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May 02, 2026
 

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PARENTHOOD

Izumisano Mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu inspects the baby hatch at Jikei Hospital in the city of Kumamoto on Feb. 10.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2026
City in Osaka Prefecture seeks early launch of its own ¡®baby hatch¡¯ system
The city of Izumisano's initiative reflects Mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu's strong belief that the city must serve as "a stronghold for protecting lives."
Father of two and "dad influencer" Diego Di Franco takes his daughter Eva to a birthday party, in Trezzano sul Naviglio, Italy, on April 9.
WORLD / Society / FOCUS
Apr 27, 2026
Fathers go online to redefine their role after Italy votes down equal parental leave
On social media, Italian fathers are increasingly ?posting about daily childcare, turning paternal care into a visible, mainstream ?narrative.
Experts are warning that some common claims about birth control pills' side effects represent misinformation ¡ª and that methods based on tracking fertility require strict adherence to be effective.
WORLD / Science & Health / FOCUS
Apr 25, 2026
'Natural' birth control risks unwanted pregnancy, experts warn
Helping drive this trend are influencers, who often promote natural birth control as a way for women to "liberate" themselves from the hormonal effects of the pill.
Naoko Mizunuma was arrested by Fukuoka police on Wednesday on suspicion of murdering her 4-year-old daughter at a mother-child support facility.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 24, 2026
Mother arrested on suspicion of killing daughter in Fukuoka
Police are investigating whether the woman, 30, was involved in another daughter's death.
Many mothers have difficulty preparing child care products for their babies as they cannot work as much as they want due to pregnancy or childbirth.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 24, 2026
Half of disadvantaged mothers in Japan lack child care products, survey finds
When asked about concerns, 88% of respondents said they could not work as much as they wanted to due to pregnancy or childbirth.
Kie Kanda (center), a Japan International Cooperation Agency official, shows a maternal and child health handbook in the Mustang district in Nepal last October.¡¡
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2026
Japan-backed group to distribute maternal handbooks in Nepal
The Japan International Cooperation Agency hopes to encourage continuous care and reduce the death rates of mothers and children in Nepal.
Masako Sugami holds a coffin made for stillborn babies, in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Apr 20, 2026
Mie nurse aims to provide coffins to grieving mothers of stillborn babies
"Even if their lives were short, their existence has value," the 66-year-old nurse said of the children, who normally are given to parents in paper boxes.
An experiment by a small city in Aichi Prefecture suggests that smartphone restrictions targeting only children are less effective than those targeting the entire family, as children¡¯s screen habits closely mirror their parents.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 17, 2026
The parent problem: When smartphone rules end at the school gate
Children who exceeded two hours of daily screen time tended to have parents with similarly high usage. The relationship held across age groups.
According to court records, the plaintiffs include the Japanese branch of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 13, 2026
Jehovah's Witnesses followers sue Japanese government
The plaintiffs claim that the guidelines violate religious freedom and are unconstitutional, also demanding compensation of ?2 million per person from the state.
Corporate support for employees raising children is gaining momentum, as companies face growing pressure to better accommodate the diverse needs of employees.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 8, 2026
More Japanese firms providing benefits for parents with sick children
An increasing number of employees returning from parental leave are struggling to find care if their children fall ill.
The Children and Families Agency has established a subsidy system to make it easier to secure child support payments from former spouses.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 4, 2026
Japan to subsidize costs to seize salaries and assets for child support
The subsidy system was created in line with the revised Civil Code, which entered into force Wednesday.
Russia approved new guidelines in February recommending that health professionals send women who do not want children to a psychotherapist, a move critics say could be damaging to their psychological health.
WORLD / Society
Apr 1, 2026
Russian women decry therapy plan to get them to have children
Russia is in the midst of a demographic crisis, with fertility rates at 1.4 children per woman.
Japan's rollout of a new joint custody system for divorcing couples has drawn mixed reactions from the public, with some abuse survivors voicing concerns over continued contact with or interference from former partners while proponents welcomed the move because it puts the country more in line with international standards.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 31, 2026
Japan rolls out new joint custody system
The change ends the country's long-standing sole custody framework, under which only one parent could retain parental rights following a divorce.
From Wednesday, vaccines to prevent respiratory syncytial virus will be administered to women in their 28th to 36th weeks of pregnancy in Japan to protect their unborn children from the virus.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 30, 2026
Japan to begin RSV vaccinations during pregnancy to protect infants
The vaccine will be administered to women in their 28th to 36th weeks of pregnancy to immunize their babies, with costs primarily covered by public funds.
When reducing?labor pain with epidural anesthetic and other drugs, the method of continuously administering drugs was commonly adopted in the past.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 26, 2026
Babies¡¯ health not affected by epidurals, study says
The results offer the choice of "painless delivery with peace of mind," the doctor leading the study said.
Japan is set to impose a "singles tax" next month as part of financing for measures to boost fertility rates.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 26, 2026
Japan¡¯s ¡®singles tax¡¯ is just one battle after another
The plan has attracted vitriol due to its name and the fact that it burdens single-person households, which are now the most common type of household in Japan.
Until now, sole custody was the only option a divorced couple had, in contrast with many Western countries where joint custody is commonplace.
JAPAN / Society / EXPLAINER
Mar 24, 2026
What you need to know about Japan¡¯s new joint custody system
For the first time ever, revisions to the family law will allow parents to choose between sole custody or joint custody following a divorce.
With parental authority at stake, abuse victims¡¯ looming fear of the possibility that their ex-spouse could once again be in their lives is real. But the frustration of the current sole custody arrangement for a noncustodial parent is also hard to ignore.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Mar 24, 2026
Fear and fairness: Japan¡¯s joint custody reform sparks debate
From April, Japan will allow joint parental authority. For some, that means more time with their child, but for domestic abuse survivors, there is only fear.
The last two students at Yumoto Junior High School attend their graduation ceremony in Ten-ei Village, Fukushima Prefecture, in March 2023.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 19, 2026
We have to stop discussing 91²Ö¿â birthrate like this
Declining Asian fertility is often framed negatively: a backlash against a crushing society. When it happens in the U.S., though, it's young women taking control over their lives.
Prepare a bento with foods your child will enjoy.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Mar 18, 2026
Bento basics every parent needs to know
There is no need to think out of the box when it comes to your kid's packed lunch. Keeping things simple and nutritious is the goal.
New Zealand officials reject statue remembering 91²Ö¿â comfort women
A statue symbolizing former South Korean comfort women in Seoul
Yen soars as Japan intervenes after issuing 'final' warning
Pedestrians walk past a stock quotation board showing the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Thursday.
Foreign business owners in Japan feeling the strain of tighter visa criteria
The streets of Ikuno Korea Town in the city of Osaka in December 2023
Yen, Japanese government bonds and Tokyo stocks decline as oil prices spike
The yen is trading at levels last seen in July 2024.
Japan mum on yen intervention, heavy on jawboning, ahead of long holiday weekend
The yen was back in ?150-to-the-dollar territory after reports of intervention by the Japanese government.
For tourists in Japan¡¯s outdoor sports scene, safety is not guaranteed
Each winter, countless tourists flock to Japan's famous snow-covered mountains, but a lack of top-down regulation on the country's outdoor sports industry can make certain activities unnecessarily risky.
¡®Sashiko¡¯ needlework artisan says craft is about 'the stories behind the stitching'
Traditional Japanese needlework has exploded in popularity, but a book from a third-generation artisan aims to bring more context to the craft's newfound popularity.
Tennis trailblazer Kei Nishikori announces his retirement
Kei Nishikori, who has won 12 titles on the ATP Tour and climbed as high as No. 4 in the world rankings, on Thursday announced his retirement.
Documentary captures the long echo of Fukushima's nuclear disaster
Toru Yamada¡¯s documentary ¡°At the Triangle Intersection,¡± which delves into the lingering impact of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, follows Tetsu (center), the matriarch of the Watanabe family, her son, Takemasa (right) and her daughter-in-law, Shigeko.
Japanese fried chicken with a Southern twist
A buttermilk-inspired marinade gives a rich umami flavor to your fried chicken.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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