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March 11, 2025
 

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MEXT

EDITORIALS
Dec 25, 2014
Testing students' ability to think
An education ministry council could be presenting an over-idealized picture of its proposed reforms of Japan's university entrance exams, often criticized for placing too much emphasis on rote learning.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 17, 2014
Are Japan's public school teachers paid too much?
Japanese teachers make more money than the world average, but they also work many more hours.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 8, 2014
Determining good and evil, with the kids
What is "moral education"?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2014
Poll on national character finds love of Japan is increasing
The latest government survey on national character has found that 83 percent of Japanese, if they were to be reborn, would choose to live in Japan rather than anywhere else.
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2014
Shizuoka governor rapped for posting school scores online
Education minister Hakubun Shimomura on Friday harshly criticized Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu for disclosing the names of public elementary schools that scored above average in this year's nationwide achievement test, saying the move goes against ministry rules.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jun 1, 2014
56 schools across Japan aim to nurture 'Super Global' leaders
The Super Global High Schools project, a key part of the Japanese government's plan to reverse two decades of economic decline and growing insularity among the young, tasks 56 schools with creating a new generation of global leaders.
EDITORIALS
May 10, 2014
Good example of English use
Perhaps an education ministry division's decision to begin conducting its meetings in English this month will help shake loose Japan's grammar-translation paradigm, which does little to compel students to communicate and understand English better.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2014
Education ministry body to roll out English-only meetings
Meetings on English education at a division of the education ministry will be conducted in English beginning in May on a trial basis, in an apparent move to both reflect and promote the trend in language education.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 23, 2014
Plans don't make the grade
Don't count on the education ministry's plan to hire more foreign teachers and students to have much effect on its goal of getting at least 10 Japanese universities to place among the world's top 100.
EDITORIALS
Jan 14, 2014
Leave those kids alone
The education ministry should rethink its attempt to introduce 'morals' as an official subject of instruction in elementary and junior high schools.
EDITORIALS
Jan 3, 2014
Dubious cure for doctor shortage
The education ministry's recent decision to approve creation of a new medical school at an existing university in Tohoku marks a new development in the government's oscillating policy on the education of doctors.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 29, 2013
Education in 2013: an 'A' for ambition, but Japan will have to do better
Will 2014 be the year we start to see a genuinely forward-thinking, globalized outlook for education in Japan? The rapidly changing global economy, regional tensions and shrinking population suggest huge challenges await the country's youth on their emergence into the job market in the coming years.
EDITORIALS
Dec 28, 2013
Year of ups and downs for Japan
Japan in 2013 was besieged by problems in politics, business and society even while several key events helped to rekindle a sense of confidence in Japan.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 28, 2013
Is teacher demoralization the next step?
Publicizing the names of teachers in newspapers when their students fail to measure up could be a prescription for demoralization in Japan.
EDITORIALS
Dec 17, 2013
Misguided focus on test results
Reversing its traditional position, the education ministry has decided to let municipal boards of education publicize the results for individual schools in the achievement tests taken by sixth and ninth graders nationwide. An even worse obsession with test scores could follow.
As Trump hails taking back of Panama Canal, Hong Kong Inc. walks tightrope
Balboa Port, operated by Panama Ports Company, at the Panama Canal. Conglomerate CK Hutchison, controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, has agreed to sell its ports network, including assets along the Panama Canal, to a U.S. consortium led by BlackRock.
Eternal debate over surname law comes to fore again
Members of a Liberal Democratic Party panel discuss proposals about allowing spouses to retain their respective surnames, in Tokyo on Thursday.
Tokyo’s vinyl experts say overseas buyers are ‘sustaining the scene’
Rintaro Sekizuka runs a record store in both London and Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward.
14 years on, prefectural governments work to pass on lessons to new hires
The Ukedo Elementary School Ruins in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, in January. The Fukushima Prefectural Government offers training sessions for new prefectural government recruits to visit the school, the prefecture's sole preserved disaster-hit structure.
For first time ever, government begins auction of rice stockpile
The government's stockpile of rice in Saitama Prefecture in February
14 years after 3/11 disasters, Fukushima vies to become a startup hub
Aizawa Concrete employees work in the Namie factory in Fukushima Prefecture in January.
Tokyo’s vinyl experts say overseas buyers are ‘sustaining the scene’
Rintaro Sekizuka runs a record store in both London and Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward.
Cherry blossom season set to kick off on March 21 in Tokyo
A Weathernews forecast shows the cherry blossom season will begin on March 21 in Tokyo.
Eternal debate over surname law comes to fore again
Members of a Liberal Democratic Party panel discuss proposals about allowing spouses to retain their respective surnames, in Tokyo on Thursday.
Poland’s role in Ukraine war offers lessons for Japan, top envoy says
People rest inside the sports hall of an elementary school that was transformed into temporary accommodations for people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Przemysl, Poland, in March 2022. Geography and geopolitical interests mean that Japan could find itself assuming a supporting role similar to Poland's should China ever attack Taiwan.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Wealthier women in the prewar era had been the targets of various media-related health campaigns that mistakenly encouraged them to avoid everything from riding bicycles to reading novels when their monthly cycles came around.
Menstruation in Japan: Breaking the silence, slowly
By Tomoko Otake

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