Because of his striking success in developing seedless watermelons, Chen was admitted that year to Chiba University in Japan for a year of study in vegetable breeding at the advanced age of 37.
因改良無籽西瓜成績斐然，同年，陳文郁以 37 歲的「高齡」，獲派到日本國立千葉大學進修一年，主修「蔬菜育種學」。