NEWSWORTHY
Government eyeing rework of 'hometown tax donation' system to curb use of gifts
The government is considering reworking furusato nōzei (hometown tax donation), a system that allows taxpayers who typically live in urban areas to make donations to rural areas in exchange for tax credit, officials said Wednesday. The system was implemented in 2008 as a way to ...
Japan's mayors to set up contact list to improve communication during large-scale disasters
As western Japan recovers from the deadly rains earlier this month, the Japan Association of City Mayors plans to compile a contact list so members can communicate directly in the event of major disasters. The move is part of the association's effort to foster cooperation ...
Storage deadlines proposed for mementos recovered from natural disasters
The Environment Ministry plans to ask municipalities to set deadlines for storing items of sentimental value, such as photo albums, found in areas hit by natural disasters. With storage space limited, the ministry aims to help municipalities avoid getting stuck with such items indefinitely and ...
Lifting the lid on Japan's growing crowd of manhole cover spotters
Some tourists look around them but Hidetoshi Ishii prefers to look down. The 65-year-old is a manhole cover hunter. He has spent the past two decades touring with a folding bike and map, on the lookout for treasures. "It's like finding a gem. When I spot ...
Dementia treatment making progress in urban centers, but rural areas still lacking
In May, a nurse and other members of a team that supports people with dementia visited a man in his 80s living in Machida, on the outskirts of Tokyo, and urged him to "accompany" his wife to the hospital. They struck up a natural conversation, ...
