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May 03, 2024
 

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TAXES

Seihan Mori, the chief Buddhist priest of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, writes the kanji character "zei," meaning "tax," with a calligraphy brush to announce the Kanji of the Year.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 15, 2023
Despite a taxing year, 2023's top kanji still draws questions
In a year of major crises around the world, Japanese voters pick the kanji for "zei," meaning "tax," based on a plan yet to be implemented.
Yoichi Miyazawa, head of the Liberal Democratic Party's tax panel, speaks at its meeting at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 14, 2023
Japan's ruling coalition OKs tax reforms amid public skepticism
The schedule for planned tax hikes to boost defense spending was once again not made clear.
Seihan Mori, chief priest of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, writes "zei" (taxes), which was chosen on Tuesday as the kanji of the year.
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2023
Talk of taxes spurs choice for Japan’s kanji of the year
The choice came as tax hikes and cuts were heavily covered in the news and discussed among policymakers.
Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers on Tokunoshima island, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Nov. 19. The government plans to secure over ¥1 trillion in fresh defense outlays by raising corporate, tobacco and income taxes in stages, but it has yet to decide when to start increasing the taxes.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 11, 2023
Japan unlikely to hike taxes for defense boost in '25: LDP official
The decision on when to hike taxes will be delayed into 2024 amid an unfolding fundraising scandal involving many LDP factions and senior lawmakers.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a Budget Committee session in the Lower House in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Explainer
Nov 24, 2023
Why is Fumio Kishida called 'the four-eyed tax-hiker'?
The prime minister hasn’t actually raised taxes for the public at large since he took office over two years ago — at least, not yet.
The home of the National Tax Agency in Tokyo
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2023
Undeclared income of Japan's wealthy hits record high
By occupation, business management consultants hid ¥33.67 million per person, topping the list of income concealers for the second year in a row.
Members of a freelancers group opposing Japan's new invoice system hand documents requesting its abolition to Finance Ministry officials in Tokyo on Nov. 13.
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2023
Manga artists and taxi drivers hit as tax frustrations mount
About 4.6 million businesses that were previously exempt from paying sales tax have been impacted by a new invoice system.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives in San Francisco on Wednesday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 16, 2023
Public approval for Kishida Cabinet sinks to new low of 21.3%
The support rate fell 5.0 percentage points from the previous month, while the disapproval rate rose 7.0 points to 53.3%.
State Minister of Finance Kenji Kanda (left) and Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki attend an Upper House session in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 13, 2023
State minister of finance resigns in further blow to Kishida
Kenji Kanda submitted his resignation after admitting that his firm had failed to pay fixed asset taxes.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Kenta Izumi attends a news conference to announce the party's new economic policy on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 10, 2023
Japan opposition CDP vows to provide tax cuts and benefits
The proposal did not include a goal of lowering the consumption tax rate from 10% to 5% temporarily, which was a campaign pledge of the CDP.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Sanae Takaichi, the minister in charge of economic security, attend a Cabinet meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 10, 2023
Cabinet approves ¥13.1 trillion extra budget to finance fresh stimulus
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida appears to be eager to regain popularity with the relief package, but voters aren't convinced.
A man dressed as Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Sanders jumps into the Dotonbori River in Osaka after the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Series.
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 9, 2023
Japan’s 'four-eyed tax hiker' and the curse of Colonel Sanders
Baseball writer Jason Coskrey and editor Joel Tansey discuss the Hanshin Tigers’ Japan Series victory; Gabriele Ninivaggi explains how the prime minister hopes to get a home run with his tax plan.
Japan Finance Corp.'s branch in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. Government-affiliated financial institutions provided a total of ¥21.87 trillion in special loans between January 2020 and March this year.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 8, 2023
COVID loans worth ¥69.7 billion can't be repaid, report shows
The report by the Board of Audit of Japan also showed that the government wasted ¥58.02 billion of taxpayer money on 344 projects in fiscal 2022.
In some cases, it's up to individual foreign residents to understand the unique tax implications of their home countries and Japan in order to avoid a penny-pinching retirement.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / Age Wise
Nov 5, 2023
Retiring in Japan? Be prepared to foot your own bills.
“In an ideal world, everyone should have retirement planning on their radar as soon as possible when working life begins.”
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a news conference about a new economic stimulus package in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Nov 2, 2023
Kishida unveils ¥17 trillion stimulus package amid pushback
A supplementary budget proposal — worth a total of ¥13.1 trillion — to back the package will be submitted to parliament in the upcoming weeks.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida chats with Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki (left) in a parliamentary session in October.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Nov 2, 2023
Kishida distances himself from panel report backing tax overhaul
The advisory panel's medium-term reform proposal could mean higher taxes for salaried workers.
Fortnite is estimated to be played by over 400 million people worldwide.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2023
Fortnite developer fails to report ¥30 billion in revenue in Japan
The problem, which lasted for three years to December 2020, was uncovered in an investigation.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds his glasses during an Upper House Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 1, 2023
Hotly debated tax cuts risk backfiring on Kishida administration
When Kishida announced plans to cut income and residence taxes to ease the hit from inflation, there was a chorus of skepticism rather than joy.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida answers questions at a Lower House Budget Committee session on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2023
Kishida says tax hike and tax cut policies ‘don’t contradict’
“An (income tax cut) is a temporary measure until wages increase to a level that can cover rising prices," the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida replies to questions at Friday's budget committee session at the Diet in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2023
Amid scrutiny, Kishida emphasizes tax cuts to pull out from deflation
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has heavily criticized the government for its belated response to rising inflation.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza-related arrests as Israel ties edge closer
The arrests for Gaza-related posts indicate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime will take a hard line against citizens not toeing the line when it comes to normalizing ties with Israel.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

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