The reason behind the relaxation of ＂appearance＂ requirem

According to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) on the 12th, Takarazuka Music School, a renowned art school in Japan with a century old history, has removed the long-standing requirement of "dignified posture and beautiful appearance" from its enrollment requirements for 2025.

The Takarazuka Music School was founded in 1913 as a preparatory school for the national level Takarazuka Revue Company in Japan. It is located in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture and has trained many popular actors such as Yuki Amami and Mayo Daichi. In Japanese folklore, the admission threshold for this school is so high that it is known as "East is East University, West is Takarazuka".

A Japanese screenwriter who has been following Takarazuka Revue for nearly half a century said in an interview, "In most companies, judging women based on their appearance is not accepted, but for those who want to enter Takarazuka Revue and sell their dreams on stage, if they are not good-looking enough, it is difficult to succeed

According to tradition, the school only admits about 40 female students aged 15 to 18 each year. Its official "Admission Examination Instructions" have stated that during interviews, students will be assessed for their suitability for the Takarazuka Opera stage based on their appearance, eloquence, movements, posture, temperament, and other aspects. However, upon reviewing the school's admission guidelines, NHK found that the requirement of "appearance" has been removed and replaced with "physical and mental health, and the ability to adapt to stage performance requirements after graduation".

For this change, the above-mentioned screenwriter believes that the school is "catering to the trend of the times". He said, "If such conditions are marked too bluntly in the application qualifications, it is easy to be criticized by organizations like the 'Appearance Association', so they just deleted this word." The screenwriter also revealed that there are many problems with the current 'Takarazuka system', and schools and opera troupes are undergoing reforms. The school staff stated in an interview that it is not convenient to disclose more details. In response to changes in enrollment conditions, they said, "We have been thinking about more appropriate ways and content based on the changing times and environment

At the end of September last year, a 25-year-old member of the Takarazuka Revue committed suicide. The local police investigation report shows that the deceased not only had a heavy performance load in the month before his death, but also suffered from bullying from members of the theater troupe. Subsequently, long-standing issues such as strict management and prevalent culture of superiority and inferiority within the school and opera troupe have received widespread attention.

The number of applicants for Takarazuka Music School has continued to decline in recent years. NHK reported that due to negative events, the admission ratio for the school's entrance exam in March this year was 12:1, the lowest since 2000, in sharp contrast to the explosive level of 48.2:1 in 1994. In addition, the decrease in the number of "commemorative applications" aimed at ceremony rather than admission is also one of the reasons why the school's enrollment has been "cold". Industry insiders point out that whenever the classic Takarazuka opera "Rose of Versailles" is performed, it attracts a group of loyal fans who aspire to the actors in the play to apply for music schools, and even specifically enter "preparatory schools" for study.