TOKYO -- A school operator in the Tokyo suburbs required parents of newly enrolled students to submit a written pledge promising not to leak internal school information to outside parties, sources have told the Mainichi Shimbun.

Musashino Higashi Gakuen, chaired by businessman Kenzo Matsumura, operates an elementary school, junior high school and vocational high school in the city of Musashino. The pledge included a clause stating parents would be subject to claims for damages if they violated its terms, prompting some to voice strong concerns, describing the measure as "suppression of free speech."

Following Matsumura's appointment as chairperson in February 2024, multiple teachers resigned, yet the institution's explanation to parents was limited, raising concerns among some guardians. In February 2025, it emerged that a student at the vocational high school was expelled after expressing opposition to Matsumura. The school later retracted the expulsion, but the turmoil had only grown.

The operator is believed to have sought ways to prevent parents and teachers from providing further information to outside sources after these cases were reported by news outlets including the Mainichi Shimbun.

According to sources, parents of newly admitted students received a document from the school administration by March of this year titled "written pledge and guarantee" along with documents related to enrollment.

The form was addressed to the principal, and stated, "I pledge to adhere to the following prohibitions." It included promises not to record or film within the school without authorization, disclose information acquired within the school on the internet or elsewhere, or respond to media interviews without permission. It also explicitly required signatories to agree not to contest disciplinary measures, including expulsion, and to pay damages if they breach these terms.

A parent of one new student told the Mainichi Shimbun, "We cannot respond (to an interview)," apparently mindful of the written pledge. An acquaintance of theirs shared a message stating, "We're angry and dissatisfied with the pledge, but since we're sending our child after we signed the document, we cannot respond to interview requests. It's outrageous that they'd stop us from freely speaking our minds in this manner."

In December 2024, the operator notified parents of current students via an online communication system that it had filed a damages suit against a party who allegedly made defamatory statements about the chair on X (formerly Twitter). The notification said that the operator "prohibits posting about the chair and other related persons on social media," and has requested parents to delete their posts and accounts.

Moreover, the school operator required staff to sign pledges to refrain from disclosing information online, along with an acknowledgment of liability for damages in case of violation.

In response to Mainichi Shimbun inquiries about the document's existence and possible consequences for parents who did not submit it, a legal representative acknowledged the pledge, but declined to answer any questions, citing that the matter relates to "school operations." The representative explained the reasoning for the pledge as, "to make them aware of acts detrimental to the school's credibility," and said that violations would not result in immediate expulsion, as action is taken in steps.

Musashino Higashi Gakuen is known for its inclusive education model, in which children with and without autism study together. Some parents have noted that "few places offer inclusive education for children with autism," amid growing unease about the institution's future.

(Japanese original by Buntaro Saito, Tokyo City News Department)