Bright and vivacious young women are in great demand as TV announcers. For many in Japan, the stepping stone to a career in broadcast news has been the annual Miss Keio contest, held during the autumn festival at the nation's most prestigious private university: Keio, in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
But earlier this month, the pageant's organizer, the 92-year-old Keio Advertisement Society, posted the following announcement on its website: "This year's Miss Keio contest activities ... have been cancelled as a result of punitive measures by the university, due to the occurrence of an unfortunate incident that betrayed everyone's expectations. As a group, we have reflected deeply upon this. ... We extend our apologies to the six finalists. We are truly sorry."
On Oct. 4, Keio University ordered the Advertisement Society to disband, following revelations of its members' alleged involvement in the gang rape of a female student in early September.