Latest news with #InternalAffairsandCommunicationsMinistry
Yomiuri Shimbun
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Upper House Election: Japan's Declining Population, Other Factors Leading to Fewer Polling Stations for House of Councillors Election
The number of polling stations for the House of Councillors election is on a downward trend due to difficulties in securing local government staffers for election administration and election observers along with such factors as a declining population. According to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, 44,758 polling stations will be set up on Sunday's upper house election. This is 1,267 fewer than the previous upper house election in 2022. Except for Okinawa, 46 of the nation's 47 prefectures saw a decline. The number of polling stations that will close earlier is also increasing. Under the Public Offices Election Law, voting hours are set from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., but the time can be changed by up to four hours under certain circumstances. This time, 18,142 polling stations — accounting for 40% of the total — are expected to close earlier than 8 p.m. This is 890 more than in the previous election. The number of polling stations for the upper house election peaked during the 2001 upper house election at 53,439. Compared to the 2022 election, Hokkaido saw the largest decrease, with a 109 reduction of stations. 'Securing staffers for election administration work is challenging, and more municipalities are reducing the number of polling stations,' explained an election official of the Hokkaido prefectural government. The official said the prefecture has adopted several measures to secure voting opportunities for voters, such as dispatching mobile polling stations for early voting.
Yomiuri Shimbun
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
More Workers Quitting to Provide Care to Family Members; Employees Lack Understanding of Support Systems
A 64-year-old man of Osaka quit his job at a metalworking company in September 2022 to care for his 88-year-old mother. Although he wanted to keep working as long as he could, his mother needed constant care. She had been living independently but was making use of day care services since breaking a bone from falling to the ground. A high fever led to her being hospitalized and her physical and mental condition deteriorated during her two months there. The man was told that his mother could be discharged only if someone could be with her at all times. He, who had continued working after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60, thought he may be able to keep working if he was allowed to leave the workplace at 3 p.m. to take care of her after she returned home from a day-care facility in the evening. But he decided to quit his job anyway since he did not want to cause his company any trouble. Her condition improved one month after being discharged from the hospital, so he started looking for a new job through the Hello Work public job placement office and job sites. But he has been unable to find a job he wanted due to his age and working-hour requirements. According to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, 106,000 people left their jobs to care for family members during the one-year period ending September 2022, an increase of 7,000 from the previous survey in 2017. The law on childcare and caregiver leave allows employees to use support systems to help them balance work and family care. But only 1.6% of employees caring for their parents took nursing care leave of up to 93 days, which is given per family member who requires nursing care. Employees can split this leave into as many as three blocks. Only 4.5% of such employees took time off for sporadic care-related events such as hospital leave, which has a limit of five days a year. 'Some people believe that caring for their parents is their responsibility alone and can think of no option besides quitting their jobs. Employers also lack knowledge and experience in caregiving and are unable to provide sufficient information about such things as the support systems,' said Mie Waki, representative director of a Tokyo-based general incorporated association for the promotion of measures to prevent people's leaving their jobs to care for family members. To raise awareness of the support systems and encourage their use, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry obliged companies in April to explain the systems to employees who need to care for family members on an individual basis and to confirm whether they will be making use of them. Changing work climate However, many people find it difficult to discuss caregiving with their bosses. Some hesitate to use the systems out of consideration for colleagues who would have to take over their duties. A work climate where employees can comfortably talk about their personal circumstances is essential. A Tokyo-based IT-related company encourages managers to check on their subordinates to see if they need to care for family members and to encourage them to utilize the support systems. As of 2022, there were 3.646 million people providing nursing care for family members while working. Of them, those in their 50s accounted for the highest proportion at 42%. The government estimates that the annual economic losses resulting from workforce shortages due to resignations and other reasons will exceed ¥9 trillion in 2030. As Japan faces an increasingly aging society, the number of employees who provide nursing care for their families will rise. 'Companies must recognize employees' caregiving-related concerns as issues related to business operations and adopt a proactive stance to explore ways for employees to continue working with them,' said Jun Kawauchi, representative director of Tonari no Kaigo, a nonprofit organization in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, which supports people providing care for family members. 'The government, for its part, should provide financial support for companies to implement measures such as encouraging employees to seek early consultations.' Parties pledge increased support In face of the rapidly aging population, political parties have made pledges to carry out policies aimed at preventing people from leaving their jobs due to caregiving in the campaigning for the upcoming House of Councillors election. The Liberal Democratic Party said it will aim to improve care services, which will also help prevent people from leaving jobs to take care of their family members. The party also said it will work to raise wages for care workers and provide stability to care service providers. The Japan Innovation Party proposed the promotion of housework support services to prevent people from leaving their jobs to rear children and care for family members. The JIP said it will establish further support systems to enable employees to continue working while taking care of family members. The Japanese Communist Party said it will increase national spending on the public nursing care insurance program by ¥1.3 trillion and improve the treatment of caregivers and others.
Asia News Network
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Asia News Network
Panel plans talks on blocking online casino access in Japan
July 10, 2025 TOKYO – Forcibly blocking illegal access to online casinos will be discussed in four stages by an expert panel of the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, under a policy presented by the panel on Tuesday. The panel, which is considering how to deter illegal use of the sites from Japan, compiled an interim summary of basic concepts related to such a ban. The panel will issue conclusions through four stages of discussions over the necessity of forcible blocking, its expected benefits to society and other matters. The panel will begin its practical examinations in autumn this year and will present a basic direction on the blocking possibly by the end of this year. There is a view that blocking would be effective for preventing people from trying online casinos for the first time and keeping young people from illegally accessing the sites. However, to implement the measure, it is necessary for internet access providers to confirm all destinations of users' accesses, and it is unavoidable that doing so will infringe the secrecy of any means of communication that is guaranteed by the Constitution and other laws. The interim summary states that the subject needs to be carefully examined in four stages of discussions because 'implementing the blocking requires building circumstances in which the measure can be taken legally.' As practical agenda, the panel's four-stage discussions will cover the following four points. First, whether such measures will be necessary and effective if other measures have not been effective in decreasing harm. Second, how a balance should be kept between the social benefits gained from the implementation of blocking and the benefits lost from infringement of the secrecy of communications. Third, whether new legislation will be necessary to implement the blocking. Fourth, what practical procedures will need to be considered if the blocking is implemented. The panel will discuss and examine the four points in that order. Other methods to deter illegal use of online casino sites may include filtering that limits access to the sites via smartphones and deleting social media posts that solicit users into online casino sites. The panel will also carefully examine whether those methods, which are seen to carry no risk of infringement of the secrecy of communications, can be effective, and then consider whether the blocking will be introduced. An increasing number of Japanese, mainly young people, have been using online casino websites. Negative effects, such as addiction to gambling, are increasingly serious. Among the online casino sites, there are overseas ones on which users can engage in sports betting on Japanese baseball, soccer and other sports. This situation raises the fear that the existence of such casino sites may threaten the healthy nature of sports by, for example, leading to the fixing of games and matches.
Yomiuri Shimbun
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Panel Plans Talks on Blocking Online Casino Access; Using the Sites Illegal in Japan, Harmful to Individuals
Forcibly blocking illegal access to online casinos will be discussed in four stages by an expert panel of the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, under a policy presented by the panel on Tuesday. The panel, which is considering how to deter illegal use of the sites from Japan, compiled an interim summary of basic concepts related to such a ban. The panel will issue conclusions through four stages of discussions over the necessity of forcible blocking, its expected benefits to society and other matters. The panel will begin its practical examinations in autumn this year and will present a basic direction on the blocking possibly by the end of this year. There is a view that blocking would be effective for preventing people from trying online casinos for the first time and keeping young people from illegally accessing the sites. However, to implement the measure, it is necessary for internet access providers to confirm all destinations of users' accesses, and it is unavoidable that doing so will infringe the secrecy of any means of communication that is guaranteed by the Constitution and other laws. The interim summary states that the subject needs to be carefully examined in four stages of discussions because 'implementing the blocking requires building circumstances in which the measure can be taken legally.' As practical agenda, the panel's four-stage discussions will cover the following four points. First, whether such measures will be necessary and effective if other measures have not been effective in decreasing harm. Second, how a balance should be kept between the social benefits gained from the implementation of blocking and the benefits lost from infringement of the secrecy of communications. Third, whether new legislation will be necessary to implement the blocking. Fourth, what practical procedures will need to be considered if the blocking is implemented. The panel will discuss and examine the four points in that order. Other methods to deter illegal use of online casino sites may include filtering that limits access to the sites via smartphones and deleting social media posts that solicit users into online casino sites. The panel will also carefully examine whether those methods, which are seen to carry no risk of infringement of the secrecy of communications, can be effective, and then consider whether the blocking will be introduced. An increasing number of Japanese, mainly young people, have been using online casino websites. Negative effects, such as addiction to gambling, are increasingly serious. Among the online casino sites, there are overseas ones on which users can engage in sports betting on Japanese baseball, soccer and other sports. This situation raises the fear that the existence of such casino sites may threaten the healthy nature of sports by, for example, leading to the fixing of games and matches.
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Govt Mandates Collecting, Recycling of Some Devices with Lithium-Ion Batteries Amid Fire Concerns
The government plans to make it mandatory for makers and importers to collect and recycle mobile batteries, mobile phones and heated tobacco devices in response to more of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in these items. The new regulations will prohibit consumers from disposing the three types of products as general waste and require them to cooperate with stores and municipal facilities in collection initiatives. The government will designate these products as 'specified resources-recycled products' under the Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources. As for designated products, manufacturers and importers are obligated to conduct collections and recycling through organizations that handle such services. The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and the Environment Ministry are expected to formalize this decision by as early as August, following discussions with manufacturers, importers and other relevant entities. These products will be added to the list of the specified products through a government ordinance when the revised law takes effect in April next year. Under the new designation, businesses that fail to conduct collection and recycling operations will face fines. Consumers will be required to dispose of these items appropriately, such as by depositing them in designated collection boxes at electronics retailers or local government facilities. While there are no penalties for consumers, failure to comply could result in receiving instruction from local governments or being charged with violating the Law on Waste Management and Public Cleaning. A survey conducted by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry last year, which covered 43 cities nationwide, revealed that storage batteries amounted to 19.4% of lithium-ion battery-related items found in noncombustible waste, followed by heated tobacco products at 15.9% and movile phones at 12.4%. According to the Environment Ministry, there were 21,751 incidents of smoke or fire caused by small lithium-ion batteries in waste collection vehicles, garbage-disposal facilities and other locations in fiscal 2023.
