National May 19, 2020
Japan's government approves cash handout for struggling students amid pandemic
Students from low-income households exempt from residence tax will receive ¥200,000 each, and others ¥100,000.
National May 1, 2020
The measure was implemented on a trial basis, and the government will decide whether to continue it after seeing the results of Friday's meeting.
National Apr 27, 2020
Japan economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura negative for coronavirus
An infected Cabinet Office staff member accompanied the minister on a visit on April 19, before being confirmed to have the virus on Friday.
National Apr 11, 2020
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi suddenly cancels briefing in Japan after virus scare
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Friday canceled a regular news conference after learning an official who has the new coronavirus may have come into contact with him. After the sudden decision Friday afternoon, the Foreign Ministry said Consular Affairs Bureau Director-General Koichi Mizushima, 58, had ...
National / Politics Apr 1, 2020
Amid shutdowns elsewhere, government plans to continue Diet business as usual
by Satoshi Sugiyama
While Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has urged residents in the capital to work from home, and the nation appears to be inching toward declaring a state of emergency over rapid spread of COVID-19, the government seems set to maintain business as usual — at ...
National / Politics Mar 8, 2020
Abe unveils zero-interest loan plan for virus-hit small businesses in Japan
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the government will launch a plan to extend zero interest loans with no collateral to small and midsized companies reeling amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The state-owned Japan Finance Corp. is among entities that will join the program aimed at ...
National / Crime & Legal Mar 6, 2020
Japan government adopts bill to toughen crackdown on road rage
The government Friday adopted a bill to crack down on forms of road rage currently not covered by a law that punishes dangerous driving. According to the bill, approved at a Cabinet meeting, the action of stopping vehicles in front of others or suddenly approaching ...
National / Politics Feb 17, 2020
Abe sees Cabinet approval rating log sharpest fall in two years
The approval rating for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet has fallen to 41.0 percent, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, dropping 8.3 points from the previous poll in January and marking the sharpest fall in nearly two years amid ongoing political scandals. In the nationwide ...
National Feb 4, 2020
In a bid to dampen the effects of a rapidly graying society, the Cabinet on Tuesday approved bills to urge businesses to let employees work until age 70.
Business / Economy Jan 31, 2020
The Cabinet approved bills on a tax reform package for fiscal 2020 on Friday in an effort to encourage business investment in advanced communications infrastructure and startups with innovative technologies. The government will submit the bills to the Diet soon, with the aim of having ...
National / Politics Jan 18, 2020
Six Japanese government officials reprimanded over cherry blossom party records
The Cabinet Office said Friday that it has verbally reprimanded six current and former personnel division heads for failing to properly manage records on controversial cherry blossom-viewing parties hosted by the prime minister. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration apparently hopes that the punishment by the ...
National / Politics Dec 28, 2019
Japan's naval dispatch to Middle East a 'product of compromise' between Iran and U.S., experts say
by Keita Nakamura
Experts term the decision to send Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel to the Middle East for independent information-gathering a ‘product of compromise.’