December 25, 2024

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JAPAN

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Science & Health

The Kabukicho district in Tokyo, where the daughter of a woman in her 60s fell deeply into the host club culture.

JAPAN / Society

Dec 19, 2024

Mother hopes for reunion with daughter ensnared by Tokyo host clubs

After the daughter visited a Kabukicho host club for the first time five years ago, the outing spiraled into something much darker.

Tsuneo Watanabe (center) attends a gathering with former prime ministers Yasuhiro Nakasone (right) and Toshiki Kaifu in Tokyo in 2009.

JAPAN / Society

Dec 19, 2024

Tsuneo Watanabe, editor-in-chief of Yomiuri Shimbun Group, dies at 98

By Kathleen Benoza

Watanabe was an influential figure in Japan's political and professional sports arenas.

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.

JAPAN / Society / Longform

Dec 16, 2024

The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition

By Alex K.T. Martin

A year after disaster devastated the region, brewers have turned to nationwide partnerships and new technologies to sustain their culture.

Children eat at a <i>kodomo shokudo</i> in the city of Osaka. The number of such cafeterias, which provide free or low-cost meals to children in need, has surpassed 10,000 nationwide.

JAPAN / Society

Dec 13, 2024

Number of cafeterias for children in need hits record high in Japan

By Jessica Speed

There are now more kodomo shokudo, which offer free or low-cost meals, than elementary and junior high schools.

Fewer and fewer people are using the administrative consultation system, which will mark its 70th anniversary next year.

JAPAN / Society

Dec 12, 2024

Japan aims to raise awareness of administrative consultation services

Fewer people are using the administrative consultation system, which will mark its 70th anniversary next year.

Japan ranked second in both literacy and numeracy, and tied with Finland for first place in problem-solving in an international OECD survey of adult skills.

JAPAN / Society

Dec 11, 2024

Japan retains strong results in OECD’s adult skills survey

By Jessica Speed

Overall, Japan’s scores exceeded the OECD average across all age groups though they tended to decline with age.

The silhouettes of Mount Fuji, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building and Shinjuku skyscrapers are seen during sunset in Tokyo in November.

JAPAN / Society

Dec 11, 2024

Tokyo remains third in global city index for ninth consecutive year

By Kathleen Benoza

While Tokyo notched improvements in research and development, cultural interaction, livability, and accessibility, its score declined in the economy category.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.

Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?

By Kathryn Wortley

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

mission sustainability vol.14 : Unicharm Corp.Unicharm recycles diapers back into diapers

mission sustainability vol.14 : Unicharm Corp.Unicharm recycles diapers back into diapers

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