Bright and vivacious young women are in great demand as TV announcers. For many in Japan, the stepping stone to a career in broadcast news has been the annual Miss Keio contest, held during the autumn festival at the nation¡¯s most prestigious private university: Keio, in Tokyo¡¯s Minato Ward.
But earlier this month, the pageant¡¯s organizer, the 92-year-old Keio Advertisement Society, posted the following announcement on its website: ¡°This year¡¯s Miss Keio contest activities ... have been cancelled as a result of punitive measures by the university, due to the occurrence of an unfortunate incident that betrayed everyone¡¯s expectations. As a group, we have reflected deeply upon this. ... We extend our apologies to the six finalists. We are truly sorry.¡±
On Oct. 4, Keio University ordered the Advertisement Society to disband, following revelations of its members¡¯ alleged involvement in the gang rape of a female student in early September.
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