Ryoko-chan goes to Waseda

[Aaron Gerow]

One of the big bits of geino news from last week--it was even on the 
front page of the Mainichi evening edition--was that top idol 
singer/actress Hirosue Ryoko was accepted in the Education Faculty of 
Waseda University.  The star of Hara Masato's _20th Century Nostalgia_ 
has apparently only missed about 20 days of school during her busy high 
school years and has quite good grades.  She's now being called "Heisei's 
Yoshinaga Sayuri" since that teen idol from the 1960s also went to Waseda.

Waseda, which has been suffering major declines in applications, is 
hoping for a boost to its badly hurt image given that the tomboyish 
Ryoko-chan has a wide and quite loyal male following.  Some students, 
however, have protested that the acceptance gives Waseda an image as a 
geino university and lowers the value of their degrees.

There were rumors she was also considering Meiji Gakuin (where I also 
teach), but alas, I am fated not to have her in one of my classes.

Aaron Gerow
Associate Professor
International Student Center
Yokohama National University
79-1 Tokiwadai
Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501
JAPAN
E-mail: gerow at ynu.ac.jp
Phone: 81-45-339-3170
Fax: 81-45-339-3171