Public safety commission chief Hachiro Okonogi to run for Yokohama mayor
The election bid will see the 56-year-old resign from his Cabinet post, though he did not specify when he plans to do so when asked at a news conference.
Japan's local governments share tips to ensure smooth vaccinations
The National Governors' Association has compiled a list of advanced measures related to vaccinations against the coronavirus that have been adopted by local governments across the country.
Fresh enthusiasm for paternity leave among city officials in Chiba
Of workers eligible to take the leave, 92.3% in fiscal 2019 made use of it — up from just 28.7% in fiscal 2017.
Local governments in Japan striving to minimize COVID-19 vaccine waste
With the vaccination rollout gathering steam, local governments have come up with a variety of ways to use surplus doses resulting from appointment cancellations.
More local governments give Tokyo Olympic training camps the boot
As of Wednesday, 78 municipalities decided to cancel training camps or exchange programs for athletes and local residents.
Japan governors seek enhanced measures against variant from India
To contain the variant first detected in India the central government should strengthen border control and help local governments improve their testing capacities, governors said.
Japanese press outlets focus on individual stories amid the start of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Japan.
28 local Japanese governments considering mass vaccination sites
Most venues will administer the Moderna vaccine, which was formally approved for use by the health ministry on Friday.
As fourth wave spreads, local governments in Japan prep mass vaccination sites
Officials are facing challenges such as managing booking information and securing medical workers to administer shots.
Aichi city admits prioritizing businessman and wife for COVID-19 vaccination
In what would have been special treatment, the pharmacy chief and his wife had been scheduled to receive their first shots on Monday, but the city canceled their bookings.
Japanese town builds giant squid statue with COVID-19 relief funds
The town of Noto used ¥25 million of a government grant to part-fund the ¥30 million, nine-meter-long statue, news reports said.
Japan to promote relocations outside of Tokyo without changing jobs
The government has set aside ¥10 billion for a subsidy program for municipalities to use to help companies establish satellite offices in areas away from the capital, among other measures.
