On Wednesday, about 3,000 students graduating from the University of Tokyo (aka Todai) will receive their diplomas at a commencement ceremony at Yasuda Auditorium on the Hongo campus.

But major changes are occurring at Tokyo's Kasumigaseki, where the Japanese government ministries and agencies are concentrated — so far the most popular destination for many graduates from this prestigious university.

A career civil servant at one of the economic ministries, who graduated from Todai in the 1980s, notes deterioration of the quality of university graduates entering national civil service. He wonders what types of jobs top Todai graduates are now seeking.