Keeping a record of toilet trips during the day can help with counting sheep at night. (NHK)

The population in Tokyo has fallen year-on-year for the first time in almost a quarter-century. (NHK)

The combined number of babies born in Japan and to Japanese nationals living abroad stood at 872,683 in 2020, down 25,917 from a year earlier and marking the lowest level on record, according to health ministry data released Monday. (Nikkei)

The Japanese government has found that at least 5,800 college students either left school or took time off because of the spread of the coronavirus between April and December of last year. (NHK)

Today is Setsubun (Kimono Mom)

Japanese municipalities with large populations of foreign residents are planning to provide interpretation services for them at coronavirus vaccination sites. (NHK)

A website developer in Japan has curated a platform highlighting neighbourhoods that have 'noisy children'. The platform is being accused of fuelling intolerance. (WION)

Looking after your child when they are studying abroad can be challenging for a number of reasons. (newsonjapan.com)

The Japan government has launched an initiative called GIGA (Global Innovation Gateway for All) that will allow local boards of education to provides a device for each student in Grades 1-9. (Google)

Japan's health ministry says coupons required for receiving coronavirus vaccination will first be issued to senior citizens. (NHK)

A Japanese court has ruled in favor of a public high school in a case involving the color of a female student's hair. But it also awarded the student damages in a separate decision. (NHK)

The annual number of juvenile suicides in Japan hit 479 in 2020, the highest figure since records began to be kept in 1980, education ministry data showed Monday. (Kyodo)

There have been disturbing reports in Japan of foreign technical interns abandoning their newborns to avoid deportation. Many of them are unaware they are protected under Japanese labor law, which prohibits the dismissal of employees due to childbirth or pregnancy. (Nikkei)

The second round of entrance examinations for national and public universities is scheduled to start on Feb. 25, during a pandemic-impacted exam season that has forced institutions to implement coronavirus countermeasures. (the-japan-news.com)

How to make Japanese Fluffy Cheesecake. Happy Valentine's Day, guys! (Kimono Mom)

COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates labour shortages in some parts of Japan, a Japanese inn turns to foreign workers for help and finds new meaning to Japanese hospitality. (CNA Insider)

The education ministry has kicked off its first extensive survey to examine how elementary and junior high school students were affected by nationwide school closures implemented in spring 2020 in the fight against the coronavirus. (Japan Times)

How to make Gyoza dumplings. I usually make them with ready-made gyoza skins, but I heard that it is difficult to get ready-made skins in your country.So, no matter where you are in the world, if you follow this recipe, you will be able to make the best dumplings. (Kimono Mom)

There's much to love about matcha, a painstakingly produced green tea powder used in traditional tea ceremony as well as a growing variety of sweets and other innovative dishes. (NHK)

Just over 21 percent of people in Japan are washing or sanitizing their hands appropriately amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to an online survey by a team drawn from Tokyo Medical University and other institutions. (Kyodo)