Children
4 items
353,970 Non-Attending Students: What Japan's 12-Year High Conceals
Japan recorded 353,970 non-attending elementary and junior-high students in FY2024: the 12th consecutive all-time high. Yet the year-on-year growth rate collapsed from 24.9% at the COVID-era peak to just 2.2%, and new cases fell for the first time in nine years. The data signals a structural shift, but deep challenges remain: 136,000 students receive no professional support, and the government's target of 300 specialized schools stands at only 84.
Is Babysitter Pay a 'Business Expense'? — The Structural Fault Line in Childcare Tax Deductions
Japan does not allow babysitter costs as a tax-deductible expense. While the US, UK, France, Germany, and Canada all provide tax benefits for childcare expenses, Japan's Income Tax Act classifies childcare as a "household expense" and excludes it from deductions. Ahead of the government's summer 2026 policy review, this article compares international systems and examines the design trade-offs.
The Cost of Zero Waitlists — Record 3,190 Childcare Accidents Reveal the Simultaneous Collapse of Quality Amid Quantitative Expansion
Japan's childcare waitlist has shrunk to 2,567 children, yet serious accidents at childcare facilities hit a record 3,190 in 2024. Staffing ratios unchanged for 76 years, a wave of corporate-led nursery closures, and a childcare worker job-opening ratio of 3.78x — the policy of 'building more' has created a structure that erodes quality.
When Children's Tables Break Down — The Triple Crisis of Free School Lunches, Solitary Eating, and Kodomo Shokudo
Japan's school lunches cost just ¥270 per meal, and face quality erosion amid inflation and the 2026 free lunch policy. 34% of children in single-parent households eat only twice a day during summer. Kodomo shokudo (children's cafeterias) have surged to 12,601 locations, but systems built on goodwill alone cannot last. A structural analysis of children's food security across institutional, civil, and household layers.