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April 26, 2025
 

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

A bill would have banned the act of letting children play in a park or travel to school on their own, as well as parents going out and leaving their high school-age children behind to take care of younger siblings.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 10, 2023
Saitama to withdraw proposed ban on leaving children unattended
The bill had been criticized by many parents in the prefecture and beyond as being too restrictive and impossible to follow.
Police officers work to control a crowd gathering to celebrate Halloween in the Shibuya district of Tokyo on Oct. 31, 2022.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 5, 2023
Shibuya mayor vows to keep things civil as Halloween nears
The mayor made headlines last month when he told would-be partiers to stay away from the Tokyo ward this year for the occasion, citing safety concerns.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 2, 2023
Nagoya mayor promotes new ordinance to stop walking on escalators
The ordinance, which carries no penalties, is aimed at preventing accidents.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 28, 2023
Japan politician Super Crazy-kun indicted on sexual assault charges
Makoto Nishimoto was charged on the grounds of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury. The victim was a female acquaintance in her 30s.
Paternity leave has not taken root in Japan due to concerns over decreases in income and disruptions to the work side of life.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 24, 2023
Japan local governments working to encourage paternity leave
From Saga to Yamanashi, local officials are trying a variety of policies to give their male employees a chance to better participate in family life.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 12, 2023
Shibuya’s mayor has a message for Halloween revelers: Don’t come
Shibuya’s scramble crossing has become the go-to spot for younger generations, but past incidents have fueled concern among officials.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 4, 2023
Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso wins fifth term
Voter turnout rose to 56.63% from the record low of 53.46% logged in the previous election four years ago.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 3, 2023
Why a movement for free school lunches is spreading across Japan
By the end of this year, most of Tokyo’s wards will have policies to make lunch free in some form.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2023
Yamanashi governor proposes light rail system for Mount Fuji
The rail system, intended to address over-tourism, would replace the Fuji Subaru highway, which leads to one of the Mount Fuji’s fifth stations.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2023
Local governments tap big data on spending by foreign visitors
Such data allows authorities to analyze consumption trends in detail, "visualize" markets and place targeted advertisements.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 21, 2023
My Number and beyond: What's holding back Japan’s digitalization?
The transition from analog to digital in the public sector has been a long-standing challenge for the country, spanning at least the past two decades.
BUSINESS
Aug 18, 2023
Some minimum wage hikes in Japan to top government recommendation
The new minimum wages for fiscal 2023, which began in April, will take effect in stages beginning Oct. 1.
JAPAN
Aug 17, 2023
Tsushima panel adopts petition for nuclear waste site survey
Such surveys are currently being conducted in the town of Suttsu and the village of Kamoenai, both in Hokkaido.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 12, 2023
Idea to make all Osaka high schools free sparks controversy
Private schools in Osaka Prefecture have voiced opposition to the plan, fearing increased financial burdens.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 9, 2023
Japan prefectures drift away from posting disaster warnings on X
A growing number of prefectures have stopped posting disaster warnings on the platform due to limits on the number of free posts allowed.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2023
My Number report highlights errors by insurers and local governments
Roughly 20% of surveyed local governments followed the wrong procedures when linking My Number with disability records.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2023
Tokyo trials ferries to ease congestion on roads and rail
After conducting two pilot programs in recent years, the city's government aims to launch commuter ferry operations in the current fiscal year.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2023
Pessimism over Osaka Expo opening grows after construction head criticizes organizers
There is growing pessimism about the fate of the expo, with speculation that postponing the starting date might now be necessary in order to get everything completed.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 18, 2023
Local governments in Tokyo spruce up donor gifts
Shinjuku Ward is considering a menu of unique gifts, such as crafts related to local industries including printing and dyeing, and a one-day 'mayor's experience' program.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2023
In Tokyo, a more natural vision for an unnatural waterfront
Against a history of development and environmental issues, a plan by the Tokyo government conjures up images of lush parks and biodiverse shores. Bringing it to fruition won't be easy.
Naked man’s rampage in Saitama linked to one fatality and 10 injured
Police believe Daisuke Nishimura may have been involved in roughly 20 incidents in the 90 minutes leading up to his arrest, including a fatal hit-and-run and multiple assaults.
Japan set to fine cyclists on the spot for rule violations from 2026
Under new rules, those who use smartphones while riding a bicycle would be subject to the maximum fine of ¥12,000.
Japan brings forward deadline for electronic travel authorization system
Japan is planning to implement by March 2029 a new online screening system in which foreign visitors who don’t need a visa apply for a certification before entering the country.
Built in a flash, Osaka Expo pavilions wrestle with sustainability
Kengo Kuma & Associates oversaw the construction of the Malaysia pavilion, which is encased in interwoven rows of bamboo that appear to ripple.
Social media helps fuel growing 'sex tourism' in Japan
People walk down a street in the red-light entertainment area of Kabukicho in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo on March 31.
Amid uncertain tariffs, is now the time to buy a new iPhone?
An Apple store in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in September. Prices for the newest iPhone models start at around ¥100,000 ($700) in Japan.
Built in a flash, Osaka Expo pavilions wrestle with sustainability
Kengo Kuma & Associates oversaw the construction of the Malaysia pavilion, which is encased in interwoven rows of bamboo that appear to ripple.
Japan weighs using U.S. rice imports as tariff negotiation tool with Trump
A restaurant owner pours California-grown Calrose rice into a rice cooker at his restaurant in Tokyo
Is Japan’s parliament ready to welcome more youth to its ranks?
Lower House lawmaker Kai Odake in his Tokyo office on Wednesday
Crow meat, goat tartare: Mauvaise Herbe raises its game
Crow meat, shaped into a ball and attached to a foot of the bird, is one of the peculiar offerings of game at Mauvaise Herbe.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027
Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

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