The University of Tokyo has selected professor Yuko Fujigaki, 64, as its next president, making her the first woman to lead Japan's most prestigious university.
Performers at Universal Studios Japan are raising concerns about demanding working conditions behind the Osaka theme park's colorful shows and character appearances, with some describing the work as an example of employers taking advantage of workers' enthusiasm for jobs they once dreamed of doing.
Elementary school students from across the Kansai region gathered in Osaka to share creative ideas for building a sustainable city, with proposals ranging from replacing waste incinerators with mushroom-growing facilities to preserving Osaka's distinctive local shopping culture.
Parents in Japan are increasingly taking an active role in finding marriage partners for their adult children, with matchmaking events that allow mothers and fathers to meet prospective in-laws gaining popularity as the country's unmarried population continues to grow.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Kyoto City on September 15 for Ronald McDonald House Kyoto, a residential facility where children undergoing medical treatment will be able to stay together with their families.
Elementary school students in Fukuoka got a hands-on lesson in the importance of taxes on September 11, lifting a 10-kilogram replica of 100 million yen as part of a class designed to show how public money supports society.
Raccoons are increasingly appearing in urban areas of Japan, including residential neighborhoods near Shin-Osaka Station, raising concerns over disease, attacks on people and agricultural damage that reached about 700 million yen nationwide last year.
Japanese 15-year-olds spend an average of 2.3 hours browsing social media during their weekday free time, the shortest amount among 24 countries surveyed, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.