In May, Yamagata University disclosed that it had bungled its entrance exam grading, irretrievably altering the course of applicants' lives.
After similar mishaps at two other universities, Ace Insurance Co. announced in July that it would provide coverage for claims against grading mishaps as well as bullying, corporal punishment and sexual harassment.
In July, nine children and two senior citizens in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, were crushed to death on an overcrowded pedestrian overpass after a fireworks display. Less than a week later, a new policy made headlines by covering payments made by organizers of such events if spectators are killed or injured.