University of Tokyo Professor Arrested: Serious Lack of Ethical Sense, Failure of Institutional Governance |
Editorial
15:01 JST, January 28, 2026
At the University of Tokyo, which leads Japanese research and education, arrests for corruption have been occurring. Just what is the state of governance within the university? There is an urgent need for the university to reform its organization from the ground up.
The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a doctor, who is a professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Medicine, on suspicion of accepting bribes. He is accused of accepting entertainment, in exchange for favors, from an executive of an association that jointly conducts research on skin diseases with the university. He is suspected of receiving entertainment worth a total of ¥1.8 million over 30 occasions at adult entertainment establishments and high-end clubs.
The MPD also has referred to prosecutors another doctor, who is a former specially appointed associate professor conducting research under the professor, and the representative director of........