Kumamoto Prefecture will open a free cram school Sunday for junior high and high school students who want to enroll in universities overseas.

"Students nowadays have options to attend universities abroad thanks to globalization," said Makoto Kamei of the prefectural government's private education promotion division. "Unlike Tokyo, Kumamoto doesn't have preparatory schools for foreign universities. We're launching this school to help students from giving up on their dream of attending college overseas just because they're in Kumamoto."

Kamei said Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima, who has a Ph.D. in political economy from Harvard University, is a big supporter of the project. Kabashima has said he wants to support motivated students by creating an environment for getting into universities overseas, such as his alma mater.