Tag - local-government

 
 

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu speaks to reporters in the city of Shizuoka on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 10, 2024
Shizuoka governor submits letter of resignation over controversial remarks
He initially planned to quit during an assembly session in June, but he has been under pressure to step down earlier.
Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai speaks at a a news conference in Sendai on Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 9, 2024
Miyagi governor suggests scrapping national sports event
The annual event is hosted in rotation by the 47 prefectures.
Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu speaks to reporters at the prefectural government office on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 8, 2024
Shizuoka governor to resign over gaffe
Heita Kawakatsu is under fire for a remark viewed as insulting to farmers and others.
Rescuers prepare supplies before entering Taroko National Park after an earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2024
Local governments in Japan move to support quake-hit Taiwan
Areas in Japan hit by previous disasters are aiming to offer support for Taiwan.
Members of the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad living in Tokushima Prefecture meet in the city of Yoshinogawa in the prefecture in December 2022 to learn from each other's experiences.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 5, 2024
Record 7,200 served as 'community reactivators' in FY 2023
The government aims to increase the number of community cooperators to 10,000 by fiscal 2026.
Heita Kawakatsu, governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, explains his remarks at the prefectural government office on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 2, 2024
Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu to resign over latest gaffe
"Unlike (those who) sell vegetables, raise cattle and make things, you are basically highly intellectual people," he said to newly hired officials.
As of December 2022, the village of Zamami, Okinawa Prefecture, had in its stockpile six of the nine items listed in a survey as necessary for women and 10 of the 11 items listed as necessary for babies and infants, doing much better than other municipalities in the prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Apr 1, 2024
Municipalities push gender-inclusive disaster risk management
Some areas in Okinawa involve more women in decision-making and make an effort at stockpiling relevant items.
Hundreds lined up at the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, which came to Japan for a 50-day exhibition.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Apr 1, 2024
Japan Times 1974: Some troubles reported at Mona Lisa's opening
Fifty years ago, a woman made a statement on the rights of the physically disabled by splashing paint on the Mona Lisa in Tokyo.
Takashi Kimura (center) won the Kumamoto gubernatorial election on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 25, 2024
Ex-vice governor wins Kumamoto gubernatorial election
Backed by the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, Takashi Kimura will be the first new governor of Kumamoto in 16 years.
Residents remove snow from rooftops together with workers from a snow removal company in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, in January 2021. In fiscal 2022, 49 people in Japan died during activities related to the clearing of snow. Of these, 39 people — or roughly 80% — were age 65 or older.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 15, 2024
Land ministry goes digital to prevent snow-clearing accidents
The system is aimed at assessing the risks associated with snow removal at individual houses to avert mishaps, particularly ones involving the elderly.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 14, 2024
Phone relay service helps hard of hearing government staff
The service facilitates communication for workers hard of hearing and those with speech impediments by connecting them with operators online.
A poster for digital coupons at a store in the city of Fukushima
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Mar 11, 2024
Fukushima’s welfare coupon campaign highlights digital divide
A call center dedicated to the initiative received so many calls that telephone lines were overloaded.
Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso speaks during an interview in February in the city of Morioka.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 8, 2024
13 years after 3/11, Iwate looks to make best use of new infrastructure
The governor of Iwate also called on the central government to continue necessary reconstruction projects while listening to people in the affected areas.
Hideo Kojima (right), mayor of Ginan, Gifu Prefecture, hands his letter of resignation to the head of the town's assembly at the town hall on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 29, 2024
Gifu town mayor resigns amid sexual harassment allegations
Hideo Kojima, 74, a former town assembly member, was first elected mayor in November 2020 and was serving his first term.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 20, 2024
Tokyo to draft ordinance to curb harassment by customers
The harassment of front-line workers by customers has become a growing trend in the capital, Gov. Yuriko Koike said.
Gold badges distributed to Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly members after the April 2023 election. The prices for both types doubled from four years ago.
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Feb 19, 2024
Gold assembly badges worth millions of yen unreturned in Kyushu
Each elected member receives a new badge for every election and is supposed to return them on losing an election or retiring from politics.
Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward is testing a project to fight rats using garbage bags imbued with the smell of herbs they hate.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 11, 2024
Tokyo ward using garbage bags with herbs to combat rats
Chiyoda Ward received around 200 complaints annually in fiscal 2019 to 2022, a surge from around 50 until fiscal 2018.
Shoko Kawata stumps in the city of Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture, last year.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 6, 2024
Japan's youngest female city mayor is focused on women's empowerment
The election of Shoko Kawata, 33, was unexpected — but was a welcome change for some.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 5, 2024
New Kyoto mayor aims to tackle over-tourism with higher fares
Koji Matsui faces many hurdles, and he takes over at a time when the demerits of over-tourism have become a particular topic of concern for residents.
Akira Ogawa (center) celebrates her win in the Maebashi mayoral election in Gunma Prefecture on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 5, 2024
Opposition-backed candidate wins in Maebashi mayoral election
Akira Ogawa will become the first female mayor in Maebashi after defeating incumbent Ryu Yamamoto.

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition