Video video games are usually not banned at this Japanese highschool, they’re a part of the curriculum

When it involves finding out and homework, video video games are sometimes considered as an unhealthy distraction.

But one college in Japan has embraced them as a significant a part of the curriculum to show essential considering.

The eSports High School in Tokyo is a personal academy that mixes intensive pc recreation lessons with common research, akin to historical past, maths, and Japanese.

It additionally permits college students to attend lessons remotely from house.

The unconventional method to instructing highschool college students sits in distinction to Japan’s schooling system, which is famend for its rigidity and excessive expectations.

“At other typical full-time schools, games are generally viewed as bad rather than good,” stated head trainer Yoji Tsurunaga.

“At our school, gaming isn’t merely about letting students play. It helps develop interpersonal communication skills.

“If a scholar dislikes college due to finding out, we will encourage them to start out with the sport class.”

The idea behind the eSports High School is to provide a haven for those unable to cope and keep them in school.

On the day the ABC is there, students are practising the esports game, Rocket League, one of a variety of games on offer.

From their seats, the group of high schoolers participate in a virtual soccer game, using cars to move the ball and scoring goals.

“In our gaming lessons, we incorporate classes on profitable methods, important abilities, and the mindset wanted for victory,” Mr Tsurunaga explained.

“We domesticate their capability to suppose.”

The immense strain in Japan’s excessive colleges

Students in Japan are under immense pressure to conform and perform.

Even during time off, extra curriculum study is common, with some 70 per cent of students attending after-hours education centres known as “cram colleges” at some point in their schooling.

Students are increasingly buckling under the pressure, with a phenomenon known as “college refusal” persistently rising for greater than a decade.

Education ministry data shows 67,782 high school students were “chronically absent” in 2024, meaning they missed at least 30 days of school in the year for reasons other than illness or financial hardship.

It’s just shy of the previous year record of 68,770.

Japan is also the only G7 nation where suicide is the number one cause of death for children aged between 10 and 19.

Last year, it recorded the highest number of student suicides since records began in 1980, with 527 students from elementary to senior high school.

The rise in student suicides sits in contrast to the overall number of suicides in Japan, which is on a downward trend.

Mika Ikemoto from the Japan Research Institute said schools often lack the tools to look after individual student needs.

“While some youngsters can effortlessly meet the requirements demanded by colleges, for others the bar is just too excessive,” she stated.

“I imagine making colleges comfy locations for all youngsters remains to be missing as a part of Japanese college tradition.”

Balancing curiosity with habit

Student Hayate Ito said he felt awkward at his old school but is much more confident after moving to the eSport school in Tokyo.

He explained that he was “actually ineffective at finding out — a correct dunce” and that his parents were “apprehensive” about that.

“They beneficial this college to me,” he stated.

“The attraction of [the] college is that, not like conventional colleges which focus solely on research, it permits me to stability gaming with my research.

“That makes me feel much more comfortable.”

While permitting video video games in colleges will be the envy of many college students internationally, the flip facet of the difficulty is managing online game habit.

It’s an issue that’s significantly prevalent in Japan, with 8 per cent of scholars exhibiting worrying indicators.

Mr Tsurunaga stated his college recognised the issue, and advocated accountable gaming habits.

“We support students in maintaining a clear distinction between gaming and academic study by giving them structured days based on the day of the week,” he stated.

“For these students who refused to attend school, we use their favourite games as a starting point to encourage them to come out of their homes and attend school.”

A pathway from college to school

The college additionally has knowledge to help its methodology.

Among final 12 months’s graduates, 70 per cent went onto college. In Japan, the nationwide common is 52.6 per cent.

“At the moment, I’m thinking of applying to an art university,” stated eSports scholar Ryuoto Inagki.

“After finishing art school, I want to start my own company.”