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MEXT

Junior high school students taking entrance exams for public high schools enter a venue in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, in March.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 12, 2024
Japan to test digital high school admissions
The Digital Agency estimates digital procedures will cut administrative work by 30-90 hours in junior high schools and 20-80 hours in high schools.
Elementary school students take a nationwide achievement test in April. The education ministry has said such tests will go fully online in fiscal 2027.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2024
Japan's nationwide school achievement tests to go fully online from fiscal '27
The education ministry will make an official decision as early as autumn after hearing opinions from schools and boards of education.
The government aims to increase the number of foreign students in Japan to 400,000 by 2033, despite a recent Justice Ministry ordinance that puts in place tougher rules on accepting overseas applicants.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2024
Can Japan boost its foreign student count to 400,000?
The government recently tightened rules for accepting overseas applicants, though it hasn't lost sight of its lofty goal of increasing foreign student numbers.
The education ministry in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district
JAPAN / Society
Jun 19, 2024
Revised guidelines drafted for investigating serious cases of school bullying
The education ministry plans to seek public comments on the draft guidelines and finalize revisions in August, before notifying schools.
Tohoku University in Sendai
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2024
Tohoku University to be first winner of Japan's world-class research grants
The university will also fully make Japanese and English its official languages to attract world-class researchers and students.
Those who will be employed as teachers in Japan after completing graduate school will be exempt from repaying scholarship loans.
JAPAN / Society
May 29, 2024
Japan to waive graduate scholarship loan repayments for teachers
The policy will apply to those who pass the recruitment examinations in the current fiscal year ending in March 2025.
An advisory panel to the education ministry will consider how the Japanese language should be transcribed into the Latin alphabet, including unifying different romanization styles currently in use.
JAPAN
May 15, 2024
Japan to review romanization system for first time in 70 years
The review is due to be submitted as early as next spring.
An education ministry survey has shown that the English proficiency of public junior and senior high school students in Japan is continuing to improve.
JAPAN
May 9, 2024
Japanese students' English proficiency is improving
The levels of English skills greatly varied depending on the region, according to the education ministry.
Hiroshima Kanon Senior High School in the city of Hiroshima opened a cafeteria serving authentic Italian cuisine in December last year after Hoyu, which had been entrusted with cafeteria operations, went bankrupt in September.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 10, 2024
Business stability screenings urged for school lunch operators
The directive followed the abrupt suspension of meal services at schools across the country by Hoyu, a cooking service company.
Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai speaks at a a news conference in Sendai on Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 9, 2024
Miyagi governor suggests scrapping national sports event
The annual event is hosted in rotation by the 47 prefectures.
Ayuko Kato, minister for policies related to children, speaks at a parliament session on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 2, 2024
One year on, Japan's children agency struggles to show leadership
The agency is facing challenges to demonstrate leadership, unable to move forward with unprecedented measures to combat the declining birthrate.
The head of the Unification Church's Japan branch has been fined for the group's refusal to answer some questions sent by the culture ministry.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 26, 2024
Unification Church fined for not answering government questions
The Tokyo District Court ordered the group to pay a fine of ¥100,000 for its refusal to answer some questions put to it by the culture ministry.
A Japanese-language class at Aoyama International Education Institute in Tokyo's Minato Ward
JAPAN / Society
Mar 23, 2024
New national standards for Japanese-language schools to start in April
Under the new system, Japanese-language schools will have to meet certain requirements on staffing and curriculum to receive accreditation.
The government plans to make children of foreign workers residing in Japan eligible for university-level scholarships under certain conditions.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 17, 2024
More foreign students set to be eligible for Japan government scholarships
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology expects that around 500 to 1,000 students would be newly eligible for the scholarships.
Tokyo headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, more commonly known as the Unification Church
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 6, 2024
Japan panel OKs putting Unification Church under increased scrutiny
Once an organization is designated, it will be obliged to notify authorities of any disposal of its real estate assets at least one month in advance.
School lunch served to children of an elementary school in Miyama, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Monday. A 7-year-old boy died after choking on what is believed to have been a boiled quail egg while having lunch at his school.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 28, 2024
Japan issues urgent notice to schools after boy chokes to death
The first grader in the city of Miyama, Fukuoka Prefecture, is believed to have choked on a boiled quail egg contained in a stew served for school lunch.
A teacher shows slides he created with a tablet in Kumamoto on Dec. 12. Many teachers still prioritize the use of notebooks, pencils and other analog writing materials in their classes.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 25, 2024
Digitalization drive proving tough for Japanese schoolteachers
Teachers' lack of familiarity with new technology is creating a challenging situation.
Students take a Japanese-language lesson at Ishigeshiho High School in Ibaraki Prefecture in January.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2024
Only 20% of Japan public high schools have foreign student quotas
Around 750 out of 3,880 public high schools had quotas for foreign resident students who passed special admission exams, a survey showed.
The number of teachers who took leave due to mental illness had fluctuated at around 5,000 in recent years, but it surged by more than 1,300 in two years since fiscal 2020.
JAPAN
Feb 3, 2024
Number of teachers on leave for mental illness in Japan hits record high
The figure for the year to last March was up 642 from the previous year, marking the second straight annual increase.
Japan’s national bar exam was held on Nov. 8 with a pass rate of 45%. Though for decades the pass rate was much lower, this seeming improvement has come on the back of several regulatory blunders.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 20, 2023
The failure behind Japan’s bar exam pass rate
The pass rate for Japan's bar exam has fluctuated, with this year's level coming on the back of several misguided interventions.

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'