Schools in Tokyo's richest ward to send all students to Singapore

TOKYO, Sep 05 (News On Japan) - All public junior high schools in Tokyo's upmarket Minato Ward are planning school trips to Singapore next year, at a cost to the student of no more than 70,000 yen.

Around 760 students from the 3rd year of Minato Ward's junior high schools are slated to take the trip between June to September next year, for three nights and five days.

Singapore was chosen as the destination because it allows students to utilize English and is known for its safety.

This will be the first time that all ward-run junior high schools in Tokyo will conduct overseas school trips, which is also considered rare in Japan.

Students will bear the cost of the trip for up to 70,000 yen, which is the same cost as going to the usual destinations of Kyoto and Nara.

Social media responded with comments such as "As to be expected from rich Minato" and "Honestly, I would rather them use the money on other things."

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Education NEWS

Wild Boar’s Tough-Love Parenting Caught on Camera

A mother wild boar was filmed on a university campus leaving five piglets to scale a wall on their own, offering a rare glimpse of what one lecturer described as "Spartan" parenting in the wild as baby animals appear across Japan with the arrival of the season.

Tutor Takes Eiken Test for Student Using Fake Face Recognition

A former instructor at a major cram school chain has been arrested for allegedly taking the Eiken English proficiency test on behalf of a student and using the score fraudulently in a university entrance examination, with investigators revealing an elaborate scheme involving manipulated facial photographs.

How AI Conversation Tools Are Expanding Access to Japanese Speaking Practice Outside Traditional Classrooms

Getting consistent Japanese speaking practice has historically meant enrolling in a class, hiring a tutor, or finding a native speaker willing to meet on a regular schedule.

Unidentified Mound Found at Japan’s Largest Keyhole Tomb

A previously unidentified landform believed to be a "square earthen platform" has been discovered in the front section of the Daisen Kofun in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, the Imperial Household Agency revealed on May 17th, raising the possibility that the structure may have been used as a burial facility.