Admissions as Entertainment: Digital Hollywood University [DHU] Releases 2027 Entrance Examination Overview

Digital Hollywood University (DHU, location: Ochanomizu, Tokyo; President: Naotaka Fujii), a university incorporated under the approval of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which comprises the Faculty of Digital Communication (a four-year university) for learning digital content, planning, and communication, and the Graduate School of Digital Content (a professional graduate school) that bridges theory and practice to create new businesses, has released an overview of its 2027 entrance examinations (hereinafter referred to as 'admissions').

For the 2027 admissions, DHU will implement significant updates to actively accept diverse talents, including a refresh of the evaluation methods for comprehensive selection, the establishment of a new school recommendation selection (public offering) called 'Talent Discovery' where applicants can directly present to Professor Naotaka Fujii, who will assume office as the second president from April 2026, and the waiving of examination fees for the general selection (Common University Entrance Examination utilization method).

Here are the key points of the new academic year's admissions, first unveiled at the 'Spring Open Campus 2026' (held on March 22).

**2027 Admissions: Main Changes**

**① Comprehensive Selection: Abolition of 'Types' and Introduction of '#MyTag' and 'PROF.'**

The conventional 'types' such as 'Activity-focused' and 'Portfolio-focused' previously set in the comprehensive selection will be abolished, and '#MyTag' will be newly introduced to allow applicants to express themselves. Applicants will describe 'three keywords that define you' in '#tag' format to convey their appeal to the university. Through the act of tagging, applicants can deepen their self-understanding and, literally, showcase their unique charms without being confined to a 'type.'

Accompanying this, the university's forms such as the 'Statement of Purpose' and 'Activity Record Report' will be revised. 'PROF. (Self-Introduction Sheet)' will be introduced as a document for applicants to record their passionate interests, starting with #MyTag. PROF. includes sections for #MyTag and records of activities leading to those tags, the most influential work and its reasons, and a vision for after enrollment.

In the interview examination, which accounts for a large weight* in the admission decision, the initial three-minute 'self-appeal' section, which was previously free-form, will be changed to '#Tag Talk.' Applicants will primarily explain their #MyTag to showcase their appeal.

The content of #MyTag is free, but applicants can also refer to the 'Tag List,' a collection of keywords extracted by the university from past applicants' data.

*The scoring for comprehensive selection is: Documents 20 points, Basic Academic Test 10 points, Interview 70 points.

**② Flagship Admission 'Autumn Tryout' Autumn Course (Presentation) to be Publicly Opened!**

The 'Autumn Tryout' is a comprehensive selection with the largest recruitment quota, attracting applicants who prioritize DHU. For those who pass the first selection (basic academic test and interview), the second selection (autumn course) involves 'lectures,' 'group work,' and 'presentations' held at the university campus. For the 2027 admissions, only the 'presentation' part will be conditionally open to the public.

▽ Participation Conditions ① High school sophomores who strongly wish to apply to the university in the next academic year or later. ② Those who have participated in at least one open campus or university information session hosted by the university between March and the end of July 2026 and completed the questionnaire.

*If there are many applicants, a lottery will be held. *Details on how to apply will be published on the university's official website by the end of June 2026.

**③ Direct Appeal to the New President! Establishment of School Recommendation Selection (Public Offering) 'Talent Discovery'**

Previously, school recommendation selection was only available through designated schools (recommendation admissions from high schools designated by the university). However, from 2027, the public offering 'Talent Discovery' will commence. This selection category, also known as 'Presidential Direct Appeal Admissions,' was newly established for high school students who are proud to possess 'exceptional talent (outstanding abilities or achievements)' in specific fields such as creativity, technology, business, or social contribution, in addition to excellent academic performance.

The biggest feature is the opportunity to directly present past achievements and visions to Professor Naotaka Fujii, who will assume office as DHU's new president from April 2026 (in-person or via Zoom). If an applicant passes this 'Talent Discovery' selection, admission as a 'Scholarship' student is guaranteed, with 100% tuition exemption in the first year and 50% exemption from the second year onwards.

**Naotaka Fujii** **President, Digital Hollywood University**

Graduated from Tohoku University School of Medicine, ophthalmologist, completed doctoral course at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Doctor of Medical Science. From 1998, researcher at MIT Ann Graybiel lab. Returned to Japan in 2004, served as Deputy Team Leader at RIKEN Brain Science Institute, then Team Leader of the Adaptive Intelligence Research Team from 2008, conducting research on social brain functions. Founded Hacosco Inc. in 2014. Became a professor at Digital Hollywood University in 2018, and assumed office as the second president from April 2026. Specializes in 'Reality Science.'

**④ Examination Fee for Common Test Utilization Method to be '0 Yen' (Limited to 2027)**

For prospective students considering applying to the university via academic examination, the 'General Selection (Common University Entrance Examination Utilization Method)' is recommended. For 2027 only, the application fee (traditionally 15,000 yen) will be '0 yen.' If you have taken 3 or more subjects or 2 or more subjects in the Common Test, you can easily apply to the university for free, simply by having your Common Test score report (score request ticket)*. There are no individual examinations at this university, so you can apply as a parallel application, a trial, or even just for a school survey.

*Separate submission of application registration on the internet application site (e-apply) and some documents (high school transcript, etc.) by mail is required.

**[2027 Entrance Examination Overview]**

The '2027 Entrance Examination Overview' (booklet and PDF versions), which summarizes detailed schedules and application qualifications for each selection category, is scheduled to be released in mid-April 2026. For those who wish to obtain the booklet version, please apply through the 'Document Request' page on the university's official website. It will be shipped sequentially to your home around mid-May 2026.

▽ Document Request (Booklet Version) https://www.dhw.ac.jp/form/shiryo/

▽ Download Application Guidelines (PDF Version) https://www.dhw.ac.jp/entrance/guidelines/

**[Admission Policy]**

Digital Hollywood University broadly accepts individuals from Japan and abroad who resonate with the spirit of 'Make Everything Entertainment!' to foster creative individuals who can contribute to international society.

The full text of the Admission Policy can be viewed on the university's official website. https://www.dhw.ac.jp/feature/policy/admission_policy/

**[Event Information]**

**■ University Information Session & Entrance Exam/Interview Point Lecture** May 10, 2026 (Sun) 13:00-16:00 June 21, 2026 (Sun) 13:00-16:00 *Held monthly from July onwards

**■ Open Campus** Early Summer Open Campus 2026: June 7, 2026 (Sun) 13:00-16:00 Summer Open Campus 2026: July 19, 2026 (Sun), August 23, 2026 (Sun) 13:00-17:00

**Format: *Reservations required for all** On-campus [Surugadai Campus] Online [YouTube Live/Zoom]

**Details/Application:** Please apply through the Open Campus special page. https://www.dhw.ac.jp/opencampus/

**Inquiries:** Digital Hollywood University Admissions Office nyushi@dhw.ac.jp

**[Digital Hollywood University (DHU)]**

https://www.dhw.ac.jp

Opened in April 2005 in Akihabara, Tokyo (current location: Ochanomizu, Tokyo) as a university incorporated under the approval of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It comprises the Faculty of Digital Communication (a four-year university) and the Graduate School of Digital Content (a professional graduate school).

The Faculty of Digital Communication aims to equip students with the ability to live authentically in an uncertain and unpredictable future. It adopts a one-faculty, one-department system where students can broadly learn digital content (3DCG/VFX, VR/AR, games, video, graphics, web design, media art, programming, etc.) and planning/communication (business plans, marketing, public relations, etc.) from faculty members active on the front lines of the industry. Furthermore, to foster global talent, it provides intensive foreign language learning programs and promotes studying abroad. Students from 46 countries and regions are enrolled, operating a diverse campus in front of Ochanomizu Station.

The Graduate School of Digital Content aims to produce leaders who can drive social change by utilizing digital communication in a hyper-information society. It fosters human resources who can bridge theory and practice by acquiring and integrating the four elements of the emergent academic domain [SEAD (Science/Engineering/Art/Design)] in a balanced manner. Through new business planning, prototyping, and startup support for graduate students' ideas, it ranked 15th among all universities and 7th among private universities in the 'FY2024 University-Launched Venture Survey' (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), producing numerous entrepreneurs.