NARA (Kyodo) The town of Heguri, Nara Prefecture, proposed an ordinance Tuesday at the municipal assembly aiming to prevent a woman known as "the noisy old lady" or others from disturbing neighbors, town officials said.
According to the officials, the town has been unable under current laws and ordinances to stop Miyoko Kawahara, a 58-year-old housewife, from shouting and playing loud music on her stereo in her home night and day. Current noise pollution regulations are primarily aimed at controlling noise from factories, on roads and in public spaces.
One of Kawahara's neighbors has complained about the racket for several years, but all the town could do was ask her -- dozens of times, it says -- to be quiet.
"The noisy old lady" has been the subject of lighthearted reporting by TV shows and magazines, but things are less amusing lately. Kawahara was arrested in April 2005 for assault as she allegedly caused the neighbor to suffer insomnia and headaches. She was later indicted.
At her trial at Nara District Court, prosecutors Feb. 24 demanded three years in prison.
The proposed ordinance prohibits noise made without due cause in excess of 60 decibels -- about the level of a normal conversation -- between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., and noise greater than 65 decibels during the daytime.
The ordinance does not carry penalties and would not be binding.