The president of the University of Tokyo said Friday that he wants to form consultative bodies with other universities and companies to achieve a smooth transition to an autumn start of the academic year within five years.
The move by the nation's top academic institution has already impacted other schools. Kyushu University and Kanazawa University said they plan to start discussions on the autumn shift.
The remark by University of Tokyo President Junichi Hamada at a news conference followed the official release of an interim report by a university panel recommending the change.