Japan's supreme court has ruled that parents who fail to respond to an estranged partner's requests to see their children can be fined. (Japan Today)

A municipal library run by the operator of the Tsutaya movie rental and bookshop chain opened Monday in Takeo, Saga Prefecture, featuring a Starbucks cafe, in what is believed to be the first public-private partnership of its kind. (Kyodo)

A 62-year-old junior college dean at Sophia University in Tokyo has been fired for sexually harassing one of his students. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo metropolitan board of education has decided to introduce a new system that requires high schools to set academic goals for each subject according to three achievement levels. (Yomiuri)

Only 9 percent of Japanese high school students surveyed last year said they strongly hope for success in their careers, a sign that the country's economic woes may be curbing the ambition of its youth. (Asahi)

Japan's health ministry said Thursday that 86 Indonesians and 42 Filipinos have passed Japan's national examination for certified care workers for fiscal 2012 ending Sunday. (Jiji Press)