A 2022 survey by the Japan Business Federation showed nearly 50% of men took paternity leave, a significant rise from the previous year. However, 80% of companies faced challenges securing replacement staff.

Japan is moving forward with a plan to integrate My Number cards and health insurance cards for increased efficiency. However, concerns over data accuracy and privacy remain unresolved.

A digital tattoo means the indelible online footprint, such as images, text, and videos. Once these are spread online, it’s nearly impossible to erase them, much like a real tattoo.

Japan’s government is set to increase allowances for child-rearing and provide free tuition for preschools. These initiatives aim to relieve the financial burden on households. They are anticipated to help reverse the declining birthrate.

Japan’s Digital Agency has confirmed additional cases of incorrect linkage between My Numbers and bank accounts. Errors in the registration process caused the issue. The internal affairs ministry has urged users to log out properly to safeguard their personal information.

As university entrance exams get underway, test-taking venues are enforcing stricter security measures, including requiring examinees to show their phones, switch them off and put them away, as well as banning earphones. These follow a case last year in which a student sent a photo of a question via Skype.

The Japanese government’s push for digitalization, spearheaded by Digital Minister Taro Kono, now includes scrapping health insurance cards and incorporating their data into My Number national identification cards by autumn 2024. Currently only half of all citizens have My Number cards, but under this new policy, they will become mandatory for all.