Japanese children's physical performance worsens amid pandemic

Dec 25, 2021 | News On Japan

Dec 25, 2021 (Japan Times) - The physical performance of children in Japan worsened in fiscal 2021, which began in April, from two years before as the COVID-19 pandemic deprived them of opportunities for exercise, a survey by the Japan Sports Agency showed Friday.

The overall performance score dropped for both boys and girls in the fifth grade of elementary school and the second grade of junior high school. The scores for boys hit their lowest levels since the survey began in fiscal 2008.

The survey was conducted between April and July on some 1.03 million fifth-grade elementary school students and some 980,000 second-grade junior high school students. Their physical performance was evaluated in eight categories. The annual survey was canceled in fiscal 2020 due to the pandemic.

For boys in the fifth grade of elementary school, the total score fell to 52.5 points from 53.6 points in fiscal 2019. For girls, the score dropped to 54.7 points from 55.6 points.

Some 40% of the children said they had less time to spend on exercise because of the pandemic, while about 30% said they had more, highlighting that children are becoming increasingly polarized in terms of time they spend on exercise.

The obesity rate for all boys and the younger group of girls also hit record highs, according to the survey.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.