As university entrance examinations reach their final stage, with national and public universities beginning their second-round tests on February 25th, many applicants and their families are grappling with the issue of “double payments” of admission fees, prompting the education ministry to consider reviewing the system. (News On Japan)

A nationwide ranking of Japanese dialect expressions whose usage can be difficult to understand has been released, highlighting regional words with meanings that often surprise people unfamiliar with local speech, including the Yamanashi dialect word "waniwani," which asks the question: would you know what it means? (News On Japan)

A company in Sapporo is opening its internal training room as temporary accommodation for university entrance exam students as a shortage of hotel rooms emerges ahead of the final tour of the idol group Arashi scheduled for next week. (News On Japan)

During the first half of the twentieth century, the expansion of the Japanese Empire across Asia turned war into a landscape of systematic violence against civilian populations. (TRNGL)

With company information sessions for university students set to graduate next spring opening in March, Japan’s job-hunting season has entered full swing, once again unfolding under what is widely seen as a candidate-driven seller’s market. (News On Japan)

Murai Masayoshi, known professionally as Muramasa and described as a Reiwa-era ukiyo-e artist, has drawn attention for his distinctive “ukiyo-e-style portraits” that depict contemporary figures in the manner of Japan’s Edo period. (News On Japan)

In the Keihoku district on the northern edge of Kyoto City, a free school operating out of a former elementary school has become a sanctuary for children who struggle to attend regular classes, offering not only a second chance at learning but also a place of emotional safety for both students and their parents. (News On Japan)

A proposed ordinance in Otsu, western Japan, that would effectively lower salaries for public kindergarten teachers by aligning them with the lower pay scale of nursery staff has drawn strong backlash, with a citizens’ group submitting more than 8,000 signatures to the Otsu City Council chair on February 26th calling for a review of the plan. (News On Japan)

In recent years, awareness of reproductive health has expanded significantly across Japan. (News On Japan)

The financial burden of Japan’s competitive junior high school entrance exams is coming under renewed scrutiny, with a popular manga series offering a lens through which to examine whether the process delivers value for families willing to spend heavily in pursuit of academic success. (News On Japan)