Lil’ bit of good news from the lil’ kids education front: Kindergarten in Japan is fraught with challenges. As it is not compulsory, many cities forgo investment, resulting in a chronic shortage of seats. Not only does this inhibit early childhood development, it also places a great burden on parents. However, Kumamoto has apparently experienced two straight years of no kindergarten entrance denial (what’s called 待機児童 - たいきじどう; the blue line on the graph, 保留児童 - ほうりゅうじどう - refers to children who are judged not prepared to enter kindergarten for whatever reason). Please pay due respect to the tireless women (and on occasion, men) who make this possible. - William https://kumanichi.com/articles/242527