Japanese children remain poor at putting basic scholastic knowledge to practical use, according to the 4th annual national schools achievement tests.
The education ministry conducted the tests in April, covering about 740,000 or 30 percent of all 6th grade elementary school pupils and 3rd-year junior high students.
Basic knowledge and application skills were tested in two subjects -- Japanese language and mathematics.
The results released on Friday show that in the basic knowledge tests, 83.5 percent of the 6th graders gave correct answers in Japanese language and 74.4 percent in mathematics.
The figures for the junior high students were 76.1 percent in language and 66.1 percent in maths.
In applications skills, however, 78 percent of 6th graders gave correct answers in Japanese language, and 49.6 percent in mathematics. Junior high students answering correctly totaled 66.5 percent and 45.2 percent respectively.
The education ministry says Japanese children are not sufficiently developing skills that enable them to express their thoughts in writing based on given information, or to think about daily occurrences in a logical way.
In geographical terms, students in Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, scored best.
The ministry says their high scores can be attributed to routine study hours at home.
A lifestyle survey conducted at the same time found that 79.6 percent of elementary school pupils in Akita study for more than one hour even on holidays. The figure is more than 25 percentage points higher than the national average of 54.5 percent.
2010年7月31日土曜日
Film about Swiss doctor who treated A-bomb victims
A preview of an animated film about a Swiss doctor who treated survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima was held in Tokyo on Friday.
"Anime Junod" was produced by a Hiroshima-based peace organization. It depicts Dr Marcel Junod, who convinced allied forces in post-war Japan to transport 15 tons of medical supplies to Hiroshima so survivors could be treated.
In the film, his activities are seen from the viewpoint of junior high school girls who go back in time.
A short live-action film on Junod was made years ago. But the peace organization made an animated version so he will be known to a wider range of age groups.
Production committee head Shizuko Tsuya says she hopes that many people watching the film will think about peace and the courage needed to overcome difficulties.
Screenings will start at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in September. The committee will work to show the film in Switzerland and other countries.
"Anime Junod" was produced by a Hiroshima-based peace organization. It depicts Dr Marcel Junod, who convinced allied forces in post-war Japan to transport 15 tons of medical supplies to Hiroshima so survivors could be treated.
In the film, his activities are seen from the viewpoint of junior high school girls who go back in time.
A short live-action film on Junod was made years ago. But the peace organization made an animated version so he will be known to a wider range of age groups.
Production committee head Shizuko Tsuya says she hopes that many people watching the film will think about peace and the courage needed to overcome difficulties.
Screenings will start at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in September. The committee will work to show the film in Switzerland and other countries.
2010年7月28日水曜日
Record 44,210 child abuse cases in Japan in 2009
Japan's welfare ministry says the country's child welfare centers handled a record number of child abuse cases in fiscal 2009 ending in March.
The ministry says the number of incidents rose from a year earlier by about 1,500 to 44,210 cases. They included instances where children had to be taken into protective custody.
Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo reported 5,676 cases, followed by Osaka with 5,436, and Tokyo with 3,339.
Child abuse in Japan has steadily increased in the past decade, rising almost 150 percent since the child abuse prevention law came into force in 2000.
The welfare ministry says growing public awareness about child abuse is bringing to light cases that previously went unreported.
The ministry says the number of incidents rose from a year earlier by about 1,500 to 44,210 cases. They included instances where children had to be taken into protective custody.
Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo reported 5,676 cases, followed by Osaka with 5,436, and Tokyo with 3,339.
Child abuse in Japan has steadily increased in the past decade, rising almost 150 percent since the child abuse prevention law came into force in 2000.
The welfare ministry says growing public awareness about child abuse is bringing to light cases that previously went unreported.
2010年7月25日日曜日
Japanese writers to publish electronic magazine
A dozen Japanese writers and researchers will begin paid versions of an electronic publication next week. The move comes amid the rising popularity of e-books and e-magazines in Japan.
Science fiction novelist Hideaki Sena, playwright Eriko Kitagawa, and 10 other authors, researchers, and journalists are planning to release their works without going through publishing firms.
The publication will include 11 new novels and essays and will be distributed online for about 7 dollars on Monday. It can be read with the use of mobile terminals.
A provisional version went on sale on June 17th for about the half the price, selling more than 5,000 copies in one month.
This is the first time that well-known Japanese writers will put out an electronic publication by themselves.
Writers who joined the project explained its merits at an event on Friday, held to mark its launch.
One of them said writers can publish works in a short period without going through publishing houses and that they would not be bound by page limits.
Plans for regular editions of the publication are still pending. But Sena said he hopes to continue publishing works which will well reflect writers' individuality
Science fiction novelist Hideaki Sena, playwright Eriko Kitagawa, and 10 other authors, researchers, and journalists are planning to release their works without going through publishing firms.
The publication will include 11 new novels and essays and will be distributed online for about 7 dollars on Monday. It can be read with the use of mobile terminals.
A provisional version went on sale on June 17th for about the half the price, selling more than 5,000 copies in one month.
This is the first time that well-known Japanese writers will put out an electronic publication by themselves.
Writers who joined the project explained its merits at an event on Friday, held to mark its launch.
One of them said writers can publish works in a short period without going through publishing houses and that they would not be bound by page limits.
Plans for regular editions of the publication are still pending. But Sena said he hopes to continue publishing works which will well reflect writers' individuality
2010年7月20日火曜日
Japan presents plan for 2022 World Cup
Japan's bid committee for the 2022 World Cup has made a presentation to an inspection team from FIFA, the international governing body for soccer.
The 5-person FIFA delegation arrived in Japan on Sunday on the first leg of its tour of candidate sites vying to host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.
Japan's presentation was made on Tuesday in Osaka City, where Japan plans to stage the final match. Chairman of the bid committee Motoaki Inukai said that Japan will extend warm hospitality to both players and supporters. He stressed that Japan will also deliver to the world highly realistic 3-D images of the World Cup games using state-of-the-art technology.
Osaka City Mayor Kunio Hiramatsu showed the FIFA inspectors blueprints and a model of a new stadium to be constructed in the central part of the city. The eco-friendly, solar-powered stadium would be the venue for the final match.
After the presentation, Inukai told reporters that Japan's bid, which featured the catchphrase "208 smiling faces"
-- referring to the 208 FIFA member countries and regions -- seemed fairly well received by all the members of the FIFA inspection team.
Japan, Australia, South Korea and Qatar have submitted bids to host the World Cup in 2022. Applications for both the 2018 and 2022 events came from England, Russia and the United States, as well as 2 joint bids pairing Spain with Portugal, and Belgium with the Netherlands. FIFA is due to select the sites for both World Cups in December.
The 5-person FIFA delegation arrived in Japan on Sunday on the first leg of its tour of candidate sites vying to host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.
Japan's presentation was made on Tuesday in Osaka City, where Japan plans to stage the final match. Chairman of the bid committee Motoaki Inukai said that Japan will extend warm hospitality to both players and supporters. He stressed that Japan will also deliver to the world highly realistic 3-D images of the World Cup games using state-of-the-art technology.
Osaka City Mayor Kunio Hiramatsu showed the FIFA inspectors blueprints and a model of a new stadium to be constructed in the central part of the city. The eco-friendly, solar-powered stadium would be the venue for the final match.
After the presentation, Inukai told reporters that Japan's bid, which featured the catchphrase "208 smiling faces"
-- referring to the 208 FIFA member countries and regions -- seemed fairly well received by all the members of the FIFA inspection team.
Japan, Australia, South Korea and Qatar have submitted bids to host the World Cup in 2022. Applications for both the 2018 and 2022 events came from England, Russia and the United States, as well as 2 joint bids pairing Spain with Portugal, and Belgium with the Netherlands. FIFA is due to select the sites for both World Cups in December.
2010年7月17日土曜日
Rainy season ends in wide area of Japan
Weather officials say the annual rainy season has ended across much of the Japanese archipelago.
The Meteorological Agency announced on Saturday that the rainy season has apparently ended in most of western and eastern Japan.
The agency said a high-pressure system is bringing sunny weather to most of the country, except in southern Kyushu and northern Japan where it is still raining or cloudy.
Temperatures rose to 33.4 degrees Celsius in Fukui City, central Japan, and 31 degrees in central Tokyo as of noon.
The agency says the scorching weather is likely to continue in a wide area but that unstable atmospheric conditions may bring thunderstorms to some mountainous areas.
It warns that people in areas which have had plenty of rain recently should remain on the alert for a possible landslide.
The Meteorological Agency announced on Saturday that the rainy season has apparently ended in most of western and eastern Japan.
The agency said a high-pressure system is bringing sunny weather to most of the country, except in southern Kyushu and northern Japan where it is still raining or cloudy.
Temperatures rose to 33.4 degrees Celsius in Fukui City, central Japan, and 31 degrees in central Tokyo as of noon.
The agency says the scorching weather is likely to continue in a wide area but that unstable atmospheric conditions may bring thunderstorms to some mountainous areas.
It warns that people in areas which have had plenty of rain recently should remain on the alert for a possible landslide.
2010年7月16日金曜日
Gion festival event draws crowds in Kyoto
A festive spirit filled the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto on Friday, one day before a parade of floats in the time-honored Gion summer festival.
The evening event, known as Yoiyama, saw a total of 32 decorative floats put on display along specially pedestrianized streets in the center of Kyoto.
Sightseers, including tourists and local families alike, assembled to see the floats, with police saying about 70,000 people packed the streets for the event.
The floats will pass through the ancient city in a parade called Yamahoko-junko on Saturday, the highlight of the Gion festival.
The evening event, known as Yoiyama, saw a total of 32 decorative floats put on display along specially pedestrianized streets in the center of Kyoto.
Sightseers, including tourists and local families alike, assembled to see the floats, with police saying about 70,000 people packed the streets for the event.
The floats will pass through the ancient city in a parade called Yamahoko-junko on Saturday, the highlight of the Gion festival.
2010年7月10日土曜日
Hiroshima works to return A-bomb victims' remains
Hiroshima City has begun its annual effort to return unclaimed remains of the victims of the atomic bombing 65 years ago to their relatives.
City officials sent a list of 817 victims to municipalities across Japan. It includes the victims' names, ages and addresses at the time of the bombing.
These unclaimed dead are among the 70,000 people whose remains are entombed at the Peace Memorial Park in the city. Most of their identities are unknown.
The return of the remains has become more difficult as time goes by. Only one case was successfully identified during the past year.
City officials sent a list of 817 victims to municipalities across Japan. It includes the victims' names, ages and addresses at the time of the bombing.
These unclaimed dead are among the 70,000 people whose remains are entombed at the Peace Memorial Park in the city. Most of their identities are unknown.
The return of the remains has become more difficult as time goes by. Only one case was successfully identified during the past year.
"Sake" tasting event held in Buddhist temple
Visitors at a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, western Japan, have enjoyed Japanese sake served in lotus leaves.
Mimurotoji Temple in Uji City serves sake around this time of year, when 100 varieties of lotuses in its garden are in full bloom. Mimurotoji is called the "temple of flowers" for its wide floral variety.
On Friday, temple officials poured sake into lotus leaves about 40 centimeters in diameter.
The liquid goes through tiny holes in the stem and can be drunk from the opposite end.
Sake filtered through lotus stems is said to bring good health and longevity.
One woman who tried the sake said she'd been told that it tasted bitter, but that it was actually sweet and tasty.
Mimurotoji Temple in Uji City serves sake around this time of year, when 100 varieties of lotuses in its garden are in full bloom. Mimurotoji is called the "temple of flowers" for its wide floral variety.
On Friday, temple officials poured sake into lotus leaves about 40 centimeters in diameter.
The liquid goes through tiny holes in the stem and can be drunk from the opposite end.
Sake filtered through lotus stems is said to bring good health and longevity.
One woman who tried the sake said she'd been told that it tasted bitter, but that it was actually sweet and tasty.
2010年7月4日日曜日
Fossil from Nagasaki identified as dinosaur's leg
A fossil unearthed in western Japan has been identified as a leg joint of a large dinosaur that existed about 84 million years ago. Scientists say this is further proof that Japan was once connected to continental Asia.
The 30 centimeter-square fossil was discovered in an 84 million-year-old layer of earth in Nagasaki City in 2004. It was taken to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum for cleaning and analysis.
The museum confirmed that the fossil is a left leg joint of an herbivorous dinosaur in the Hadrosaurus genus.
The dinosaur is believed to have been about 10 meters long and had several hundred teeth to chew hard plants.
The museum director, Yoichi Azuma, says fossils of Hadrosaurus are often found in China. He says the latest fossil from Nagasaki provides valuable proof that Japan and continental Asia had once been connected.
The 30 centimeter-square fossil was discovered in an 84 million-year-old layer of earth in Nagasaki City in 2004. It was taken to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum for cleaning and analysis.
The museum confirmed that the fossil is a left leg joint of an herbivorous dinosaur in the Hadrosaurus genus.
The dinosaur is believed to have been about 10 meters long and had several hundred teeth to chew hard plants.
The museum director, Yoichi Azuma, says fossils of Hadrosaurus are often found in China. He says the latest fossil from Nagasaki provides valuable proof that Japan and continental Asia had once been connected.
"The Cove" opens in Japan
The award-winning US documentary "The Cove" has opened in 6 cinemas in major Japanese cities despite protests.
The first showing started at 10 AM on Saturday at a theater in Yokohama, near Tokyo, with about 50 people in the audience.
About 10 members of a right-wing organization clashed with police when they tried to enter the theater.
A theater in Shibuya, Tokyo, enjoyed a full house while about 20 protestors picketed outside.
The movie distributor says no disturbances have been reported so far.
"The Cove" won this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary by critically depicting Japan's traditional dolphin hunt in Taiji Town, Wakayama Prefecture.
The film was initially scheduled to be screened in Japan from late June. But three theaters in Tokyo and Osaka decided to cancel the screenings in the wake of protests. The protestors say the film makers used hidden cameras and show only one side of the story.
"The Cove" will open at 19 more cinemas across Japan in the coming days.
The first showing started at 10 AM on Saturday at a theater in Yokohama, near Tokyo, with about 50 people in the audience.
About 10 members of a right-wing organization clashed with police when they tried to enter the theater.
A theater in Shibuya, Tokyo, enjoyed a full house while about 20 protestors picketed outside.
The movie distributor says no disturbances have been reported so far.
"The Cove" won this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary by critically depicting Japan's traditional dolphin hunt in Taiji Town, Wakayama Prefecture.
The film was initially scheduled to be screened in Japan from late June. But three theaters in Tokyo and Osaka decided to cancel the screenings in the wake of protests. The protestors say the film makers used hidden cameras and show only one side of the story.
"The Cove" will open at 19 more cinemas across Japan in the coming days.
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