Asia Japan The price to climb Mount Fuji could soar and trail gates will close earlier in 2025 if a newly proposed plan is approved; the trails, that now ask hikers a 1.000 yen voluntary donation, will be accessible with a compulsory fee of 3.000 to 5.000 yen
Asia Japan Researchers from major universities, including Tokyo's Waseda, have used prompts in their papers to get positive AI-based reviews, raising concerns about integrity, amid a surge in peer-to-peer review exploitation in academic publishing
Asia Japan Japan ranked 118th out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, the same position as last year - the lowest among G7; political empowerment is the weakest area, while education and health register near gender parity
Asia Japan With rice at record-high prices, Japan authorities warn of scams in fraudulent websites claiming to sell rice at low prices, while new farm minister plans to abandon auctioning stockpiled rice and set prices through negotiation to better control them
Asia Japan Japan came 14th among 36 developed countries in new child well-being survey, up from 20th in the previous survey released in 2020; the UNICEF Innocenti report comprehensively evaluates children's mental well-being, physical health and skills