JJapan

Japan gamer, 12, plans to quit school for esports, backed by parents, sparks debate

  • January 7, 2026

Japan gamer, 12, plans to quit school for esports, backed by parents, sparks debate

by moeka_8962

19 comments

  1. I once had a student who dropped out after middle school to pursue his startup dreams. Had his parents support. He was very successful. He also completely burned out by the time he was 16. He’s been off the map for years now, and based on what I saw the last time I saw him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were dead.

    Non-traditional paths can be absolutely fine. This story doesn’t feel fine to me, though. This kid is going to crash and burn.

  2. Nah man too soon and young. Don’t mind you following your dreams but finish high school first.

  5. If he can make a living as a pro-gamer, that’s perfectly fine. However, I just want he to at least complete compulsory education properly.

    It’s entirely up to him. But I strongly recommend using a keyboard and mouse.

  7. There is some weird depth to esports in Japan.

    One woman I work with has a son who is in pro esports with yomiuri giants. But the baseball game he plays is like on the ipad? It sounds so scuffed but he’s on the orgs website. I asked if he gets free tickets to real games and she said no lol.

  9. I think it’s ok to practice to become a pro gamer similar to athletes but athletes do school as well. Why not just treat him as a normal athlete? He doesn’t need 12-14h per day of practice, let’s be real. And him concentrating so hard that he pissed himself is a sign that this is not healthy behavior.

  10. If he’s successful it’ll be easy money for his parents. That’s all they’re thinking of.

  14. That 12 year old is probably smarter than most American seniors in high school!🤣

  15. Putting aside the educational aspect, it doesn’t seem like a healthy choice socially and developmentally. Sure you can learn academics later or in a different way but social development is time sensitive. An “e-sport” path is also by its nature going to be socially isolating especially once school is removed from the equation. To me, this is no different than a kid saying they want to be a YouTuber or play professional sports. Adults are supposed to respond to something like that with “okay how do we support this without narrowing your world.”

  18. These parents are terrible and he needs an intervention. The jobs that await someone who only completed elementary school are not good unless you have extraordinary luck like some entrepreneurs.

  19. Isn’t middle school compulsory in Japan? Is it even legal for him to just not go?

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