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July 04, 2025
 

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SCHOOL

One-third of elementary school students in Japan do not like learning English, according to a 2021 poll, an 8% rise since 2013. The pressure of taking proficiency tests is eroding children's engagement with studying English and its benefits.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 17, 2025
Japan’s English-language education doesn’t pass the test
An excessive focus on testing students' English ability is turning language learning into a chore, depriving children of the joy and opportunities of intercultural communication.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 12, 2022
Years of pandemic school closures leave Philippines with deep scars
Protracted school closures worsen basic literacy standards and will likely reduce the productivity and earnings of children once they enter the workforce, the World Bank has warned.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
May 19, 2018
Losing one's lunch
'Do you remember what your mother used to put in your bento for lunch at elementary school?'
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Apr 14, 2018
School rules: Dress for success
'I saw a lot of men wearing black suits and ties in the neighborhood this morning and thought for a second someone really prominent must have passed away.'
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Apr 9, 2018
In Kanagawa, homeless grow crops and confidence
Kiyoko Ojima awoke to the problems of the needy while in elementary school, when she came across a TV documentary about trying to find solutions to starvation in Africa.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Feb 10, 2018
Early learner
'Hurry up. We're going to be late for school.'
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Dec 31, 2017
Lessons about Japan's school catchment areas
A neighbor recently asked us to sign a petition requesting that the local education committee keep a certain elementary school open. Due to falling enrollment, students who attended the school would be transferred to a different one in the near future.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 29, 2017
It's time to bring Japanese schools into the 21st century
Japan must develop an educational system that makes its citizens become more relevant to the globalized economy.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 2, 2017
The naivete of youth can be a costly problem
From Aug. 15, the Yukan Fuji ran a three-part series by investigative reporter Fumiaki Tada about the "dangerous summer" that confronts Japan's young people, including the possibility of falling victim to fraud or robbery.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Jul 22, 2017
Marine Day Special: Summer days
'Hurry up and pack your bag. We've got to get back to Tokyo. You've got school tomorrow.'
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 21, 2017
Junior high students rip elementary English as 'useless': survey
Around half of junior high school students have called the English skills they acquired in elementary schools “useless,” according to recent findings by education services provider Benesse Holdings Inc.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 6, 2017
It's time to get real about curriculum reform
Overhauling the curriculum to better prepare students for the future is commendable, but only if the changes are grounded in reality.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 7, 2017
No wide agreement on how to handle bullying
A better way for both Japan and the U.S. to handle bullying is to intervene before the problem occurs.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Dec 17, 2016
Youth must be served
'Come along everyone, let's go back to class now.'
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 29, 2016
Digital textbooks are accompanied by caveats
It's only a matter of time before the days of students lugging around backpacks full of heavy books are over.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 5, 2016
Time to include teachers in textbook selections
Teachers are professionals who are less likely to be swayed by special interest groups. It's time to give them a louder voice in the textbook selection process.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 17, 2016
No excuse for Japan's increasing truancy rate
In so many other countries around the world schooling is denied those who genuinely want an education. Yet in Japan and the U.S., where education is a right, truancy persists.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Nov 21, 2015
Nice guys finish last
The dean is so nice, right?
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 3, 2015
'College for all' obsession is fueling truancy
The 'college for all' obsession of many high schools is alienating children who would benefit more from vocational education.
EDITORIALS
Aug 29, 2015
A need to reduce school pressures
The link between the end of school breaks and a rise in child suicides highlights the need to reduce school pressures on students.
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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