More than a month has passed since nationalistic school operator Moritomo Gakuen first made headlines over a controversial land deal for its next school. With fresh revelations piling up daily against the Osaka-based company, the scandal has also engulfed the Diet, particularly the ruling ...
For the first time since the Penal Code took effect in 1907, the Justice Ministry is compiling a package of amendments to Japan’s sex crime statutes that, if passed, will be the first major shake-up of those laws in more than a century. From ...
Buying medicine at a drugstore can now save you taxes. On Jan. 1, the “self-medication tax deduction” system kicked off, allowing people who buy designated over-the-counter (OTC) drugs to apply for a tax refund. The move, intended to promote use of OTC drugs and ...
Amid intense pressure to reform the country’s work culture, the government and businesses are looking at mandating a “rest” period between the end of one workday and the start of the next. Some companies have begun testing a rest interval system, while the administration ...
The government will soon launch the first state-backed scholarships in an effort to make universities more accessible as more students face financial difficulties to pursue higher education. The move is considered a big step forward in a country where the government has to date ...
With U.S. President Donald Trump’s formal decision to withdraw from the long controversial American-led Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, attention in the Asia-Pacific region is turning toward making renewed efforts to complete a separate multilateral trade agreement that excludes the U.S. — the Regional Comprehensive Economic ...
As the debate on counterterrorism heats up ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, some are pushing for stronger measures and others are warning against the potential for government overreach and the loss of constitutional rights. In the Diet, the government aims to pass a ...
The Law on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is set to be revised once again to further improve government measures to prevent vulnerable animal and plant species from becoming extinct. Conservationists say they scored some victories in 2016, symbolized by ...
The MV-22 Osprey accident last month in Okinawa rekindled concerns about the tilt-rotor aircraft, which was once known as the “widow maker” for those killed during its development. Starting this year, Japan will see more of the odd-looking hybrids in its skies than the ...
A government panel appears ready to propose that a special temporary law be enacted to allow Emperor Akihito, 83, to abdicate, given his advanced age. But the Emperor reportedly believes a permanent reform law, not a temporary one just for himself, should be enacted ...
Overshadowed by the 11th-hour furor over casino legalization and other legislation forced through the Diet by the ruling bloc last week was the enactment of a lesser-known law that has significant implications for Japan’s minority burakumin. The law enacted Dec. 9 marks a turning ...
These days have seen frequent news reports of elderly drivers losing control of their vehicles, slamming into stores, running over pedestrians and traveling in the wrong direction on expressways. In one case, on the morning of Oct. 28, an 87-year-old man in Yokohama driving ...
