Image copyright EPA/ROBERT GILHOOLY

Image caption Officials want more female students to apply to study at the university

One of Japan's most prestigious universities is offering rent subsidies to female students in the hope of improving the gender balance among its intake.

The University of Tokyo will shell out 30,000 yen ($277; £223) per month toward each student's housing costs from next April, with the support lasting for up to two years, The Asahi Shimbun reports.

At the moment only 20% of the institution's applicants are female, and a smaller number are accepted after entrance exams. Executive Vice President Tomokazu Haebara says attempts to encourage more female student applications through visits to secondary schools have made little difference, hence the new strategy.

To get the financial help, a student's family home must be more than a 90 minute commute from the Komaba campus, where all students spend their first two years, The Mainichi paper explains. That makes her eligible for a university-approved apartment, which will be subsidised.

The Asahi Shimbun notes that parents often raise concerns about finding safe housing for their daughters if they were to leave home to study.

In response, the university is seeking about 100 apartments close to the campus that meet safety and earthquake-resistance standards. And there's an added bonus for worried mums and dads - the apartments will be big enough for parents to stay overnight, too.

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