wakatte. TV controversy regarding Fukushima University

The YouTube channel ‘wakatte. TV’ sparked controversy following remarks made by presenter Fumin Takada regarding Fukushima University. In a video discussing university entrance exam difficulty, Takada commented on the university’s research into radioactivity and nuclear energy, stating, “Radioactivity and nuclear power are extremely important issues in energy... I don't want Fukushima University to touch them.”

Fukushima University responded by asserting that the dignity of its students and faculty must not be harmed, emphasizing that research into nuclear disasters and environmental radioactivity is vital for scientific verification and regional recovery. The incident also drew criticism regarding the connection between the content creators and the cram school Takeda Juku, with the school’s founder suggesting that universities with lower deviation scores might lack the capability for advanced research.

Following the backlash, Takada deleted the video and issued an apology on X. Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Yohei Matsumoto, also addressed the matter, stating that it is inappropriate to judge a university’s research capabilities solely based on entrance exam deviation scores.