A national women's university in Tokyo said Monday it will start from April 2020 accepting students born male but who identify themselves as female.

Ochanomizu University, Japan's first institution of higher education for women with a 142-year history, is believed to become the first women's university in the country to accept transgender students, according to the education ministry.

Women's universities in Japan have restricted applicants to those registered as women under the country's family register system.

But many of the universities, including Tsuda University and Japan Women's University, both in Tokyo, are considering modifying their qualifications as similar moves have been taken by universities in the United States in recent years.

Ochanomizu University will hold a press conference in the near future to explain the details of its measure, including how it plans to confirm whether an applicant is transgender.