Short answers, pulled from the story.
Japan ranked eighth globally in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), with an average score of 520 compared to the OECD average of 488. Japanese students consistently achieve high rankings in reading, mathematics, and science according to OECD evaluations.
Japan requires nine years of compulsory education, covering six years of elementary school and three years of lower secondary school. Less than 2% of students drop out before completing this requirement.
Juku are private after-school cram schools that prepare Japanese students for university entrance examinations. Over 48,000 juku schools operate across Japan, with roughly 60% of junior high students attending, and costs ranging from 600,000 to 1.5 million yen depending on the student's age and level.
The University of Tokyo was established in 1877 by merging Edo-era institutions, including the Yushima Seidō. As of the QS World University Rankings 2025, it is ranked 32nd globally, making it the highest-ranked Japanese university.
After Japan's defeat in World War II, the Allied occupation enacted the Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law in 1947, restructuring schooling along American lines with six years of elementary school, three of lower secondary, three of upper secondary, and four of university. Compulsory education was extended to nine years and coeducation became more widespread.
As of 2023, around 65% of Japanese aged 25 to 34 have attained some form of tertiary education. Japanese women surpass men in higher education attainment, with 59% holding university degrees compared to 52% of men.