living in areas far from Tokyo would rather go to local universities than move to Tokyo. The high costs of living in Tokyo are prohibiting to people in rural areas.

However, I think the measure is sexist.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

And males don't qualify because?

11 ( +13 / -2 )

It reminds me fees for some bars. This does not look right, it may be bad for Todai image.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I live in rural Japan and am always amazed how much cash high school girls have on them. Once behind 3 HSG's at a check out in DQ and they all got Y10,000 out of their purses to pay for some gel, lube and something that looked like it was made of rubber. The parents must be every generous indeed.

2 ( +9 / -7 )

The parents must be every generous indeed.

If you think it's the parents being generous you are being pretty naive. Even down here in Okinawa HS girls and guys have cash, and it isnt from the families, many work pt and some make pretty damn good cash too.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

ShermanNOV. 16, 2016 - 04:38PM JST

What are you suggesting? And why were you there with three underage girls, buying gel, lube and rubber?

1 ( +7 / -6 )

This is very wrong! It should be available to all students who have a commute of more than 90 minutes. I'm also a bit curious about how this will be paid out. I'm assuming it will only be available to those who live in the university supplied 'rooms'. If the accommodation is only subsidised by the university I see a scam in the making. If the money is paid in cash I see a lot of it being shopped in Harajuku and not used as rental support.

Yubaru - HS girls and guys have cash, and it isnt from the families, many work pt and some make pretty damn good cash too.

You forget the fact that, HS kids are not supposed to work, especially if they attend a private HS. They also demand junior university students do not work. Of course, it is near impossible for them to survive, but they receive a lot of pressure from the schools if they are found out.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Sexism. Plain and simple. And, no, no one should get a yen from the bankrupt government.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

men should get double that.. they often have gfs that need taking care of.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Todai has lots of spare cash. My son and his postgrad colleagues got 'study trips' to Europe paid for out of the uni coffers.

Pity that Tokyo University has to be in Tokyo, though.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

There is still a lot on top of just 30,000 to pay in Meguro-ku.

In Kochi on the other hand in an near the uni in the rice fields, a girl could make a profit.

A pity boys can't take advantage of it.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Throwing money at a problem and getting it all wrong in the process.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Discriminatory policy. Why not subsidise all students.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Discrimination. I wonder if their trying to increase the ratio of girls to boys might be related to how universities are rated.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

My son and his postgrad colleagues got 'study trips' to Europe paid for out of the uni coffers.

I have a friend who learned how to game the system like this. He applies to semi-legit conferences around the world and is traveling all the time. The amounts spent on academic travel and conferences are shocking, particularly in today's networked world.

As for funds for increasing women's participating in higher education, particularly in STEM fields, this is an explicit policy of the Japanese government. Hokkaido University offers such funds, and they also discount tuition for young parents.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This system is actually quite similar to the assistance you'd get at a Japanese company.

The one thing I find odd about U of Tokyo is why it's limited to two years only. Do they think you're not going to live 90 plus minutes away from home all of a sudden when the two year mark has passed? They should be subsidizing their rent for a full four years.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This system is actually quite similar to the assistance you'd get at a Japanese company.

WTF you talking about? Japanese companies paying housing allowances only to women and not men? Right....(stupid arsed rolling eyes sarcasm..)

0 ( +3 / -3 )

For a place of higher learning............this isn't too well thought out me thinks!!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I'm with kurisu77, it sounds like they copied the idea from a Roppongi night club.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

A news story on the TV tonight spelled out some of the reasoning, a main one being that parents from the countryside were worried about the safety of their daughters living in Tokyo alone. So, many parents feel the need either to shell out extra money for a security "auto-lock" apartment/mansion or if that's not affordable they have no choice but to have their daughters attend a school closer to home.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

It can't be cheap to send a kid to study in Tokyo. On the other hand there is so much part time work about to supplement money from parents so it is probably workable.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Reckless, It is not the proportion of males or females what make this discriminatory; this is discriminatory itself simply because they are not treating males and females equally and they are not giving them the same opportunities.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I thought Tokyo U. had a superabundance of applicants, why then the cry 'need more of X'?

And 360KY a year allowance doesn't seem likely to turn the tide, anyway. Unless tuition plus expenses were already really low. Who was going to turn down Tokyo U. because they couldn't scare up an extra 30K x 12?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Bet they have an ulterior motive for doing this,Young college girls hmmmm!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Clearly and utterly discriminatory, and a human rights complaint should be launched against the people responsible.

The young single Japanese females I've known and dated over the years, and their friends, were in the habit of walking around wearing thousands of dollars of clothes and accessories and had closets filled with high-end European handbags.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

The young single Japanese females I've known and dated over the years, and their friends, were in the habit of walking around wearing thousands of dollars of clothes and accessories and had closets filled with high-end European handbags.

Which says quite about about your tastes in women as well.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

 Todai is a public university, so the tuition is a standard ¥535,800 a year. The problem isn't finding people who can afford it, it's finding folk who can pass the entrance exams.

As an aside, apparently a little over half of all Todai students come from families with income over ¥10 million, and only 13.5% from families with income below the national average. And nearly a third of all entrants are from the Tokyo area.

If this housing allowance helps address these imbalances, I think that would be a good thing and a boost to social mobility. But as others have noted, restricting the financial help to females only seems a bit off. It should be based on distance, family income and academic level.

http://todo-ran.com/t/kijis/12088 (Numbers of entrance exam passes, not enrollments: but they're probably not much different.)

http://www.nenshuu.net/sonota/contents/toudai.php (Family income)

2 ( +3 / -1 )

No it doesn't. japan has long been the world's second largest and also No. 1 market in the world for luxury fashion brands. Ever wonder why? I

For the same reasons as why all the people buy Christmas cakes, chicken at Christmas, wine from some winery in France, buy Valentine Chocolate and the rest as well.

Never wondered why, people "follow" what everyone else is doing, whether or not they can afford it or not either.

No it doesn't.

Yes it certainly does, you just can't see why.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The young single Japanese females I've known and dated over the years, and their friends, were...

...Todai students? Really?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So, we have an article which states that the educational establishment that is the golden key to entering the halls of both government and corporate power in this country has a student body that is overwhelmingly (more than 80%) male.

Yet everyone, and I am assuming almost everyone commenting here is a guy, is crying sexism and discrimination not based on that, but on the fact that 100 female students will receive a 30,000 Yen housing subsidy?

Its really kind of pathetic how quick guys (and Im a guy for the record) will push the discrimination panic button at the merest hint that women are getting something they arent, no matter how trivial, yet are totally fine with being complacent about gender discrimination that overwhelmingly privileges men.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

how about men >?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow, these comments really show how little people understand the Japanese social class system.

Todai is nothing more than a brand. People speak bout the "difficult" entrance exams but the truth is the interview is usually what determines who gets into the club. And that's what it is, a club. Internationally Todai, Japan's top university, ranks 39 which is pretty low considering what the locals think about it. It's not about education, it's about maintaining a social elite. The girls are accepted by family name, wealth and of course beauty. Many of the female graduates go on to jobs at the most prestigious companies as marriage material for the boys. They get married, have a kid and quit and is supported by the husbands salary which is higher than the national average. Nomura semiofficially admits to this practice.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I still find it hard to believe a female would turn down Todai all because of the living costs. But this extra help is OK in my book if it helps boost females enrolled, subsequently females who graduate, subsequently females in higher level positions, subsequently more female role models, subsequently more females in general striving to be more than just a housewife or lowly office lady. So scream "unfair" all you want, but if society can potentially eventually be the better for it, then hey, why not?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@Jalapeño, really? Do you think that most Japanese people find this ok? Haven’t you thought in the possibility that this kind of unfair policies, far to lead to what your imagination tell you, can fill of misogyny the society no content with this, and lead to ill will against women, something that not only would be worse for women but for all the society.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

OK, full disclosure. I was a Tokyo University student in the late 90s. At that time, anyway, there were hardly any female students. I understand that the university wants to do something to encourage women to go there, but that really has to do with the examination system and encouraging women to take the exam. And it is a cultural thing. With more women at the top, that should encourage the smart ones to go there. One of my female friends said her father was adamantly against her going to Tokyo University because she would not return to their small village and take over the family bakery. AND nobody in the village would marry her if she did come back, so no offspring to take over the bakery. That is what women were up against in the late 90s. I wonder what it is like today.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I find people from Todai generally a bit weird...and ( not all offcourse ) but mostly lacking normal social skills. I guess they do need to attract more women.. but they should do it to both boys and girls. Otherwise it sends very wrong message about women capabilities. someone commented before that men should just shut up and take it cause they get more benefits being men ... that is absolutely abhorrent feminist crap... and shouldnt be allowed in cultural world.. treat all people they way u want to be treated, hopefully one day you will be taught that lesson.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Toodai must be thinking to increase female students who usually attend female U in Tokyo.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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