Entrance Examinations Begin at 218 Private Junior High Schools in Tokyo and Kanagawa Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:40 JST, February 1, 2024

Entrance examinations for private junior high schools began on Thursday in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, marking the peak of entrance examinations for private junior high schools in Tokyo metropolitan area which will continue until Feb. 5.

According to Tokyo-based cram school Eikoh Seminar, 218 private junior high schools in Tokyo and Kanagawa will hold examinations on Thursday. In Saitama Prefecture, where entrance examinations have been held since Jan. 10, competition has become fierce, as newly established schools and courses are gaining popularity, increasing the number of applicants.

At Musashi Junior High School in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, many students gathered around the school’s gate before it opened at 7:30 a.m. A sixth-grade boy from Fujimino, Saitama Prefecture, said, “I want to pass the exam. I want to study hard to be an astronaut.”

According to Shutoken Moshi Center, which holds practice examinations, the number of students expected to take entrance examinations for private and national schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area this year is about 52,000, approximately the same as last year’s number, which was the highest ever.