Takarazuka Revue Company’s School Removes ‘Good-Looks’ Application Requirement; This Year’s Acceptance Rate 1 in 12

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:31 JST, November 10, 2024

TAKARAZUKA, Hyogo — Takarazuka Music School, where performers train for the all-female Takarazuka Revue Company, has removed “good-looking” from its application requirements.

Established in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, under the name Takarazuka Shokatai (Takarazuka Chorus) in 1913, the school unveiled last month its guidelines for applicants who aspire to enroll in April next year.

Until last year, the guidelines stipulated that applicants had to be “those who are good-looking and suitable to become a performer as a student of the Takarazuka Revue Company after graduation [from the school].”

However, this stipulation has been replaced with “those who are healthy physically and mentally and suitable to become a performer as a member of the Takarazuka Revue Company after graduation.”

In its response to inquiries from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the school said it “refrains from elaborating” on the reasons behind the removal of “good-looking” in its requirements. However, the school added that it has been constantly considering how to administer its entrance examination to “better suit changing times and [social] conditions.”

Every year, the school recruits about 40 girls between the ages of 15 and 18. This year’s acceptance rate was 1 in 12, the lowest since 2000. The death of a theater troupe member last year is believed to have been one of the contributing factors behind the lower competitiveness.

The move is “quite natural in light of the time and global trends in how to recruit personnel,” said Keifu Ishii, a theater critic.

On the other hand, a 75-year-old woman in Tokyo who said she has been a Takarazuka fan for 60 years, is skeptical.

“Beautiful stars are what Takarazuka performances are all about,” she said. “I believe that applicants will continue to be evaluated based on their looks.”