Why money will not be enough to address Japan’s baby crisis
Al Jazeera -- Feb 28
Japan is facing one of the world’s major demographic crises, with the number of annual births dipping below 800,000 for the first time in 2022.
The current birth rate of 1.34 is well below the 2.07 necessary to keep the population stable, meaning Japan’s population could drop from 125 million to 88 million by 2065.
Japan is the third most expensive country to raise a child, behind only China and South Korea, despite infamously stagnant wages. The average annual salary, which has barely increased since the late 1990s, is about $39,000, compared with an OECD average of almost $50,000.
In tandem with growing education opportunities and career ambitions — and in an echo of the situation in other advanced economies — Japanese women who are getting married and having children are doing so later in life, which typically means they are unlikely to be able to have larger families.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the average age of mothers giving birth to their first child rose to 30.9 in 2021, the highest since records began in 1950. ...continue reading
Japan school closes as the last two students graduate
Reuters - Apr 01
Aoi Hoshi and Eita Sato, age 15, are the only students left at Yumoto Junior High School in Japan's remote mountain village of Ten-ei, in Fukushima Prefecture.
Schools shut down as Japan struggles with record-low birth rates
Al Jazeera - Apr 01
Japan’s Prime Minister has announced he's bringing in new policies to boost the birth rate, including doubling the budget for child-related policies.
Japan's approval of history textbooks remains controversial: U.S. State Department
Arirang News - Apr 01
The United States' report on Japan's human rights in 2022 points out that Tokyo's approval of history textbooks remains a controversial issue for the sixteenth straight year.
The obscure history of Japanese Sea Lords
PBS Origins - Mar 31
For 200 years, Japanese waters were ruled by self-proclaimed Sea Lords. They held immense political power and even helped integrate Japan into the early global economy. Despite this, medieval Japanese society labeled them "kaizoku," or "pirates."
Mixed-race student banned from school ceremony over hairstyle
republicworld.com - Mar 31
Strict hairstyle regulations at Japanese schools have come under fire after a mixed-race adolescent who had plaited his hair into cornrows to honour his Black background was segregated from other students at their graduation ceremony.
Love-making, Marriage, and Punishment in Shogun-Japan
A Day In History - Mar 30
For almost 700 years between the 12th and 19th centuries, Japan was ruled by a Shogun. This was the age of samurai and the formation of the modern nation of Japan. This period also saw the emergence of new ideas about love-making and marriage.
The Entire History of Ancient Japan
Voices of the Past - Mar 30
Beginnings, The Shaman Queen, The Rise of Buddhism 552 AD, The Fall of Korea 663 AD, Choosing A Capital 736 AD, Rise of the Emishi 774 AD, Embassies to China 717 AD, The Heian Court 1000 AD, Shogun 1184, Horsemen of the Apocalypse 1274
New evacuation plan released in case Mount Fuji erupts
NHK - Mar 30
Mount Fuji has not erupted in more than 300 years, but Japan has a new strategy in case an eruption is imminent.
Japan legalises Paternity leaves but Japanese fathers 'afraid' to loose promotions
WION - Mar 30
Japan's government is promoting measures to reverse the low birth rate and population crisis, including increasing child support and encouraging more men to take paternity leave.
5 Things You Should Know Before Deciding to Study in Japan
newsonjapan.com - Mar 30
Do you have an idea about going to Japan to study abroad? If so, you may already be familiar with the beauty of this country and know how many astounding opportunities you could come across in Japan.
Japanese student dresses as Volodymyr Zelensky for graduation
BBC News - Mar 28
A university student in Japan has dressed up as Volodymyr Zelensky for his graduation ceremony.
EurekaMag digitizes scientific literature in European libraries for customers in Japan
newsonjapan.com - Mar 26
EurekaMag digitizes scientific journal articles and book chapters in European libraries since 2007. It serves its customer base in Japan with European literature particularly in the fields of medical and zoological sciences.
Hideki Tojo - The Face of Japan Militarism in WWII
Biographics - Mar 24
Allied propaganda posters during World War II frequently featured the characters of the three axis leaders: the German one with the moustache, the big jawed Italian and the stern bespect Japanese General.
Keisen Jogakuen University set to close due to declining birthrate
NOJ / TV Asahi - Mar 23
Tokyo's Keisen Jogakuen has announced that it will stop recruiting undergraduate and graduate students from 2024 onwards.
The bizarre Japanese law that makes kidnapping legal
60 Minutes Australia - Mar 20
It sounds completely crazy, but in Japan it is actually legal to kidnap children.
Screen time has limited effects on toddlers' development: Japan study
Japan Times - Mar 19
Spending an hour or more in front of digital devices each day has a more limited effect on 2-year-olds’ growth and development than previously thought, a recent study by Japanese researchers has shown, providing fresh insight into the possible risks of the use of digital devices on toddlers.
