August 22, 2018

Fifty-seven lawyers in Japan formed a counsel on August 21 to deal with the issue of Tokyo Medical University's discrimination against women by lowering all female examinees' entrance exam scores.

The legal experts' team will open hotlines to give former female test-takers legal advice and will support them in claiming disclosure of their scores, entrance exam fee returns, and compensation for damages.

Lawyer Tsunoda Yukiko at a press conference in Tokyo said, "Japanese society as a whole should discuss how to eradicate discrimination against women." Lawyer Uchikoshi Sakura said, "We will provide consultation if former female examinees whose scores were lowered decide to take legal action."

A letter from a prep-school student who had unsuccessfully applied for admission to Tokyo Medical University was read out:

"I've been studying for the entrance exam to Tokyo Medical University. Last time I took the test, I passed the first-stage test (academic skills) but failed the second one. (interview, essay, debate, etc.) In a simulated test at the prep school before the real exam, I got a 'pass' evaluation, so I was at a loss as to why I failed the second-stage test. Later, on the news, I learned of the score manipulation procedure and felt betrayed thinking that I had been rejected maybe because of that. This is giving me emotional turmoil."

Her family spent another million yen for her to study at the prep school for another year, according to this woman. She now hopes that not only Tokyo Medical University but all medical schools will clarify their scoring standards and judgement criteria in second-stage exams.

Past related articles:
> Medical workers’ union protests against medical university’s discrimination against women [August 8, 2018]
> JCP urges Education Ministry to investigate medical university’s discrimination against female applicants [August 3, 2018]