School absences in Japan hit record high

The Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin no Kai, and Komeito have reached an agreement on the framework for Japan’s new free high school tuition program, which will begin in fiscal 2026. Under the plan, tuition support for private full-time high schools will be capped at 457,000 yen, while correspondence courses will have an upper limit of 337,000 yen.

The number of disciplinary actions at public elementary and junior high schools in Aichi Prefecture during the first half of 2025 has exceeded three times that of the same period last year, prompting growing concern among parents over how to engage with schools.

Teachers from across Japan are gathering in Nagoya to compete in a national contest that tests and refines their classroom teaching skills. The event, called the "National Mock Lesson Championship in Nagoya," is organized by the Noda Juku preparatory school to help both cram school instructors and school teachers improve their teaching techniques.

Fonts are an invisible part of daily life, yet they profoundly shape how we perceive information and emotion. From the elegant Mincho to the bold Gothic, these designs are chosen according to purpose—whether to convey clarity, trust, or impact—and their influence extends beyond readability into branding and communication.

Tokyo police have arrested a Chinese national, identified as Li Zhaobei, on suspicion of document forgery and other offenses in connection with a case of TOEIC exam fraud involving impersonation.

Tokyo’s seas and rivers, once considered lawless backwaters beyond the reach of regular policing, are now under constant watch by a dedicated force known as the “water police,” specialists who patrol the capital’s waterways, chase down smugglers, stop reckless jet ski riders, and carry out dramatic rescue missions to save lives.

A rapidly growing data science program at the University of Tokyo is attracting an unusually wide range of participants, with junior high and high school students studying alongside university students and working adults.

Kitakyushu, whose population is on the verge of falling below 900,000, announced new measures on October 16th aimed at reversing the decline, with a strong focus on improving education to attract and retain families.