With the number of foreign residents in Fukuoka Prefecture surpassing 110,000 at the end of last year—a record high—the need for police interpreters is becoming increasingly urgent, especially as incidents involving foreigners continue to rise. (News On Japan)

Japan’s dental care system is facing a growing crisis as the number of dental technicians—who produce crowns, dentures, and other oral prosthetics under dentist supervision—continues to plummet. Over the past two decades, the profession has seen a decline of more than 4,000 workers, raising concerns about the future of treatment quality and capacity. (News On Japan)

Osaka University has announced it will accept up to 100 medical researchers from the United States in response to a policy by the Trump administration that suspended the acceptance of international students at Harvard University. (News On Japan)

Have you ever felt that drawing people is just too difficult? In this video, Shibasaki-sensei shares his unique approach to drawing balanced human figures using the golden ratio — and it all starts from the feet! (Watercolor by Shibasaki)

Concerns are growing among Japanese students following reports that the U.S. government under the Trump administration has ordered a halt to new bookings for student visa interviews, potentially impacting those planning to study in the United States. (News On Japan)

More than 90% of parents of elementary and junior high school students in Okinawa say their lives have become more difficult, according to a 2024 survey on child poverty conducted by the prefecture. The results highlight how rising prices are putting serious pressure on households raising children. (News On Japan)

Japan, a nation long defined by its insular geography and maritime surroundings, has a rich yet often overlooked history of naval warfare. (News On Japan)

A historic ryokan in the Ureshino hot spring area of Saga Prefecture has turned its former banquet hall into a Japanese language school, aiming to secure its future by training foreign workers. Roughly 40 students from Nepal and Pakistan are currently enrolled, studying Japanese and etiquette while working part-time at the inn or nearby farms. (News On Japan)

A Kobe University professor has solved one of the most perplexing unsolved problems in applied mathematics, opening the door to technologies once thought impossible. Kenjiro Kimura, who also serves as CEO of Integral Geometry Science, proved a global inverse problem in wave scattering theory—a feat no one had accomplished before—and used it to develop what is being called the world's first non-invasive internal imaging technology. (News On Japan)

Yame City has signed a cooperation agreement with the Kyushu University Urban Research Center to promote regional revitalization through ESG evaluation—a method of quantifying environmental, social, and governance efforts—aiming to enhance export capabilities and build a more sustainable society. (News On Japan)

An electric school bus has been introduced for a special needs school in Kitakyushu, with the city holding an unveiling ceremony at city hall to mark the occasion. (News On Japan)

“You have cancer and need to undergo surgery immediately.” Cathy Allen will never forget the look on the doctor’s face when he marked the distribution of a “tumor” on her chest CT scan. (News On Japan)

As ultraviolet radiation reaches stronger levels with the onset of summer, the number of days with intense UV readings has doubled over the past 30 years. While people often remember to protect their skin, experts are warning that protection for the eyes is equally essential—and often forgotten. (News On Japan)

Refund troubles are mounting across Japan over a now-defunct English camp program promoted through elementary schools, with a former staff member revealing that unpaid debts linked to the operation could total billions of yen. Run by a general incorporated association based in Sendai called the Miyagi Reconstruction Support Center, the international exchange program—where local children interacted with foreign students—was abruptly canceled without refunding participation fees. (News On Japan)

A 27-year-old Chinese national enrolled at Kyoto University’s graduate school has been arrested for impersonating another person to take the TOEIC English proficiency exam, in what police suspect may be part of an organized cheating scheme. (News On Japan)

For much of Japan’s history, particularly in rural areas, a now-banned tradition called yobai—or “night crawling”—was a common courtship practice. Until the early 1900s, it was socially accepted for young men to sneak into women’s homes at night for consensual sex, with variations depending on the region. (News On Japan)