Japanese mothers accompanying their smart, grown-up children.

Last week, I stopped by a four-star hotel in downtown Tokyo. When I arrived there in the morning, I noticed that there was something unusual in the lobby. Usually, the lobby is bustling with men and women in suits in the morning. In contrast, on that day, middle-aged women in casual clothes were standing in groups there. On top of that, other middle-aged women occupied the large part of a cafe in the lobby. It turned out that these women were mothers whose children were sitting the entrance examination for the University of Tokyo, the most prestigious university in Japan.

The hotel is located near the University of Tokyo. I've heard that the hotel has been popular among students who plan on taking the entrance examination for this prestigious university but live far from it. Given that the hotel is more expensive than average, I feel like the popularity has proven the fact that children from affluent families are more likely to enroll in prestigious universities than others.

Anyway, what I want to say here is that I was really surprised by how many mothers accompanied their grown-up children to Tokyo. When I was a student many years ago, students usually went by themselves to take entrance examinations wherever they were. Even if their mothers insisted on accompanying them, they, especially boys, would spurn the offer. Some of them would even feel annoyed. I'm not saying that mothers accompanying their grown-up children is wrong. However, I can't help but wonder whether or not they have realized that society requires young people to become more independent. It has been said that young people need to learn to make decisions by themselves and take responsibility for the decisions. Graduates from the University of Tokyo are the most likely to be given various opportunities, and they are greatly expected to play important roles in various fields. I hope that these mothers will let their children go after they pass the examination. Otherwise, Japan won't have a future.