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Pandemic Disruption Leads to Record School Absenteeism in Japan in 2022The number of students refusing to attend elementary and junior high school in Japan rose to a record high of almost 300,000 in 2022.

Criteria Revision Sees Japanese Universities Rise in Global RankingJapanese institutions enjoyed a boost in this year’s Times Higher Education World University Rankings due to a revision of performance indicators, including new recognition of the importance of patents. The University of Tokyo rose 10 places to rank at 29th.

Japanese Children Split on Need for Summer HomeworkA survey found that around half of Japanese children thought that there was a need for homework over the summer vacation, with the percentage slightly higher among junior high school students.

English Proficiency Targets Still Not Being Met in Japanese SchoolsWhile still falling short, the averages for junior high and high school target proficiency levels in English are inching closer to the Japanese government’s 50% benchmark.

Persistent Gender Gaps in the Japanese Labor MarketThe gender pay gap in Japan is one of the largest among developed countries. The question facing Japan is how to bring this persistent problem out in the open and to develop the skills and careers of women.

Why Japan Stopped InnovatingThe Japanese electronics industry once stood atop the world, but has been overtaken by competition from China and South Korea, with the innovation that once characterized Japanese manufacturing now nowhere to be seen. A talk with Miyazawa Kazumasa, the Sony engineer behind the VAIO computer series and the Edy digital currency, to find out why.

All Homework, No Play: Summer Vacation Tasks Pile Up for Japanese Elementary School Students There is no escape from homework during the summer vacation for most Japanese elementary school students.

Most Japanese Schools Fall Short of English Proficiency TargetLess than half of third-year junior high school students and third-year high school students have been able to pass Grade 3 and Grade Pre-2, respectively, of the Eiken Test in Practical English Proficiency.

School Absenteeism Rising in Japan: 1 in 25 Junior High Students Not AttendingThe number of children absent from school for more than 30 days per year has increased for the fourth year running in Japan.

More Schooling Opportunities for Foreign Children in Japan, But 10,000 May Still Be AbsentA survey by Japan’s ministry of education found that approximately 10,000 out of 133,310 non-Japanese children living in the country, of an age where education is compulsory, are either not attending or are likely not attending school. Even though this number has halved since the last survey in 2019, it indicates there are still insufficient educational opportunities available for some foreign children.

Nearly 100% of Japan’s Public Elementary and Junior High School Buildings Meet Earthquake Resistance StandardsIn 2002, 44.5% of Japanese public school buildings were earthquake-resistant. By 2018, following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, that rate had increased to 99%. However, the government target of 100% has yet to be reached.

Coming to grips with a multicultural Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN NewsBullying in Japan seems to have taken a new twist -- the targeting of Japanese children of culturally mixed parentage. The harassment is leading some children to suicide. Depressed and traumatized, they feel unwelcome in the country they call home.

New Record Low for Japan’s Elementary and Junior High School StudentsA decreasing childhood population is leading local governments around Japan to close elementary and junior high schools.

Japan Reports Results of First National Achievement Test for School Students for Two YearsJunior high school scores declined compared with 2019, but elementary school results improved slightly.

Japanese Survey Finds Students with Fewer Friends Lack Sense of Growth and LearningA recent survey aimed at university students in Japan found that the COVID-19 pandemic had led to a decrease in close friendships with a knock-on effect on students’ sense of fulfillment in their studies and level of personal growth.

Why Are Fewer Young Japanese Studying Abroad?Many experts have attributed the decline in the number of young Japanese studying abroad to a trend toward introversion. In this article, however, Associate Professor Kobayashi Akira of Meiji University points to more systemic obstacles and calls for an expansion of the definition of foreign study.

A Crying Need for Japanese-Language Instruction Among ImmigrantsWith recent legislation opening the door to lower-skilled foreign labor, the Japanese government has finally awakened to its responsibility to support the social integration of immigrants through language instruction and other educational supports

Japanese Schools Ill-Equipped to Support Immigrants: NPO Offers Lifeline to Isolated StudentsThe number of immigrant children in Japan is swelling year by year, and many of those children are at risk of isolation and failure as they enter schools that are unequipped to teach Japanese as a second language. The author, who runs a nonprofit support program for such students, calls for active government measures to pave the way for an inclusive multicultural society.

What’s in a Name? Mixed Race and Identity in JapanThe number of Japanese citizens with mixed roots is rising. This article focuses on the wide variety of names for people in this group and the social background surrounding them since World War II.

New Film “Whole” Looks at Daily Struggles of Mixed-Race JapaneseAs the population of mixed-race Japanese—popularly called hāfu—grows, entertainers and athletes with bicultural backgrounds are increasingly prominent. However, most of those considered hāfu in Japan live normal, private lives, struggling daily with curiosity, prejudice, and their own identity conflicts. Whole, a new short film, takes up the issues facing just such people through the story of two young men. We spoke with the director, writer, and leading actor about the film.

Time to Change Course on Education Reform: Addressing the Real Issue in Japan’s SchoolsThe Japanese government’s drive to reform public education through controversial changes in the common university entrance exam has hit two major potholes, calling into question the very premises of the reform. A leading opponent of the plan criticizes the dogma-driven policy-making process, which ignores the real crisis facing public education in Japan.

Japanese Students See English as Useful for the Future, But Many Dislike ItA survey found that Japanese high school students see English as important to their future, but that does not mean that they enjoy learning it.

Japan’s English Proficiency Drops Among Non-English-Speaking CountriesA survey has revealed that Japan currently ranks fifty-third out of 100 non-English speaking countries and regions for English language abilities. With this fall from last year, Japan now has a lower proficiency than both South Korea and China.

English Abilities Crucial, but Lacking in Japanese WorkplacesWhile Japanese companies recognize English as an important skill, they also see many obstacles to making improvements.

Women’s Universities Dwindling Amid Trend Toward Coeducation and ConsolidationThe number of women’s universities in Japan has continued to decline. In April 2023, another two universities will become coeducational, reducing the total number of women’s universities to 73.

Public and Private Education Costs in Japan Soar to New HighsWhile education is becoming more expensive for all in Japan, private costs are far greater, with private elementary school expenses almost five times as much as those for their public counterparts.

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