The 2018 Program for International Student Assessment tests covered about 600,000 15-year-old students in 79 countries and regions.
Japanese students came 15th in reading, down from eighth in the 2015 tests.
They scored 504 points on average in reading, which was higher than the average score of 487 among the 37 OECD members, but down by 12 points from the previous test, with students in the bottom bracket scoring fewer than 408 points accounting for 16.9 percent, up by 4 percentage points.
The education ministry believes students can still improve in their ability to find information from texts, as well as better evaluate the credibility of texts and more clearly explain their thoughts and reasoning to others.
It also pointed out that Japanese students are not used to reading long passages on computer screens.
Japanese students also ranked lower in science and mathematics, at fifth, down from second, and sixth, down from fifth, respectively.
An international group of geologists on Friday formally adopted “Chibanian” as the name of a geologic age spanning 770,000 to 126,000 years ago, researchers said, marking the first time a Japanese name has been chosen. (Japan Times) 
With Japanese society often placing intense pressure on teens and adults alike, as well as traditional values that can frame self-sacrifice as an admirable way of taking responsibility, a high suicide rate has long been a dark mark on the nation’s culture. (soranews24.com) 
The communications ministry on Tuesday authorized Japanese public broadcaster NHK to start simultaneous online streaming of its television programs from April. (Japan Today) 
Aichi Prefectural Police last week arrested a student at Meijo University in Nagoya over the alleged stabbing of a teacher, reports NHK (Jan. 10). (tokyoreporter.com) 
Young men and women in northeastern Japan have talked about their hopes for rebuilding towns that were devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
(NHK) 
At first glance, things seem to be getting better for Japanese women. (Japan Times) 
A 62-year-old teacher and operator of a cram school in Nara City has been arrested for using dog collars to restrain one of his students, a young girl in her teens, last November. (Japan Today) 
A Japan-run language school that saw its stock soar almost 12-fold last year is planning to expand into new business areas as its chief executive officer tries to keep the rally alive. (Japan Times) 
An international meeting on people who have withdrawn from society has taken place in Japan. Its aim was to discuss how to support such people and their families.
(NHK) 
Japan's welfare ministry estimates that the number of births in the country for the whole of this year will fall below 900,000 for the first time. The decline would be faster than the government's earlier prediction.
(NHK)