National / Science & Health May 19, 2020
With Japan's schools out, more teens seek advice on pregnancy
Amid COVID-19 epidemic, one consultation center in Kobe saw inquiries double in March, with 70 percent coming from teenagers.
National / Crime & Legal May 15, 2020
Teen to sue Kagawa Prefecture over ordinance that limits gaming time
Wataru, 17, is soliciting funds online to challenge the ordinance, which limits videogame time to an hour a day on weekdays.
National / Social Issues Apr 16, 2020
Stay-home request over virus hits girls in Japan with no place to go
The spread of the novel coronavirus and a government request that the public refrain from going outside has added to the predicament of many teenage girls in Japan who have left home due to abuse, poverty or other reasons. "We see fewer girls in town, ...
National / Social Issues Feb 19, 2020
Growing up in poverty and broken homes, Kawasaki youths find savior in rap
by Tomohiro Osaki
Weathered signs from five years ago stand forlornly on a bank of the Tama River in Kawasaki, politely asking visitors to refrain from laying any more flowers of condolence so they don't accidentally catch fire. But the scene is otherwise absent of any reminder of ...
National / Crime & Legal Jan 30, 2020
Juvenile center helps foreign youths in Japan rejoin society
by Takaki Tominaga
A juvenile correction facility near Yokohama has been helping offenders of foreign descent turn their lives around for the past three decades. In a country where language and cultural barriers are often the root cause of delinquency, the Kurihama Juvenile Training School plays a big ...
National Jan 16, 2020
Social media abuzz over Kagawa's move to limit kids' daily smartphone fix
by Kazuaki Nagata
A draft ordinance designed to curb internet and video game addiction among children and teenagers in Kagawa Prefecture has sparked controversy, as it seeks to restrict daily smartphone usage for those under 18 to 60 minutes on weekdays. If it comes into effect in April ...
National / Crime & Legal Nov 14, 2019
Case of Aomori boy who confessed to slashing girl's throat sent to prosecutors for attempted murder
Several knives were found in a bag he was believed to be carrying at the time of Tuesday’s incident, investigative sources said.
National / Crime & Legal Sep 19, 2019
Niigata principal and another man arrested for allegedly paying for sex with teenage boy
Two men including a 58-year-old principal of an elementary school have been arrested for allegedly paying for sex with a high school boy in March, police said Wednesday. Koichi Miyajima, the principal of an elementary school in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, and Katsuhiro Kohashi, a 37-year-old ...
National / Social Issues Aug 15, 2019
Long after his hanging, teen quadruple-murderer continues to stir debate on death penalty in Japan
by Keiji Hirano
Half a century since his arrest in 1969, and 22 years since his execution, Norio Nagayama, a repentant random killer who became a prolific writer behind bars, is still provoking debate on the issues surrounding capital punishment, poverty and children's rights. The most concrete legacy ...
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Jul 26, 2019
Ministry says India running out of time to cash in on Gen Z boom
India, which is home to more young people than any other country, is running out of time to harness the potential of its youth to drive economic growth. The nation's population in the under-19 age group has already peaked, government data show. That means the ...
National / Politics Jul 24, 2019
Teen voter turnout at 31% in Upper House election, down 14 points from 2016
Teenage voters' turnout for Sunday's House of Councilors election came to 31.33 percent for local constituency races, the internal affairs ministry said in a preliminary report Tuesday. The figure is 17.47 percentage points lower than the overall turnout of 48.80 percent and represented a 14.12-point ...
National / Social Issues Jul 9, 2019
Tokyo NPO tries new strategy to tackle youth suicide — supporting the supporter
by Ryusei Takahashi
Alcoholism, addiction and depression: Few people can overcome these things alone. In many cases, the warm and ever-present support of well-intending loved ones is a godsend, but in others, it can do more harm than good. One Tokyo-based nonprofit group, Light Ring, is looking to help ...