Japan will launch a new tax-free investment program for children in January 2027, allowing parents to invest up to 600,000 yen a year on behalf of children aged 17 or younger while permitting withdrawals from age 12 for expenses such as education and living costs. (News On Japan)

Japan’s highly competitive graduate recruitment market remains favorable for students, but signs of change are emerging as the average number of job offers held by candidates declines and companies experiment with new ways to secure talent. (News On Japan)

Recognizing the patterns and issues within a dysfunctional family can be a transformative step toward improving personal relationships. (News On Japan)

A first-of-its-kind sleep competition was held in Tokyo on October 5, with contestants competing for a 2.22 million yen top prize by trying to achieve the deepest, fastest and most stable sleep during a 90-minute session. (News On Japan)

Osaka Metropolitan University has suspended classes across all faculties after a suspected ransomware attack shut down about 500 servers and disabled key campus systems, while officials investigate whether personal information relating to at least 130,000 students, graduates and employees was leaked. (News On Japan)

Graduates of Japan's colleges of technology, commonly known as Kosen, are attracting growing attention from employers, with the ratio of job openings to applicants exceeding 35 as companies increasingly seek graduates who can contribute immediately to the workforce, including major banks and securities firms. (News On Japan)

A major new railway training center equipped with full-scale tracks, crossings and signals has opened in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, as Japan's railway industry faces a growing shortage of skilled workers that could exceed 20,000 by fiscal 2028. (News On Japan)

The University of Tokyo has selected professor Yuko Fujigaki, 64, as its next president, making her the first woman to lead Japan's most prestigious university. (News On Japan)

Performers at Universal Studios Japan are raising concerns about demanding working conditions behind the Osaka theme park's colorful shows and character appearances, with some describing the work as an example of employers taking advantage of workers' enthusiasm for jobs they once dreamed of doing. (News On Japan)

Elementary school students from across the Kansai region gathered in Osaka to share creative ideas for building a sustainable city, with proposals ranging from replacing waste incinerators with mushroom-growing facilities to preserving Osaka's distinctive local shopping culture. (News On Japan)

Parents in Japan are increasingly taking an active role in finding marriage partners for their adult children, with matchmaking events that allow mothers and fathers to meet prospective in-laws gaining popularity as the country's unmarried population continues to grow. (News On Japan)

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Kyoto City on September 15 for Ronald McDonald House Kyoto, a residential facility where children undergoing medical treatment will be able to stay together with their families. (News On Japan)

Elementary school students in Fukuoka got a hands-on lesson in the importance of taxes on September 11, lifting a 10-kilogram replica of 100 million yen as part of a class designed to show how public money supports society. (News On Japan)