Students at the University of Tokyo have rallied against a plan to raise tuition.
About 400 people took part in the protest at the Hongo Campus in Tokyo on Thursday.
The university is now discussing a tuition hike. Under the maximum increase allowed by the state, annual tuition could go up by about 100,000 yen, or about 640 dollars, from the current 535,800 yen, or about 3,400 dollars.
Some participants said the tuition hike could discourage some applicants, including students from rural areas. They said this would undermine the diversity of the student body.
Others said there will always be some students who will not be eligible for financial aid.
The students adopted a resolution demanding the scrapping of the tuition hike plan. They want the university to explain the reasons for the increase, and to disclose information on financial aid programs. The students also asked the university to set up meetings with the group.
A senior student from Osaka said she understands that the university needs money, but an additional 100,000 yen is a huge amount and she feels pressure.
A doctoral student said the fact that so many people took part in the rally shows that this is a serious issue, and he wants the university to listen sincerely to them.
The university says it is holding discussions on the tuition increase, but it has no information to disclose as the plan is still under scrutiny.