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Tag - poverty

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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POVERTY

Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jul 21, 2026
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
The financial strain is affecting parents¡¯ mental health, with 44% of survey respondents saying they always or often feel extremely depressed when thinking about summer vacation.
The rate of elementary and junior high school students requiring financial aid for school expenses among all students attending public schools was 13.36% in fiscal 2024.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jul 8, 2026
Number of students receiving financial aid for school falls for 13th year
Japan¡¯s central government offers financial aid for school expenses to those living on welfare, while boards of education can offer assistance based on their own criteria.
Pallet Shelters stand inside a Tiny Home Village managed by Hope The Mission for interim homeless housing in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles on June 1.
WORLD / Society
Jun 8, 2026
Tiny homes see tiny boost for Los Angeles homeless as World Cup nears
Visitors are frequently struck by the staggering levels of homelessness in a city that also has pockets of astonishing wealth.
Children sing the national anthem at a school, under an overpass in Mumbai.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jun 7, 2026
India school under overpass offers lifeline to street children
Despite laws guaranteeing free schooling for children aged six to 14, poverty and migration continue to keep many out of classrooms.
A survey among junior high school students found that the delinquency rate was highest, at 12.2%, among respondents who had experienced parental violence and whose families are not financially comfortable.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 13, 2026
Children facing parental violence more likely to turn to delinquency
A group of researchers surveyed students at five junior high schools in the Kansai region between December 2024 and January 2025 for the study.
An orphaned Sudanese child eats a free meal at a camp in eastern Chad in November.
WORLD / Society
Apr 24, 2026
Ten countries are home to two-thirds of world¡¯s most hungry: U.N.-backed report
Improvements in some countries, such as Bangladesh and Syria, were ¡°almost fully offset by notable deteriorations¡± in Afghanistan, Congo, Myanmar and Zimbabwe, the report said.
Many mothers have difficulty preparing child care products for their babies as they cannot work as much as they want due to pregnancy or childbirth.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 24, 2026
Half of disadvantaged mothers in Japan lack child care products, survey finds
When asked about concerns, 88% of respondents said they could not work as much as they wanted to due to pregnancy or childbirth.
Under the program to support the so-called employment ice age generation, information on job changes that would lead to wage increases will be provided at Hello Work public job placement offices nationwide.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 10, 2026
Government adopts support program for ¡®Ice Age¡¯ generation
The term refers to people who had trouble finding jobs after graduating from school in the wake of the collapse of Japan¡¯s bubble economy in the early 1990s.
Lee Chang-wol walks to her church through the Guryong Village shantytown in the Gangnam district of Seoul on March 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 30, 2026
¡®Nowhere else to go¡¯: The squatters in the richest part of Seoul
Having lived in the Gangnam district¡¯s Guryong Village for nearly 40 years, many are resistant to take the city¡¯s offer to leave and may face eviction.
A Bangladeshi student seeking support from Food Bank Sendai shows the only money he has remaining, in Sendai in December.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Feb 16, 2026
Food bank sees surge in requests for support from foreign students
The organization says such students cannot depend on support from their family back home due to factors such as political instability.
People wade through floodwaters brought by Tropical Storm Penha in Iligan, Lanao del Norte province, Philippines, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 10, 2026
Climate risk threatens credit ratings for dozens of countries
Several countries, including the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Philippines, face among the highest physical risk pressure on credit by 2050, an analysis shows.
Wealth taxes are difficult to implement, risk reducing growth and capital and cannot solve the structural fiscal challenges facing aging societies and overpromising governments.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 12, 2026
Wealth taxes don¡¯t work no matter where they¡¯re imposed
Rich people, like all humans, respond to incentives ¡ª and there just aren¡¯t enough rich people to pay for everything.
Around 76% of young people saw an increase in their monthly food spending, with some reducing the number of meals they eat to cut costs.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Dec 27, 2025
Many young people in Japan struggling with rising food costs, survey finds
Around 76% of young people saw an increase in their monthly food spending, with some reducing the number of meals they eat to cut costs.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders take part in the "Fighting Oligarchy" tour event in Bakersfield, California, in April.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 24, 2025
The risks of Democrats embracing eat-the-rich populism
Bashing the wealthy, especially when Trump surrounds himself with billionaires and trims the White House in Gilded-Age gold, is an easy layup.
Kidsdoor head Yumiko Watanabe presents the results of a recent survey on Dec. 10 in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Dec 23, 2025
Survey shows 98% of struggling families with children experiencing hardship
Asked about the impact of surging prices, respondents said they had become unable to save money, needed to reduce meals, and were limiting utility use.
Hellen Etiman, 30, stands as her malnourished son, Peter Lokoyen, 4, eats wild fruits outside their thatch hut in Lomolem village, in Turkana County in Kenya, on Oct. 29.
WORLD / Society
Dec 12, 2025
Cuts to U.S. aid under Trump disrupt life-saving treatment for starving children
Before the cuts, the U.S. Agency for International Development funded purchase and distribution of half global food paste supplies for the most undernourished children.
The number of "children's cafeterias" that provide free or low-cost meals mainly to children in need in Japan rose by more than 1,700 from the previous fiscal year, according to a survey by a nonprofit organization.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 12, 2025
¡®Children¡¯s cafeterias¡¯ in Japan hit record 12,601 sites, survey reveals
The nonprofit organization behind the survey said the rise of more than 1,700 sites from the previous fiscal year reflected efforts to create comfortable spaces for children.
DxP head Noriaki Imai explains the results of a survey conducted on young people who use the organization's consultation service, on Nov. 26 in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 2, 2025
Over 30% of youths in need are anxious about New Year¡¯s holidays, survey finds
For reasons for the anxiety, with multiple answers allowed, 65.5%, the largest group, pointed to financial difficulties, followed by 29.3% who said they have no place to be.
A building housing the welfare ministry in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 17, 2025
Panel OKs smaller cuts to welfare benefits
The government plans to finalize the benefit amounts by the end of this month based on the welfare ministry panel¡¯s proposal.
Volunteers pack snack bags and meals for after-school programs in the Central Texas Food Bank warehouse kitchen in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 30.
WORLD / Society
Nov 12, 2025
Communities donate meals and funds as U.S. food aid remains in limbo
This month has seen an uptick in charitable donations and activities from businesses and individuals as a historic lapse in SNAP has strained low-income households.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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