Every year, over 40,000 students across Japan leave high school before graduating. Many of them are living with problems such as abuse at home or poverty. Now, one dedicated principal at a Tokyo metropolitan high school is working to reduce the number of early leavers. Under his motto of "No More Dropouts," he has introduced flexible requirements to cater to each student and succeeded in seeing more kids through to graduation. We take a look at how teachers and students are finding their own solutions to a serious issue.Guests:Isomura Motonobu (Principal, Tokyo Metropolitan Hachioji Takushin High School) Ishii Kota (Writer)

Japan's elderly population faces a second threat from the coronavirus. In many cases, isolation is weakening their physical and cognitive functions, raising the risk of frailty and depression. Doctors are trying to tackle this scourge with an approach called social prescribing. The aim is not merely to use medicines, but to treat the underlying problems by helping patients reconnect with the world around them. We ask some experts how they are using social prescribing to break down barriers and build communities.Guests: Nitta Kunio (Chair, Japan Home Health Care Alliance)

Celebrated manga artist Saito Takao died aged 84 in September. His "Golgo 13" series runs to more than 200 volumes; a Guinness World Record. He established the "gekiga" style of realistic manga that appeals to adult readers. "Golgo 13" storylines featured forward-looking subjects, such as a nuclear plant accident and a deadly virus outbreak, long before they became reality. We take a look at what Saito wanted to express in his work as well as the secret that enables the series to keep going even after his death.Guest: Nagasaki Takashi (Former editor of "Golgo 13")