“Please stop harassing job-seeking students by using the advantage of being able to decide whether or not to give a job, which is a life-changing matter for students,” a female student said at a news conference.
A female student who went through the job-hunting process this year said that when she ate with company employees she was frequently asked such questions as whether she had a boyfriend and about her relationship with her partner.
“I felt indignant over the fact that such inappropriate teasing could be forgiven by calling it a joke,” the student recalled.
The group also pointed out that apps for students to meet with alumni to seek advice have been used for dating and matchmaking.
Such services have become breeding grounds for sexual harassment and sexual assault cases, with some students being asked for sex in return for help with landing a job, the group said.
SoftBank Corp. and the University of Tokyo have agreed to open artificial-intelligence centers staffed with specialists from the university and around the world, to swiftly turn research into profitable business ventures so Japan can keep up with the U.S. and China. (Japan Times) 
Typical cheerleading clubs in schools, known as ōendan, consist of men clad in black gakuran stand-up collar uniforms yelling vigorously and performing synchronized, dynamic choreographed moves to support sports teams. (Japan Times) 
A welfare ministry panel said Tuesday that forcing children to sit extensively in the formal Japanese style known as seiza will be recognized as a morally unacceptable form of punishment under a new law that will enter into force next April. (Japan Today) 
Japanese students ranked at their lowest level ever in reading while remaining in the top band in science and mathematics in a triennial international survey on academic ability, the OECD said Tuesday. (Japan Times) 
A group of university students is calling for the elimination of sexual harassment by recruiters and other company workers during their job-hunting activities. (Japan Times) 
Stronger penalties for drivers using mobile phones behind the wheel took effect in Japan on Sunday in the wake of an outcry from families who lost loved ones in traffic accidents caused by such drivers. (Japan Today) 
Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, turned 18 on Sunday, enjoying her last year in high school as she prepares to move on for further studies at university starting next spring. (Kyodo) 
Slurping down a steaming hot bowl of ramen is a great way to warm the soul on a cold winter’s day but overindulging in the dish could prove deadly, a British medical paper has warned. (Japan Times) 
In a country famous for the longevity of its inhabitants - this year Japan’s population of people age 100 or over topped 70,000 for the first time - Aomori Prefecture is an outlier. (Japan Times) 
Japan's revised guidelines for tackling child poverty call for more detailed analysis to provide "seamless support" for struggling families. (NHK)