Perhaps only in Japan could a young man be arrested for the crime of "obstructing university operations by fraudulent means." For weeks, the nation's headlines have been jammed with the story about a student who cheated on the entrance exam for four prestigious universities, Kyoto, Waseda, Doshisha and Rikkyo.
In most countries, cheating would hardly make the college newspaper, much less become a full-scale police investigation. The frenzy of interest and indignation is fueled by the exalted, iconic status of Japan's entrance exams. Anyone bucking the system risks becoming a pariah, though for many, perhaps, this student may seem more like an anti-hero.
Whatever one's personal reaction, the story reveals the need for changes in one of Japan's most revered traditions — the university entrance exam. University administrators' shocked, angry reactions need to be placed in the context of one simple fact — entrance exams are huge moneymakers.