education in japan

Promotion of Educational Travel to Japan

• ABOUT JAPAN EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL
• arrow_right WHY JAPAN?
• arrow_right Traditional culture
• arrow_right Modern culture
• arrow_right Natural environment
• arrow_right Japanese food
• arrow_right Sports
• arrow_right Made in Japan
• arrow_right Crisis management
• arrow_right Social systems and infrastructure
• arrow_right Peace and friendship
• arrow_right SCHOOL IN JAPAN
• arrow_right JAPANESE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
• arrow_right SCHOOL LIFE IN JAPAN
• arrow_right PLAN YOUR TRIP
• arrow_right SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
• arrow_right SCHOOL EXCHANGES
• arrow_right TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE SCHOOL EXCHANGE
• arrow_right IN-PERSON EXCHANGES
• arrow_right ONLINE EXCHANGES
• arrow_right VISITOR'S VOICES

class JAPANESE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

About Japanese Educational System and Japanese Schools.

Curriculum Outline

The Japanese school system primarily consists of six-year elementary schools, three-year junior high schools and three-year high schools, followed by a two-or-three-year junior colleges or a four-year colleges. Compulsory education lasts for 9 years through elementary and junior high school. School exchanges during Japan Educational Travel are mainly implemented in junior high and high schools. For physically or mentally challenged students, there is a system called “Special Needs Education” to support special students to develop their self-reliance and thus enhance their social participation.

School Education Chart

Introduction to Schools in Japan

Event school timetable.

Public schools in Japan have classes five days a week, from Monday to Friday. There are also schools that have classes on Saturday. In junior high and high schools, there are six class periods each day, typically lasting 50 minutes for each. After classes, students clean the classrooms in shifts and then start their club activities. There are a variety of clubs such as cultural and sports ones.

An Example of School Timetable

event Academic Calendar

In principle, the school year begins in April and ends in March of the following year. Most schools adopt a three-semester system, with the first semester from April to August, the second semester from September to December, and the third semester from January to March. There is also a summer break (from the end of July to the end of August), a winter break (from the end of December to the beginning of January), and a spring break (from the end of March to the beginning of April).

An Example of Academic Calendar

event School Organization

Each school has a principal, a vice principal, teachers, a school nurse, and other administration staff. As the chief executive, the principal assumes all responsibilities of the school, including the courses provided and related administrative work. The vice principal supports the principal to manage administrative affairs of the school and to be in charge of student’s educational activities and curriculum as well. Furthermore, in order to ensure school’s smooth operation, teachers take on various responsibilities, such as taking care of educational activities, students’school life, and employment guidance for students after graduation. Many schools also establish their own committees, for example a International Exchange Promotion Committee, and others.

Related Information

Special Features of Japanese Education

About Features of Japanese Education.

event Regarding the Level of Education

The level of Japanese education is high even by world standards. In OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) aimed at fifteen-year-olds, Japanese students recorded high levels of achievement, particularly in science related areas. Educational activities outside of school also flourish, and programs leading to advanced education are implemented. Enrollment in high schools, the second-half of secondary education, reaches over 90%, and the enrollments in college are also high reaching over 50%. Admission to high schools and colleges is mainly through entrance exams, held from January to March. Source: OECD

location_city Foreign Language Education

English is a compulsory subject in junior high and high schools. There are also elementary schools that introduce English education from intermediate grade classes. In some high schools, apart from English, students are also allowed to take courses in Chinese, Korean, French, German, etc.

location_city Student Clubs

Student clubs are a characteristic part in Japan’s school education. Under teachers’ guidance, students with the same interests in sports, cultural activities, or fields of study voluntarily gather together after classes and on days off. There are also numerous student clubs revolving around Japanese traditional sports and culture, such as judo, kendo(Japanese swordsmanship), sado (Japanese tea ceremony), kado (Japanese flower arrangement), shodo (Japanese calligraphy), etc. Club activities also provide students with the chance to participate in school exchange and friendly matches.

Sports Clubs

• Track and Field
• Kendo (Japanese swordsmanship)

Culture Clubs

• School Band
• School Choir
• Kado (Japanese flower arrangement)
• Sado (Japanese tea ceremony)
• Shodo (Japanese calligraphy)

check 学校交流する場合のポイント

Check_box 1～3月は受験シーズンのため交流は難しい.

海外における教育旅行は、それぞれの国・地域によって特徴が異なると考えられるが、日本で現在受け入れている教育旅行は、日本の修学旅行のように、教師等の引率者と児童生徒で構成される団体旅行として実施されることが多い。

check_box 英語での交流が可能

Check_box 部活動も充実, stories of school exchanges.

Learn About School Life in Japan

Government-approved information site

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Planning to Study in Japan
• Japanese Educational System

In Japan, higher education starts upon the completion of 12 years of education: elementary education (6 years of elementary school) and secondary education (3 years of lower secondary school and 3 years of upper secondary school).There are 5 types of higher education institutions that international students can be admitted to, which are 1) colleges of technology, 2) vocational schools (postsecondary course of specialized training colleges), 3) junior colleges, 4) universities (undergraduate) and 5) graduate schools. Depending on the founding bodies, these higher education institutions are categorized into three types: national, local public and private.

Educational System

Individuals completing their majors at a junior college or college of technology certified by the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE) may obtain bachelor's degrees by applying to the NIAD-QE and passing an examination. Confirm further details at the school to which the application will be made.

Degrees and titles you can obtain and the required study periods

*1 Graduate school doctoral programs are sometimes divided into the first phase (two years) and second phase (three years). The required period of undergraduate study in medicine, dentistry and veterinary and certain pharmaceutical programs is six years, and the duration of their graduate (doctoral) program is four years.

*2 Master's and doctoral programs list the standard number of years.

*3 The required period of study at a college of technology is normally five years, yet international students are accepted from the third year.

Most higher educational institutions in Japan set their academic year from April to March of the following year. Many institutions use the semester system. The long holiday seasons are usually in the summer (late July to early September), winter (late December to early January) and spring (February to March). In Japan, most schools admit students in April, but some schools have an autumn admission system.

Number of higher education institutions

Related links

• About the Japanese education system (National Information Center for Academic Recognition Japan (NIC-Japan) website)
• Basic Information on Higher Education and Quality Assurance in Japan (National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education)
• Outline of the National Universities(MEXT)
• Promotion of the Private Universities（MEXT)
• Outline of the Public Universities（MEXT)
• Outline of the Junior Colleges（MEXT)
• Promotion of the Specialized Training Colleges and Miscellaneous School（MEXT)
• Outline of the Colleges of Technology（MEXT)

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Overview of the Japanese Education System

The japanese education system.

• Overview of Japanese Education System
• Types of Higher Education Institutions
• Higher Education Qualifications
• Admission to Higher Education Institution
• Quality Assurance System
• Learning Assessment

Overview of the Education System

The Japanese educational system starts with pre-school education, followed by 6 years of elementary education, then 6 years of secondary education (3 years of lower secondary and 3 years of upper secondary education), which leads to a wide range of higher education. The 9 years of elementary and lower secondary education cover compulsory education.

There are kindergartens (幼稚園 yochien ), day care centers (保育所 hoikusho ), and “centers for early childhood education and care” (認定こども園 nintei-kodomo-en ) for pre-school education. As for elementary and secondary education, typical educational institutions include elementary schools (小学校 shogakko ) for elementary education and lower secondary schools (中学校 chugakko ) and upper secondary schools (高等学校 kotogakko ) for secondary education. There are also schools for special needs education (特別支援学校 tokubetsu-shien-gakko ) [departments of kindergarten, elementary, lower secondary, and upper secondary] for children and students with disabilities.

In addition, in 1998, it became possible to establish 6-year Secondary Education Schools (中等教育学校 chuto-kyoiku-gakko ) which combine lower and upper secondary education, and in 2016, it became possible to establish Compulsory Education Schools (義務教育学校 gimu-kyoiku-gakko ) which combine elementary and lower secondary education.

For upper division of Secondary Education Schools and upper secondary schools, there are also schools that offer part-time courses (定時制 teiji-sei ) in the evening or at other specific times and periods, correspondence courses (通信制 tsushin-sei ) that offer distance education, and 高等専修学校 koto-senshu-gakko which is Upper Secondary Courses of Specialized Training Colleges (専修学校高等課程 senshu-gakko-koto-katei ).

Types of higher education institutions (HEIs), higher education qualifications, and admissions are described in the following sections.

Organization of the School System in Japan

Organization of the school system in Japan (PDF)

Academic Calendar

Governed by law, the academic year for elementary and secondary education institutions and Colleges of Technology (KOSEN) starts on April 1 and ends on March 31. At universities and Specialized Training Colleges, rectors or presidents determine the beginning and end of the academic year for their institutions. At upper secondary schools, upper secondary department of schools for special needs education, and universities, matriculation and graduation of students may take place in the middle of an academic year according to the division of academic term of each institution.

Many universities in Japan use a semester system (first semester from April to September, and second semester from October to March), but there are also some universities that use trimester or quarter systems.

<Reference> - Number of universities admitting students at times other than April (AY2021)   Undergraduate level: 261 universities (34.8%, N=752)   Graduate level: 342 universities (53.0%, N=775)

- Number of universities implementing each academic term system at undergraduate level (AY2021)   Semester system: 694 universities (92.3%)   Trimester system: 17 universities (2.3%)   Quarter system: 49 universities (6.5%)   Other systems: 120 universities (16.0%)

- Number of universities implementing each academic term system at graduate level (AY2021)   Semester system: 592 universities (91.6%)   Trimester system: 10 universities (1.5%)   Quarter system: 37 universities (5.7%)   Other systems: 96 universities (14.9%)

* Since the above figures represent the number of universities that have faculties and graduate schools implementing each academic term system and it may not be uniform within one university, the total does not equal the number of universities that responded to the MEXT’s survey.

[Source] Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) " 大学における教育内容等の改革状況について（令和3年度） " [Japanese only] (AY2021: Status of university reform concerning educational content, etc.)

Statistics of Higher Education

(as of may 1, 2023), number of higher education institutions, number of student enrolment in higher education, number of full-time faculty and staff in higher education.

<Reference>　MEXT, School Basic Survey Results [Japanese only]

*1　Includes graduate schools

*2　32 prefectural colleges of agriculture (農業大学校) are included in 'Public'.

*3　Only the institutions defined by the "Guideline for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications - Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education" (MEXT, 2019) are included. There is no published statistical data on the numbers of student enrolment, full-time faculty and staff.

Number of International Students in Japan

Number of Japanese Students Studying Abroad

Major Laws and Regulations Pertaining to Higher Education

For the laws and regulations listed below, English translation is avialable for Basic Act on Education only. Please also note that only the original Japanese texts have legal effect, and the English translations are to be used solely as reference materials.

• Basic Act on Education (Act No.120 of 2006 amended Act No.25 of 1947 in its entirety.)
• School Education Act (Act No.26 of 1947)
• Order for Enforcement of the School Education Act (Cabinet Order No.340 of 1953)
• Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act (Ordinance of the Ministry of Education No.11 of 1947)
• Degree Regulations (Ordinance of the Ministry of Education No.9 of 1953)
• Rules on granting the titles of Diploma and Advanced Diploma to graduates of Post-secondary Courses of Specialized Training Colleges (Public Notice of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No.84 of June 21, 1994)

Links to Standards for the Establishment of each type of higher education institutions are listed on the Quality Assurance System page.

• Education in Japan

A Comprehensive Analysis of Education Reforms and Practices

• © 2019
• Yuto Kitamura 0 ,
• Toshiyuki Omomo 1 ,
• Masaaki Katsuno 2

Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

Gakushuin Women’s College, Tokyo, Japan

• Provides a comprehensive portrait of education in contemporary Japan
• Illustrates the current status and problems regarding reforms and practices in the field of education in Japan
• Provides responses to the global trends of educational reforms in the context of the knowledge-based society in the 21st century

Part of the book series: Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects (EDAP, volume 47)

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Table of contents (14 chapters)

Front matter, background and context of education system in japan.

• Yuto Kitamura

The Education System in Japan

Primary and secondary education.

Toshiyuki Omomo

Higher Education in Japan: Its Uniqueness and Historical Development

• Hideto Fukudome

Restructuring of Social Education and Lifelong Learning and Community Governance

• Jeongyun Lee

National and Local Educational Administration

• Yusuke Murakami

Educational Issues in Japan

The relationship between teachers’ working conditions and teacher quality.

• Masaaki Katsuno

Lesson Study

• Yasuhiko Fujie

Teacher Narrative Description

• Sachiko Asai

A History of Schools and Local Communities in Modern Japan

• Yoshihiro Kokuni

Background of “Individualized Meritocracy” Among Japanese Youth: Social Circulation Model of Postwar Japan and Its Collapse

Discussing the “multicultural” in japanese society.

• Ryoko Tsuneyoshi

Higher Education Reform: Focusing on National University Reform

• Akiko Morozumi

English Language Teaching and Learning in Japan: History and Prospect

• Yoshifumi Saito

Safety Education from the Perspective of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Back matter.

• Education Governance in Japan
• Education quality assurance
• Educational reform
• Equity in education
• Japan education systems
• Japan educational policy
• Lesson study in Japan
• Teacher education in japan

About this book

Editors and affiliations.

Yuto Kitamura, Masaaki Katsuno

About the editors

Bibliographic information.

Book Title : Education in Japan

Book Subtitle : A Comprehensive Analysis of Education Reforms and Practices

Editors : Yuto Kitamura, Toshiyuki Omomo, Masaaki Katsuno

Series Title : Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2632-5

Publisher : Springer Singapore

eBook Packages : Education , Education (R0)

Copyright Information : Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019

Hardcover ISBN : 978-981-13-2630-1 Published: 18 January 2019

eBook ISBN : 978-981-13-2632-5 Published: 09 January 2019

Series ISSN : 1573-5397

Series E-ISSN : 2214-9791

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XII, 241

Number of Illustrations : 23 b/w illustrations

Topics : International and Comparative Education , Administration, Organization and Leadership , Educational Policy and Politics

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• Why Study in Japan?
• Educational System
• School System
• Education for International Students

Japanese Educational System

The Japanese educational system, due to American occupation after the World War II, was heavily influenced by American educational system. The Fundamental Law of Education in Japan was introduced in 1947, changing the educational system to the 6+3+3+4 structure. The current system includes six years of elementary school, three years of Lower secondary school, three years of upper secondary school and, finally, four years of higher education. The last step is not optional and was created for those who are in the academic stream.

It is worth to mention that Japanese educational system is known for its impressive results in passing international benchmarking tests. Among the most notable ones is the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). That is why nearly 97% of junior school children easily pass to high school, which graduates nearly all of them, defining the high level of education in Japan. In contrast, in the US there are around 88% of junior school students who pass to high school and only 70% of them graduate.

There are around 3 million students who enrolled in a higher education. It is worth to mention, that there are more than 1, 200 universities and junior colleges in Japan, meaning that Japanese students who wish to pursue tertiary education have all opportunities to succeed. Still, the great number of universities and junior colleges also make the higher education in Japan one of the weakest parts of the whole educational system. The only goal pursued by those who want to get a higher education is to be admitted to the most prestigious school. After the admission, students easily pass through the first three years of an undergraduate program and, generally, use the last year for job hunting.

That is why plans to reform were introduced in 1998 by the University Council, an advisory organ to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The main plan of the reform included limiting the number of credits for undergraduates and stricter grading policies. However, the report was not aimed at such issues as demographics and graduate education Japan is facing today. The report concerning demographic issues was introduced in 2007.

Preprimary Education

In Japan, preschools are not compulsory. The education is provided by kindergartens and day-care centers, taking children from under age 1 up to 5 years old. Preschool education is mainly focused on having the child pass the entrance exam to some private elementary school. The academic year starts in April. There are two periods of vacation: summer vacation in August and winter vacation from the end of December to the beginning of January. The academic year ends in March. It is worth to note that academic year is the same all from elementary school to higher education.

Primary Education (Shogakko)

A middle school in Japan is compulsory. It includes 6 years of studying and aimed at students from under age 6 to 12 years old. The curriculum of the elementary school includes both regular subjects and some extracurricular activities (festivals, competitions, class trips, etc.). Furthermore, there is a moral education for elementary school, which means that students are taught the importance of personal values. There are no special groupings of students in accordance with their abilities. Also, pupils are not able to skip grades.

Teachers of primary schools are required to have a Bachelor’s degree in Primary Education or have a diploma from junior college. Still, the second option is considered to be a second-class certificate. That is why the majority if teachers of elementary school have completed a four-year university degree.

Middle Education (Chugakko)

From age 12, children proceed to middle schools. The 3 years coming after primary education is increasingly academic. It is explained by the fact that nearly 96% of students who pass through middle school want to continue their education. That is why the main focus of the middle school is preparation for high school entrance examination.

There are about 95% of state-funded schools in Japan, while about 5,7% percent of students attend private schools. There are about 40 students in an average class. In comparison to the primary school curriculum, middle school includes integrated study with the goal of stimulating students’ individuality and imagination.

Over 80% of teachers in middle schools have a University diploma. Typically, all of them have completed major courses in the subjects that they teach.

Secondary Education (Kotogakko)

High school is Japan is not compulsory and, what is more, it is not free. Nevertheless, about 94% of students continue their education by entering privately-funded or state-owned institutions.

A high schools in Japan welcomes students who reached 15 years and ends when they are 18. After grade 9, students in Japan are divided into two categories: vocational and university entrance. There are also 3 main formats of secondary education: full-time, part-time, or correspondence. The main aim of the secondary school is to prepare students to apply for entrance to universities.

Teachers of secondary schools must complete Bachelor’s degree in Education. Also, some of them have a Master’s degree due to the requirement of greater concentration in the teaching subjects in comparison to primary level.

Vocational Education

Vocational education in Japan was created for students, who choose to enter university. Nearly all of students who have plans to get a higher education almost invariably undergo some vocational training, which is known for its high standards. After passing through vocational studying, students can get the internationally recognized certification.

Tertiary Education

Each year, there are about 3 million students who study at universities and colleges in Japan. Most of them prefer to choose full-study format.

All colleges in Japan are private. Still, there are also about 96 national universities and about 39 universities established through local government. If you are looking for the most top-ranking university in Japan, it is always the University of Tokyo.

The most popular undergraduate courses in Japan are social sciences, engineering, humanities, and education. By the way, teachers in universities and colleges have to get the first-class teaching certificate. It means, that all the students who want to make a career in teaching at universities, have to study 40 units in the teaching area of specialization and 19 in the area of professional studies. The four-year program includes minimum 124 units. Furthermore, beginning teachers have to take part in a one-year supervised training program.

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Primary and Secondary Education

In Japan’s education system, compulsory education is an elementary school (primary education) that studies for six years after entering age at full age and ordinary education at a junior high school (first-half secondary education) to learn for the next three years.

High school (high school), technical college of high school (1 to 3 years), high school of higher vocational education, etc. are available in secondary school where secondary school after secondary school graduation (late secondary education). There, regular education that increases the individuality and ability of students based on learning up to junior high school and professional education leading to employment are carried out.

In Japan, about 97% of junior high school graduates go on to high school (college of higher education is a five-year school, three years after admission is in accordance with high school etc).

Higher Education

There are universities, junior colleges, vocational schools, technical colleges of higher education (4.5 years), etc. for higher education institutions targeting higher graduates (equivalent) or higher. The university has a four-year system (a part of the medical faculties is a six-year system), a junior college is a two-year system, and vocational schools are one to four years depending on the content to be learned. There, we will learn expert knowledge and skills to become advanced academics, technology and profession. In addition, graduate schools (master’s and doctoral courses) are set up as a place to deepen expertise in learning at universities and vocational schools.

Requirements for enrollment in higher education institutions · Graduation requirements

In order for international students to enter the higher education institutions in Japan, in principle, they must be 18 years of age or older and have completed 12 years of school education in their home countries etc. In addition, university graduation etc is conditional on graduate school (master’s course) admission.

In order to graduate from an institution of higher education, it is necessary to obtain a graduation credit unit that the course prepares and complete a lesson subject.

Japanese school opening and closing times

Japanese schools generally have their first year in April and the year until March the next year. Although some colleges and graduate schools enter the university between September and October, many are starting in April and closing in March.

• Japanese Language Education
• Vocational Education in Japan
• Japanese vocational school

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Asia University Rankings 2024

The Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2024 use the same 18 performance indicators as the THE World University Rankings, but they are recalibrated to reflect the attributes of Asia’s institutions.

The universities are judged across all their core missions – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook – to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons available. The 2024 edition of the rankings introduces significant updates to the original methodology.

View the Asia University Rankings 2024 methodology

Tsinghua University and Peking University in China take the first and second positions for the fifth year in a row. Five mainland Chinese universities feature in the top 10, compared with four last year. Zhejiang University enters this group, moving up from 12th to ninth.

With two universities each, Hong Kong and Singapore have the second-highest representation in the top 10. However, Hong Kong’s leading universities drop in rank while Singapore’s remain stable or gain ground.

The University of Tokyo, which is Japan’s top institution, rises from eighth to fifth, its highest position since 2015.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s top institution, Seoul National University, drifts further away from the top 10, dropping three places to 14th. 

In the top 100, mainland China dominates with 33 universities, followed by South Korea with 16.

The 2024 ranking includes 739 universities from 31 territories.

With 119 universities, Japan remains the most-represented nation this year. India follows with 91 institutions.

A total of 98 universities have joined the rankings since last year. This increase is led by India, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.

Read our analysis of the Asia University Rankings 2024 results

Download a free copy of the Asia University Rankings 2024 report

To raise your university’s global profile with THE , contact [email protected]

To unlock the data behind THE ’s rankings and access a range of analytical and benchmarking tools, contact [email protected]

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Read more about the Asia University Rankings 2024

Student insights.

• Best universities in Asia

Academic Insights

• Asia University Rankings 2024: results announced
• Asia University Rankings 2024: revelations of research strength
• Asia University Rankings 2024: in charts
• Talking leadership: SKKU’s Ji-Beom Yoo on allowing failure
• Talking leadership: Alexander Ping-kong Wai on future-proofing education
• Pakistan’s new government must wake up to the education emergency
• Sunway president: universities must focus on bridging frontiers

Methodology:

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People enjoy drinks and food at an izakaya pub restaurant at the Ameyoko shopping district, in Tokyo, Japan February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo

By Tetsushi Kajimoto

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's economy likely contracted an annualised 1.5% in the January-March quarter as all key drivers of growth slumped due to an uncertain outlook, a Reuters poll showed, which will probably set back Bank of Japan efforts to raise interest rates.

Cabinet Office data due out at 8:50 a.m. on May 16 (2350 GMT on May 15) is expected to show the economy's contraction would be equivalent to monthly decline of 0.4%, according to the poll of 17 economists.

The decline followed growth of 0.4% annualised in the last three months of 2023, with the main pillars of GDP collapsing and leaving no growth engine for the January-March quarter.

"The trend of thrifty consumers remains strong due to rising living costs likely being exacerbated by the yen weakening," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute, who predicted the overall economy would contract at 1.2% annualised in the January-March period.

Private consumption, which makes up more than 50% of the economy, likely fell 0.2% in the quarter as consumers tightened belts to guard against the rising costs living.

The earthquakes that struck the Noto peninsula at the start of this year also undermined output and consumption. As well, a scandal at Toyota's compact car unit Daihatsu led to the suspension of output and shipments.

Capital expenditures also fell 0.7% quarter-on-quarter as companies remained slow to invest their hefty profits in plants and equipment, such as labour-saving technology to overcome labour shortages.

External demand, or net exports, which means shipments minus imports, likely shaved 0.3 percentage points off GDP growth. Domestic demand probably fell for a fourth straight quarter.

The corporate goods price index, a key gauge of prices corporations charge against each other, probably rose 0.8% in April year-on-year, keeping the pace unchanged from March.

The CGPI data will be released at 8:50 a.m. on May 14 (2350 GMT on May 13).

The CGPI, broadly equivalent to wholesale prices, likely rose 0.3% month-on-month in April, accelerating slightly from the 0.2% rise for March, underscoring persistent inflation that is boosting the costs of living and doing business.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Tom Hogue)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Tags: Japan

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Decoding the three ancestral components of the Japanese people

A research group led by scientists from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences in Japan have used whole-genome sequencing to unravel the complex ancestry of the Japanese population. The analysis supports an earlier study that proposed that the Japanese population originated from admixtures of three ancestral groups, challenging the long-held dual-structure model, and also provides new evidence of Neanderthal and Denisovan influences in the population.

The study, published in Science Advances , started with the group performing whole-genome sequencing on 3,256 samples from the Biobank Japan -- a large collection of samples collected from hospitals in Japan. The samples were chosen to reflect the population distribution of Japanese throughout the archipelago, from Hokkaido in the northeast to Okinawa and the other Ryukyu islands in the south.

The first finding was that the Japanese population can be optimally divided into three clusters, with different concentrations in Okinawa, Northeastern Japan, and Western Japan. While it was previously believed that the current Japanese people are mainly descended either from the indigenous Jomon population or other East Asians, principally Han Chinese, the research group found that there is also a Northeast Asian ancestry, which is likely composed of people from the Korean peninsula or from early non-Jomon Japanese populations. They found that Jomon ancestry was most dominant in Okinawa, where it made up 28.5 percent of the sampled people's DNA, though it also made up roughly 19 percent in Northeastern Japan and 12 percent in Western Japan, and was slightly higher in the south of Japan, closest to Okinawa. The East Asian ancestry, generally understood to be from China, was most common in Western Japan, gradually decreasing to the east, while the Northeast Asian lineage was most common in Northeastern Japan, decreasing to the west.

To see whether these findings could provide insights into clinically relevant genetic variants, they examined two well-known pathogenic variants associated with hereditary breast cancer. The first, a variant of the BRCA1 gene, is only found in Japanese populations, and is more common in the east than the west of the country. This implied that it arose in Japanese people with Northeast Asian ancestry and then spread westward. The other, a variant of the BRCA2 gene, is more common in the west, and is also found in China and Korea, leading to the conclusion that this variant was likely brought into Japan from continental Asia.

The study also offered insights into gene sequences derived from Neanderthals and Denisovans -- extinct human lineages that existed together with modern humans and left us genes through a process known as introgression, a gradual movement of genes from one lineage into another through hybridization. Specifically, they found gene sequences associated with type 2 diabetes and height derived from Denisovans, and while they mostly confirmed previous studies regarding gene introgressions from Neanderthals, they also found an interesting link to another gene associated with type 2 diabetes, which might affect sensitivity to semaglutide, an oral agent used to treat the disease.

According to Chikashi Terao, leader of the research group, "Though our findings were interesting because of the new insights they have given us into the origins of the Japanese people, we also believe that our work will serve as a reference for future genetic research beyond the Japanese population, as it could be used in areas such as personalized medicine."

• Personalized Medicine
• Gene Therapy
• Human Biology
• Social Issues
• Racial Disparity
• STEM Education
• Public Health
• Ethnic group
• Population dynamics of fisheries
• Acupuncture
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• Artificial neural network

Story Source:

Materials provided by RIKEN . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Xiaoxi Liu, Satoshi Koyama, Kohei Tomizuka, Sadaaki Takata, Yuki Ishikawa, Shuji Ito, Shunichi Kosugi, Kunihiko Suzuki, Keiko Hikino, Masaru Koido, Yoshinao Koike, Momoko Horikoshi, Takashi Gakuhari, Shiro Ikegawa, Kochi Matsuda, Yukihide Momozawa, Kaoru Ito, Yoichiro Kamatani, Chikashi Terao. Decoding triancestral origins, archaic introgression, and natural selection in the Japanese population by whole-genome sequencing . Science Advances , 2024; 10 (16) DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8419

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WEATHER ALERT

9 warnings in effect for 12 counties in the area

Japan proposes expanding commercial whaling to fin whales, a larger species than the 3 allowed now.

Mari Yamaguchi

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

People walk nearby a life size model of a whale displayed at the National Science Museum, Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Tokyo. Japan's Fisheries Agency on Thursday said it has proposed a plan to allow catching fin whales in addition to three smaller whale species currently permitted under the country's commercial whaling around its coasts. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

TOKYO – Japan's Fisheries Agency has proposed expanding commercial whaling along the country’s coast to fin whales, a larger species than the three currently permitted.

The proposal comes five years after Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission in 2019. It ended 30 years of what Japan called "research whaling" that had been criticized by conservationists as a cover for commercial hunts banned by the commission in 1988.

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Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, whose electoral district is traditionally known for whaling, said Thursday the government supports sustainable use of whales as part of Japan's traditional food culture and plans to promote the industry.

“Whales are an important food resource and we believe they should be sustainably utilized just like any other marine resources, based on scientific evidence,” Hayashi told reporters. “It is also important to carry on Japan's traditional food culture.”

The Fisheries Agency said it is seeking public comments until June 5 on the proposed plan and will seek its approval at the next review meeting in mid-June.

The agency decided to propose adding fin whales to the allowable catch list after stock surveys confirmed a sufficient recovery of the fin whale population in the North Pacific.

The plan is not meant to increase whale meat supply and whalers who catch fin whales do not necessarily have to meet a quota, an agency official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue. For this year, the agency has set a combined catch quota of 379 for the three other whale species.

Last year, Japanese whalers caught 294 minke, Bryde's and sei whales — less than 80% of the quota and fewer than the number once hunted in the Antarctic and the northwestern Pacific under the research program.

Japan’s whaling has long been a source of controversy and attacks from conservationists, but anti-whaling protests have largely subsided after Japan terminated its much-criticized Antarctic research hunts in 2019 and returned to commercial whaling limited to Japanese waters.

Whale meat consumption in Japan was an affordable source of protein during the malnourished years after World War II, with annual consumption peaking at 233,000 tons in 1962. However, whale was quickly replaced by other meats and supply has since fallen to around 2,000 tons in recent years, according to Fisheries Agency statistics.

Japanese officials want to increase that to about 5,000 tons, to keep the industry afloat.

On a visit to the former Tsukiji fish market area in downtown Tokyo, Yuuka Fujikawa from Hokkaido, said she has hardly seen whale meat sold at supermarkets. “I've actually never tried it myself,” she said.

“I want more people to appreciate the taste of whale," said Hideyuki Saito, from neighboring Saitama prefecture. "I want it to be more popularized.”

Carlos Sempere Santos, a 28-year-old tourist from Spain, said he couldn't imagine eating whale as whales are special and smart animals.

Shirley Bosworth from Australia said she opposes whaling because whales “should be protected.” Whales often get beached in Australia, where people unite to try and "push them back in the sea.”

A whaling operator Kyodo Senpaku Co. last year launched whale meat vending machines. The company also completed construction of its new 7.5 billion yen ($48 million) Kangei Maru — a 9,300-ton mother ship — and pledges to use it for sustainable commercial whaling.

AP journalist Ayaka McGill contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.