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News Navigator: Aren't children of the Imperial Family required to attend Gakushuin schools?
The Mainichi answers common questions readers may have about whether children of the Imperial Family are required to attend Gakushuin University and its kindergarten, primary, junior high and high schools.
Question: I've heard that Prince Hisahito, the son of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, will enter a kindergarten attached to Ochanomizu University in Tokyo. But aren't children of the Imperial Family supposed to go to Gakushuin University and kindergarten and schools attached to it?
Answer: There is no such rule now, but they were required to do so before World War II.
Q: Was there actually a rule before the war?
A: Yes. Article 2 of the now defunct regulations on school education for Imperial Family members, which were enacted in 1926, stipulated children of the Imperial Family must attend Gakushuin schools unless otherwise stipulated for in the same regulations. Article 7 of the regulations stated that children of the Imperial Family can attend others schools if there are special reasons for that.
Q: When was Gakushuin inaugurated?
A: The predecessor of Gakushuin was initially founded in the compounds of the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1847 during the Edo Period as an educational institution for court nobles. The current Gakushuin was established in 1877, following the return of political power from the last Edo shogun to the Emperor. An inauguration ceremony for the institution was held in the Kanda Nishikicho district of downtown Tokyo. Mainly children of noblemen as well as Imperial Family members were enrolled in Gakushuin, a public school under the jurisdiction of the then Imperial Household Ministry. It was privatized following the end of World War II.
Q: Since the regulations were abolished after the war, aren't Imperial Family members allowed to freely select schools they attend?
A: Yes, but Imperial Family members tend to select Gakushuin in line with customary practices since the pre-war era. Emperor Akihito and his three children -- Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino and Princess Nori (who is now Sayako Kuroda as she is married to a commoner) -- are all graduates of Gakushuin.
Q: Are there Imperial Family members who are studying or studied at schools other than Gakushuin?
A: Yes. In recent cases, Princess Tsuguko, the eldest daughter of Prince Takamado and Princess Hisako, entered Waseda University in Tokyo and Princess Ayako, their third daughter, joined Josai International University in Togane, Chiba Prefecture. Princess Mako, the elder daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, will enter International Christian University next spring after graduating from Gakushuin Girls' Senior High School. All of them studied at Gakushuin primary, junior high and senior high schools.
Q: Then why won't Prince Hisahito go to Gakushuin Kindergarten?
A: Gakushuin Kindergarten has a two-year course, while the kindergarten attached to Ochanomizu University has a three-year course. According to the Imperial Household Agency, Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko decided to enroll their only son in Ochanomizu University kindergarten because they believe that children should attend a three-year kindergarten and Princess Kiko conducts research mainly at Ochanomizu University. (Answers by Mitsuyuki Manabe, City News Department)
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) December 14, 2009