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July 01, 2026
 

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CHILDREN

Low income, difficulties meeting a partner and balancing work with raising a child are some of the factors playing a role in Japan's declining fertility rate, the Children and Families Agency said.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 3, 2026
Japan’s births hit new low, but drop less severe than previous years
The 2.2% decrease in the number of births recorded in Japan was a relatively modest drop compared to the year-on-year 5% decline seen over the past several years.
Japan is looking into ways to protect children from the features of social media platforms that can cause addiction.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 3, 2026
Japan weighs stricter age verification for social media users
The government is not considering a blanket age restriction like Australia’s, however.
In 2025, people in their 20s and younger accounted for more than 70% of all cannabis-related police action.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2026
Cannabis use grows among young people in Japan, especially in Tokyo
Tokyo recorded the highest number of cannabis-related cases among all prefectures in 2025, with 1,139 people processed by the MPD.
Noninvasive prenatal testing has gained popularity as an alternative to conventional tests due to its lower stress levels for mothers.
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2026
More pregnant women in Japan undergo prenatal checkups
Noninvasive prenatal testing has gained popularity as an alternative to conventional tests due to its lower stress levels for mothers.
Yawata Mayor Shoko Kawata recently announced that she will take maternity leave, making her the first sitting mayor in Japan to do so.
JAPAN / Politics
May 29, 2026
Meet the Japanese mayor seeking to normalize maternity leave in public office
Shoko Kawata discusses balancing pregnancy with her duties — and the reaction that followed her announcing she would take leave before and after childbirth.
Itsunori Onodera, the Liberal Democratic Party's tax chief, on Wednesday presented a draft outline for providing additional benefits for households with children during a meeting of lawmakers.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2026
Lawmakers eye extra benefits for child-rearing households
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is looking into increasing take-home pay for low- and middle-income workers by adjusting the amount of benefits according to income.
A captured bear in Kuroishi, Aomori Prefecture, earlier this month
JAPAN
May 28, 2026
Bear sightings hamper school activities in Japan
The sightings have led to evacuations, delays and some children opting to stay home as boards of education grapple with how to safely continue classes.
The 18-year-old daughter of former Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe said she consulted ChatGPT before reporting an alleged altercation with her father to a child guidance center.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2026
Former Giants manager’s daughter consulted ChatGPT before reporting altercation
Shinnosuke Abe resigned from his position Tuesday following his arrest on suspicion of physically assaulting his daughter.
Siranudh "Psi" Scott, a fourth-generation member of the billionaire Thai family that founded the Singha beer brand, poses after an interview in Bangkok on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2026
Thai beer heir sexual abuse allegations ignite rare public reckoning
The high-profile case within the wealthy Thai beer brewing family has prompted a wave of painful accounts from survivors of unconnected abuse in the conservative country.
The Children and Families Agency says language should not be a barrier to calling the 189 hotline.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
May 27, 2026
Built for speed: Inside Japan’s child protection system
In Japan, sources such as schools, neighbors, and the 189 hotline all feed into a child protection system designed to surface potential risks early, even when certainty is low.
Hiroya Masuda (center), head of the Forum for the Future We Choose, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in March.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
May 27, 2026
Deeply entrenched gender roles a key factor in Japan’s low birthrate
A survey has found that many women in rural areas feel constrained by social norms, which could lead to a demographic crisis if left unaddressed.
Students from Ricards Lodge High School in Wimbledon look at their mobile phones during an interview about their thoughts on a social media ban for children under the age of 16, in London, on Feb. 23
WORLD / Science & Health
May 26, 2026
Social media as bad for children as smoking, British doctors say
Britain is considering restricting children’s access to social media, including a ‌possible ban for children under the age of 16.
How Japanese-language instruction is provided currently varies widely according to region.
JAPAN / Society
May 26, 2026
Record number of students in Japan need help learning Japanese
As of May 2025, a total of 84,759 students at public elementary, junior high, high and special needs schools required support, a government survey shows.
Teachers are increasingly having difficulty communicating with children staying out of school and members of their families.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
May 25, 2026
Teachers struggle to support children who refuse to attend school
One school principal in Miyagi Prefecture says more teachers are struggling to be accepted by the families of children who won’t go to school.
Shoko Kawata, the 35-year-old mayor of Yawata, speaks to reporters on Thursday in the city.
JAPAN / Politics
May 22, 2026
Mayor in Kyoto Prefecture to take maternity leave in first for Japan
Shoko Kawata, the 35-year-old mayor of Yawata, plans to take her leave later this summer.
Elon Musk at a federal courthouse for his lawsuit with OpenAI, in Oakland, California, on April 30. In a separate case in Australia, a court upheld a regulator's fine against Musk's social media company X after it failed to supply information to regulators in line with online child protection measures.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2026
Elon Musk’s X loses Australia child protection compliance lawsuit
The ‌eSafety regulator, a frequent target of online attacks by ​Musk, fined the company in October 2023, beginning the nearly three-year dispute.
Staff members from SOS Children’s Villages Japan explain the organization's short-stay foster care program during a monthly briefing session in the city of Fukuoka in February.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
May 18, 2026
Fukuoka takes lead in short-stay foster care programs
Municipalities across Japan are starting to adopt short-stay programs through which children stay with foster families, allowing them to spend time in home-like settings.
Akiko Hashiguchi is one of the few people in Japan to publicly share her personal experience with muri shinjū under her own name. She has since been involved in parents’ support work and advocacy around developmental disorders.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
May 18, 2026
‘There was no village’: Japan’s troubling pattern of family murder-suicides
In a society where asking for help is often difficult, many parents and caregivers are unsure where to turn. Sometimes, it leads to tragedy.
Shota Inoue, who was arrested for allegedly luring a junior high school girl into prostitution, enters Ayase Police Station in Tokyo's Adachi Ward on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2026
Tokyo man arrested for luring girl into prostitution
The Tokyo resident has admitted to the charges and says he knew the girl was 15 years old at the time.
Ndey Ndiaye (center) with her grandsons Fallou (left) and Bara (right) at their home in Mbour, Senegal. Ndey is raising her two grandsons after losing her daughter when the boat she was traveling in capsized trying to reach Europe.
WORLD / Society
May 15, 2026
Senegal’s children mourn in silence when migrant parents disappear
The number of such dead, missing and their children is at least in the thousands in Senegal in recent years, an advocate has said.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.

Podcast

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

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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