Bullying victim quit prestigious Japan national elementary school

From Kyodo

May 12 2025

TOKYO – A pupil at a prestigious national elementary school in Tokyo quit the school this year after being the victim of bullying, a source close to the matter said Monday.

It was the second straight year that the Elementary School attached to University of Tsukuba has reported a “serious” incident to the education ministry.

In fiscal 2023, parents of a sixth-grade boy reported a bullying incident to the school’s management, after a teacher opted not to follow up on it.

In the latest case, the parents of the student pulled their child out of the school at the end of January and transferred them to another school after complaints of backbiting and being ignored by others, the source said.

The law to promote preventive measures for bullying stipulates incidents as “serious” if they are deemed to have caused severe physical and mental damage to students or students are forced to be absent from school for a considerable period of time.

“I am sorry that the school failed to take proper response,” the school’s Principal Akihiro Sasaki told reporters without unveiling the details, saying an investigation into the case has not yet started.

The school, located in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward, is affiliated to the University of Tsukuba and is known as a difficult school to enter given its high standards. The university is attended by Prince Hisahito, the nephew of Emperor Naruhito and second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

The number of bullying cases recognized as “serious” hit a record high of 1,306 in fiscal 2023, rising by around 40 percent from the previous year, reflecting the stance of schools recognizing bullying cases more proactively, according to a survey by the ministry.