This fiscal year, the Higashihiroshima Municipal Assembly handed out second tablets to all of its 30 members, at a cost of about ¥6 million.

All members already had one tablet, but the move came after council members complained it was hard to see multiple documents at the same time on a single device.

Other city and town councils in Hiroshima Prefecture have introduced tablets, but none of them provides a second one. However, public spending watchdogs say that one device should be enough and argued that Higashihiroshima council members simply may not be taking full advantage of one tablet.