Esports High School Opening In Japan Next Spring

Called 'Esport High School,' it's the first of its kind in Japan

Inside Esports High School is very modern and futuristic.
My kids’ schools in Japan do not look like this.
Image: eスポーツ高等学院

Do you like video games? Are you going to be a high school student in Japan? If you answered “yes” to both, have I got an academic institution for you.

This April, as junior high school students across Japan enter high school, a new type of specialty institution will open its doors. Dubbed “Esport High School” in English, the school is called Esports Koutou Gakuin (eスポーツ高等学院). Here is the school’s official site.

A student sits at a computer and plays a video game. There is a big "E" logo on the wall.
The big “E” is the school’s logo.
Photo: eスポーツ高等学院
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The school is supported by telecoms giant NTT’s esports outfit, as well as the esports team owned by Tokyo Verdy, the Japanese professional soccer team.

Located in Tokyo’s trendy Shibuya, the inside of the school is esports chic, as you might expect.

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Inside the school, there are lots of computers.
This looks more like a startup and less like a school.
Image: eスポーツ高等学院
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This is sooooooooooooooooooooo different from normal high schools.

Esports high school is outfitted with 40 Galleria XA7C-R37 gaming PCs with an Intel Core i7-11700, and outfitted with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics cards. While the school’s site doesn’t list what exact games students will play, the genres listed are what you’d expect: FPS, Third-person shooter, RTS, and MOBA.

The teachers are esports players and industry types, who will provide their expertise to the high schoolers.

An esports pro teaches students.
Learning the finer points of gaming.
Image: eスポーツ高等学院
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Students won’t just study video games, but also learn the standard Japanese high school curriculum. There is also an individual study program for those who have struggled with standard instruction—a welcomed option, indeed.

The high school’s website lists an array of careers for future graduates, including VR creator, game writer, 3DCG designer, game designer, special effects creator, and programmer. Some of these choices might need further education at either a specialty school or university. Other career options include streamer and esports pro.

In January, the school will hold an open campus at its location in Shibuya. No word yet at how much it costs for students to attend Esports High School.