Although researchers have consistently confirmed the link between childhood poverty and school performance, it's still distressing to learn where nations rank in the lineup. The latest UNICEF report is a case in point.

"Fairness for Children: A league table of inequality in child well-being in rich countries" placed Japan 34th out of 41 countries. Yet it was hardly news. According to the OECD, 1 in 6 children in Japan was living in poverty in 2015, the highest level since records began in 1985. For children living in single-parent homes, the ratio was 54.6 percent.

Both reports mean that Japan's economy will be unavoidably impacted. Children from low-income backgrounds drop out of school and find themselves employed in minimum-wage jobs at a far higher rate than their more advantaged peers.