Category: Children

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 15, 2025 Number of comments0
Children Health Japan Medical

‘Slapped cheek syndrome’, or Fifth Disease in Japan Hits 26 Year High

The number of patients with fifth disease, or slapped cheek syndrome, in Japan hit the highest level in some 26 years in the week that ended June 22, according to data compiled by the Japan Institute for Health Security.The number of fifth disease patients reported by some 2,000 medical institutions nationwide stood at 2.53 per institution in the week, the highest since the current counting method was adopted in 1999. In the following week through June 29, the figure came to 2.13, the third highest.Japan’s health ministry is urging pregnant women to consult medical institutions if they experience symptoms, as infections can lead to miscarriages.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 7, 2025 Number of comments0
Children Japan Welfare

80 Percent of Struggling Families in Tougher Situation

Around 80 percent of struggling families with children in Japan said that their household finances are much worse than last year, a survey by nonprofit group Kidsdoor has shown. The survey was conducted online from late May to early June, covering 3,227 households including single-parent families and others registered for a Kidsdoor aid project. Valid responses came from 2,033 households, or 63 percent.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 4, 2025 1
Birth Rate Children Disability Election Fertility Japan

Minor party head courts ageism controversy with childbirth comments

Sohei Kamiya, leader of the populist minor opposition Sanseito party, has courted controversy ahead of Japan’s House of Councillors election with his comment that “only young women can have children.” “Only young women can have children”, Sanseito leader, Kamiya said. “When I say that, some people call it discrimination. But it’s not. It’s reality. Men and, sorry to say, older women cannot have children,” Kamiya said during a stump speech in Tokyo on Thursday.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 19, 2025 Number of comments0
Children Education Japan Sexual abuse

Japanese Government to Seek Students’ Opinions for Sexual Abuse Prevention

Japan’s Children and Families Agency will hold an in-person session next month to hear the opinions of junior high and high school students on a planned system for checking whether teachers have sexual crime records.  Over the so-called Japanese version of Britain’s Disclosure and Barring Service, the government set up a panel of experts in April to discuss its details, and plans to draw up related ordinances and guidelines later this year and implement them on Dec. 25, 2026. Around 12 students will be selected by lottery from volunteers to participate in the upcoming hearing session at the agency.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 16, 2025 Number of comments0
Children Disability Health Japan

Japan team creates device to measure dizziness symptoms in children

Graduate school students in Japan have developed a device to easily measure symptoms of orthostatic dysregulation, a disorder common among children that causes them physical difficulty getting up in the morning and dizziness when standing.
The team at Nagoya University’s graduate school hopes the device will help sufferers communicate their symptoms clearly when they need to skip classes due to their condition.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 10, 2025 Number of comments0
Children Education Health Japan Work

Experts Warn of “June Syndrome” among Children in Japan

Experts warn about so-called June syndrome, or mental and physical distress due to accumulating fatigue over the two months since the beginning of April, when many people start new jobs or schools in Japan. Much like the better-known May syndrome, or May blues, June syndrome is a general term for mental and physical disorders and is medically classified as adjustment disorder. Common symptoms include inability to get up in the morning, insomnia, headaches, abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea, malaise and loss of appetite. According to the education ministry, the number of students who refuse to attend elementary or junior high schools totaled a record 346,482 in the 2023 academic year through March 2024. Although there are no monthly data on the start of children’s refusal to go to school, many say that June syndrome is behind the increase in truancy.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 4, 2025 Number of comments0
Care Children Disability Health Japan Welfare

Many Needy Pregnant, Nursing Women Burdened with Living Costs

Some 80 pct of needy pregnant and nursing women in Japan are struggling to secure funds to cover living expenses, according to a survey conducted by Save the Children Japan. By employment status, 49.2 pct were jobless, and 24.8 pct were part-timers. Asked about their financial conditions, 47.6 pct said they were barely making ends meet. Meanwhile, a majority stated that they were short of money, with 29.9 pct saying they are dipping into savings and 21.7 pct saying they are relying on borrowings.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 3, 2025 Number of comments0
Care Children developmental disabilities Disability Japan

“High quality therapeutic care is necessary!”: Kochi Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities Concerned Over Facility Closure Plans

There is a growing possibility that the Hata Hope House Daycare Center “Tsukushinbo” in Sukumo City, which provides therapeutic care for children with developmental disabilities, will close at the end of this fiscal year, and parents in the Hata area are calling for reconsideration. According to the social welfare corporation “Tosa Hope House” (Nangoku City), which runs the facility, the reasons for the closure are the long-running deficit and the expected decrease in users. Parents have submitted 6,247 signatures to the corporation, citing the facility as “high quality therapeutic care and necessary for the community,” and calling for its continuation.