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July 27, 2025
 

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SINGLE MOTHERS

Forbidden from seeing friends and forced to devote herself to housework, Reina (whose name has been changed), a 37-year-old Filipino national living in the city of Nagoya, became socially isolated.
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2025
Foreign single mothers struggle with language barriers and visas
Experts are urging the government to create a safer environment where these women can continue living in Japan without fear.
To qualify for the advance payment offered by the city of Saitama, the single parent must reside in the city and fulfill several other criteria.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 6, 2024
Saitama aids single parents with advance child support payments
The city will offer a maximum amount of ¥50,000 per month per child to the affected parent for up to three months, and seek reimbursement from the former spouse.
Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
May 11, 2024
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
Five years into the Reiwa Era and the challenges Japan's moms face are unique, though the qualities that help them persevere haven't changed a bit.
Making things work as a foreign, single mother in Japan isn't easy, but these tips and tricks can help you through the hardest parts.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Apr 28, 2024
Raising kids in Japan as a single parent? It takes a village.
As with for any single parent, life can present challenges. For those times, you'll need to learn resilience, perseverance and attention to detail.
"The Ones Left Behind" documents the successes and struggles of single mothers in Japan.
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 2, 2023
Why single mothers in Japan have been left behind
Filmmaker Rionne McAvoy joins us to discuss the hidden poverty present in one of the world’s richest nations.
Vagaries in Japanese law mean single mothers are sometimes left without financial support from their former partners.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Oct 23, 2023
Documentary shines a spotlight on Japan’s single mothers
"The Ones Left Behind" explores the successes and struggles of single mothers in modern Japan.
South Korean lesbian couple Kim Kyu-jin (left) and her wife, Kim Sae-yeon, pose with a "pregnant woman" badge during an interview in Seoul last month.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 6, 2023
South Korea couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood
To fight its abysmal birthrate, Seoul offers fertility treatments, cash bonuses and free child care, but only for straight, married couples.
Vivian Tung eats her first meal since the egg retrieval surgery. Tung is one of a rising number of women in Taiwan opting to freeze their eggs to give them the option to have a child later in life.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Aug 2, 2023
A rising number of women in Taiwan are freezing their eggs
Demand for egg freezing has surged, with the number of women opting for the technology up 86% over the past three years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Dec 21, 2021
Jikei Hospital grapples with how to protect women seeking confidential births
A hospital in Kumamoto wants babies to be born safely while protecting their mother's privacy — but legal and administrative obstacles put it at risk.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 30, 2021
Paid maternity leave saves lives
Without paid leave, mothers often return to work before they are healthy enough to do so, resulting in a ripple effect of postpartum health complications.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Feb 12, 2021
Is Japan's national payment for childbirth sufficient?
While the country provides a lump sum for mothers to assist with childbirth costs, some are finding it doesn't stretch far enough as a result of pandemic pressures.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 4, 2021
China’s latest celebrity scandal hits a raw nerve
The ex-boyfriend of popular Chinese actress Zheng Shuang said on social media that she had abandoned him with two surrogate children in the U.S.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jul 1, 2020
Japan to mull law revision to ensure child support payments
A private panel advising the government is also calling for creating an environment where all new fathers can take paternity leave.
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2020
Japan lawmakers work to ensure payment of child support after divorce
The Diet members are stepping up efforts to address an increasing number of cases of unpaid child support.
JAPAN
May 31, 2020
Single-parent support group in Japan urges more aid to offset income drops from pandemic
Nearly 70 percent of single-parent families have reported or are expecting their income to drop during the coronavirus pandemic, a recent survey says.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 15, 2020
Unmarried single parents find an unlikely ally in scrap over tax deduction
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party submitted an amendment to the Diet in January to expand the "widow's deduction" to cover single parents who have never been married. This system allows single parents who have lost spouses to death or divorce to deduct a certain amount of money from their taxable income...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2019
Japan revises guidelines for child support payments
Under the new standards, the value of monthly child support may increase by some u00a510,000 to u00a520,000 depending on the parents' income levels.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Aug 30, 2016
Shared homes offer respite for Japan's struggling single mothers
The government talks about creating a society where every woman can play an active role, but the chronic shortage of day care is pushing some entrepreneurs to take things into their own hands.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 24, 2015
Laundry firm's flexibility cited as reason why single moms don't quit
Since joining the laundering company Kikuya in 1995, Akemi Hirayama says she has never missed a day of work.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Sep 10, 2015
In Japan, 1 in 6 children lives in poverty, putting education, future at stake
"Abenomics" may have helped double stock prices and enabled companies like Toyota Motor Corp. to post record profits in Japan, but one segment of the economy remains behind: the poor.
Tokyo is the No. 2 choice for international students
The University of Tokyo. International students are increasingly flocking to Asia, with affordability being a particularly important metric.
Junglia, Japan’s newest theme park, opens in northern Okinawa
In Junglia’s Dinosaur Safari attraction during a media preview on Thursday, a casual drive through a habitat for the prehistoric creatures goes haywire when several Tyrannosaurus rexes break out of containment.
Extreme heat grips Japan, including even Hokkaido
The city of Obihiro in Hokkaido amid scorching heat on Thursday
‘Demon Slayer’ movie slashes its own box office records
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” is the first installment in a trilogy that's set to wrap the anime adaptation of Koyoharu Gotoke's manga about sword-wielding heroes fighting man-eating demons.
Ishiba rules out joint document on U.S. tariffs as deal's details trickle out
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a speech at an event in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, on Friday afternoon.
Behind the scenes: Inside Fuji Rock’s strategy for staying on top
In recent years, Fuji Rock has had fewer blockbuster performers and showcased more top-selling Japanese acts and international musicians' first-time performances in Japan.
Tokyo is the No. 2 choice for international students
The University of Tokyo. International students are increasingly flocking to Asia, with affordability being a particularly important metric.
Hall of Fame always held deeper meaning for Ichiro
Ichiro presents then-Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson with the bat he used to break the single-season hits record in 2004.
Japan leans into homegrown AI amid rising competition
McKinsey’s 2025 Technology Trends Outlook, published Wednesday, says that the use of “sovereign AI” is a trend gaining significant global traction, including in Japan.
JT picks: What not to miss at Fuji Rock 2025
Fuji Rock Festival turns the green slopes of Niigata Prefecture’s Naeba Ski Resort into a summer escape that offers soundtracks for every mood.

Podcast

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

Longform

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With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear
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