Japan, S.korea Remain Divided Over 'comfort Women'

Japan, S.Korea remain divided over 'comfort women'

Japan and South Korea remain divided over the issue of people referred to as wartime comfort women, five years after the countries agreed to settle the issue.

In December 2015, Tokyo and Seoul confirmed that the issue was resolved finally and irreversibly.

Suicides By Young Japanese Women Rise In August

Suicides by young Japanese women rise in August

Data compiled by Japanese police show the number of suicides among young women has been increasing sharply.

The National Police Agency says 1,854 people committed suicide across the country in August. This was a rise by 251, or 16 percent, from the same month last year.

Pregnant Women Receive Defective Masks

Pregnant women receive defective masks

Some of the cloth masks provided by the Japanese government to pregnant women have been found defective.

The government began sending masks, a total of 500,000, to pregnant women in the country on April 14 before it began sending two each to all households on Friday.

Japan Ranks Low In Survey Of Women In Parliament

Japan ranks low in survey of women in parliament

An international survey shows female representation in national parliaments around the world has almost doubled in the past 25 years. But Japan ranked low despite an increase in the proportion of female lawmakers.

The Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union released the results of its survey of the number of women in the lower or single houses of parliament around the world. The publication comes ahead of International Women's Day, on March 8.