During an entrance exam for a top middle school in Japan in January, students were asked to read two poems depicting life in Palestine and write responses to key passages.

Controversy soon followed on Japanese social media over the use of the material related to war and displacement.

Some criticised the test section as politically one-sided for lacking Israeli views, while others praised the school for choosing a subject that, despite its complexities, has galvanised the world after much devastation in the Gaza Strip.

The two poets – Gaza-born Mosab Abu Toha and Palestinian American Zeina Azzam – welcomed the inclusion of their translated works in the exam, but also expressed concern about the ensuing controversy.

Nada Junior High School is a private all-boys school in Kobe whose graduates often go on to top universities in Japan. Every winter, hundreds of sixth grade students take the admissions test.

Mosab Abu Toha stands in front of his destroyed home in the Gaza Strip in November 2023. Photo: Mosab Abu Toha

Mosab Abu Toha stands in front of his destroyed home in the Gaza Strip in November 2023. Photo: Mosab Abu Toha

Abu Toha’s poem “What is Home?” – published in his 2022 book Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear – was used alongside Azzam’s “Write My Name” in the reading comprehension portion of the exam.