The World University Rankings 2015-2016, announced Oct. 1 by the Times Higher Education, defied expectations as the University of Tokyo, which ranked 23rd in the previous year, dropped to the 43rd spot and the ranking of Kyoto University fell from 59th to 88th.
The Tokyo Institute of Technology, Osaka University and Tohoku University, which placed between 100th and 200th in the previous year, fell to below the 200th level.
The University of Tokyo, which had previously enjoyed the highest rank among universities in Asia, has been surpassed by the National University of Singapore and Peking University.