Tag - welfare

 
 

WELFARE

Tomoyoshi Taniguchi (left), Ryuko Neya (center) and Taiko Minami with pets at the Misogichiku Community Center in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture. Pet owners were told they could not enter the shelter room and had to stay in hallways and the entrance hall.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 4, 2024
In Ishikawa, shelter for people but not four-legged friends
One pet owner's experience in quake-hit Ishikawa highlights the many challenges facing such people in times of disaster, and is a recurring issue.
Medical fees will be lowered by 0.12% in fiscal 2024, marking the fifth consecutive reduction in the fees that are reviewed every two years.
JAPAN
Dec 20, 2023
Japan fees for medical services and drugs to be lowered by 0.12%
The government will raise its official fees for nursing and disability welfare services by 1.59% and 1.12%, respectively, in fiscal 2024.
As many as 31 squirrels at the Inokashira Park Zoo in Tokyo are believed to have been accidentally killed with anti-parasitic medicine this month.
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2023
Tokyo zoo probes suspected mass squirrel poisoning after 31 die
Keepers at the zoo injected the animals with anti-parasitic medicine earlier this month as part of a sanitary precaution.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 1, 2023
Japan high court revokes welfare benefit cuts
The plaintiffs argued that there was an error in the method for calculating the price index used as the basis for the reductions.
Lee Kyeong-sig, who runs a dog meat farm, feeds dogs in cages in Hwaseong, South Korea, on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Nov 27, 2023
South Korea's canine farmers protest proposed ban on dog meat
Despite its declining popularity and opposition from animal rights activists, previous attempts to ban dog meat have failed because of industry protests.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 25, 2023
Japan confirms season's first bird flu case in Saga
The Saga Prefectural Government has started to cull around 40,000 chickens raised at a farm in the city of Kashima.
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.”
If you've ever dined on fresh fish, either within Japan or anywhere else in the world, there's a healthy chance it was processed via ikejime, a Japanese technique for preserving freshness in line-caught fish.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 30, 2023
How the world got hooked on ikejime-caught fish
Roughly rendered in English as “locking in life,” this technique delivers a quick death to ensure freshness.
Currently, part-timers lose their status as dependents if their annual income surpasses ¥1.3 million, requiring them to pay social insurance premiums.
JAPAN
Sep 24, 2023
Japan mulls relief measures for dependent part-timers
Currently, part-timers lose their status as dependents if their annual income surpasses ¥1.3 million, requiring them to pay social insurance premiums.
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 8, 2023
Scores of horses suffer sunstroke at samurai festival
Organizers may move the annual event — featuring over 400 participants dressed as samurai on horseback — to a cooler time of year.
Chihiro Okada (right), a representative of Animal Rights Center, during a news conference at the Okinawa Prefectural Government building on July 10
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Aug 7, 2023
Confrontations deepen over duck-catching event in Okinawa
Animal rights groups say the event constitutes animal abuse.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 22, 2023
In Quebec, seal hunters want public to see practice in new light
Hunters hope to rehabilitate the image of the hunt, with the support of fishers who are worried about dwindling fish stocks.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2023
The coming disruption of animal food production is almost here
It will be easier to persuade people to avoid meat from animals if they can eat meat and other animal products that taste like those they know but do not require raising animals.
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2023
Japan to digitalize applications for welfare with My Number system
The number of in-person welfare applications exceeded 3.82 million between March 2020 and September 2022, during the height of the pandemic.
Japan Times
People / 20 QUESTIONS
Jul 8, 2023
Azumi Yamanaka: 'You can have a colorful, fashion-conscious style while also being vegan'
A love for animals got Azumi Yamanaka to switch to a vegan lifestyle. She was delighted to discover the lifestyle had healthy side effects and was better for the planet.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2023
Low incomes most likely to curb children's extracurricular activities, survey finds
The survey covered 2,097 parents of elementary school students from grades 1 to 6 over a period of two days in October 2022.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 4, 2023
Japanese app aims to help detect pain in cats
Since its release last month, 'Cat Pain Detector' has racked up 43,000 users, mostly in Japan but also in Europe and South America.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 18, 2023
Can we compare pain across species?
It is increasingly accepted among the general public and ethicists that preventing suffering is morally important regardless of the species of the individual who is suffering.

Longform

An ongoing shortage of rice has resulted in rising prices for Japan's main food staple.
Why Japan is running out of rice — and farmers to grow it