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Yomiuri Shimbun
19-06-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Vietnamese Man Arrested in Language-Test Ringer Scheme; Allegedly Recruited Woman to Impersonate Exam-Taker
The Yomiuri Shimbun A Vietnamese man in his 20s has been arrested for allegedly arranging for a ringer to take Japanese language ability test on behalf a Vietnamese woman, according to investigation sources. The test is required to obtain a 'specified skilled worker' status of residence in the country. The Osaka prefectural police arrested the suspect on Wednesday on suspicion of illegally creating and using electronic personal data and violating the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law. The man allegedly used social media to solicit people who want ringers. The police suspect that he may have approached others to take part in such test-cheating schemes. In the case, the Vietnamese woman who requested that a ringer take the test on her behalf has been convicted of violating the immigration control law and other offenses. The Osaka District Court sentenced her to 18 years in prison, suspended for three years, which was finalized in May. On June 10, a 31-year-old Vietnamese national who allegedly took the test while impersonating the woman, was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for four years, at the same court. According to the sources, the man allegedly conspired with the two people. During a Japanese language test at a venue in Osaka City in December, the ringer is suspected to have passed herself off as the woman by presenting her residence card and took the test. The ringer's score was reportedly above the passing mark. The ringer reportedly told investigators that she had taken the test on behalf of others more than 10 times since around summer last year. She also said that there was an intermediary and that she received ¥60,000 each time, according to the sources. The Osaka police suspect that the man received an inquiry from the unnamed woman, had the ringer impersonate her and handed part of the payment he had received to the ringer. The Osaka police started investigating the impersonation scheme after receiving a complaint from a company that operates a different Japanese language test. The company reportedly told the police that there have been about 100 suspected impersonation cases. The police have arrested the ringer and six people who allegedly requested ringers to take exams for them, including the unnamed woman.
Yomiuri Shimbun
15-06-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
High Prices Squeeze Hospitals, 60% in the Red; Deficit Leading to Department Shuttering, Reduced Services
The Yomiuri Shimbun A hospital official shows the signs for three medical departments that were discontinued in April at the Ojiya General Hospital in Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture, on April 7. (Part of this image has been obscured.) Rising prices and labor costs are causing hospitals nationwide to suffer financial difficulties. The effects are becoming apparent as some hospitals are reducing medical services or not replacing aging medical equipment. While medical organizations are calling for the government to review medical fees in accordance with rising prices and labor costs, experts have pointed out the need for improving hospital management by making medical service systems more efficient. Ojiya General Hospital in Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture, posted a deficit of over ¥500 million in fiscal 2023. In order to reduce the deficit, the hospital discontinued its neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery and respiratory surgery departments in April. Patients who had been treated there now must go to a hospital in a neighboring town, about 30 minutes by car from the central part of the city. 'We made a tough decision in order to keep the hospital going, despite the inconvenience it will cause our patients,' said Masahiko Yanagi, director of the hospital. JA Niigata Kouseiren, a welfare federation which operates the hospital and 10 others, announced last summer it expected a record-high deficit of ¥6 billion to ¥9 billion in fiscal 2024, which could lead to a situation where it will be unable to continue the hospital business due to excessive debt. The federation fell into the red in fiscal 2023 due to such circumstances as rising prices and a decrease in patients caused by the declining population. Additionally, some patients have still been reluctant to go to hospitals since the pandemic, and the government's COVID-19 related subsidies were discontinued in fiscal 2024. These contributed to putting the business in critical condition. By cutting down on bonuses for employees and receiving subsidies from local governments, the federation expects the deficit to have been reduced to about ¥3 billion in fiscal 2024. In fiscal 2025, it plans to discontinue a total of seven medical departments in three hospitals to nearly halve the deficit to ¥1.4 billion. The Association of Japanese Healthcare Corporations (AJHC), along with five other organizations, conducted an emergency survey on hospitals' business conditions. The survey found nearly 60% of about 1,800 hospitals nationwide that responded to it had posted an ordinary loss for the second half of 2024. Yoshihiro Ota, vice chairman of the AJHC, said, 'Local hospitals could be closed suddenly, leaving patients with nowhere to go.' University hospitals are also in financial distress. The Institute of Science Tokyo is unable to replace its aging MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) equipment. Nagasaki University is also facing difficulty in getting new medical equipment. 'University hospitals provide advanced medical care. If we don't have the latest equipment, the standards of local medical care will stagnate,' said Makoto Osaki, director of Nagasaki University Hospital. Prices cannot be raised The reason behind the deficits is unique to medical institutions, which are not allowed to increase prices in accordance with conditions such as rising costs like other industries. According to the AJHC and others, material and utility costs for medical services increased 14% in fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2018. While labor costs account for about 50% of hospital expenditures, it is difficult to reduce salaries because it could lead to employees leaving their jobs. Some hospitals are forced to increase salaries in line with other industries. The main source of income for medical institutions is medical fees. However, these fees are determined by the government and revised once every two years in principle. No matter how much prices rise, medical institutions are not allowed to increase fees on their own. In the fiscal 2024 revision of medical fees, the 'main' portion allocated to cover personnel costs and other expenses was raised only by 0.88% under a policy meant to curb medical bills. While the government set a target of a 2.5% base pay raise for medical workers, the target was lower than that of private companies at 3.56%. 'Such a small increase in medical fees would have been enough in times of deflation, but it is not enough to cover the increased expenditures today,' a hospital official said. Management efforts In April, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry began providing emergency assistance to hospitals, offering loans up to ¥720 million for up to five years that are free of collateral and interest. 'The government should consider not only emergency support but also a system for determining medical fees that responds to inflation and other situations,' said Kenji Shimazaki, professor of medical policy at the International University of Health and Welfare. The Japan Medical Association and others are also calling for the introduction of a new system that responds to rising prices and labor costs in the next revision of medical fees scheduled for fiscal 2026. However, some are cautious about unconditionally increasing medical fees for all hospitals. 'There are hospitals that remain profitable through management efforts,' said Masashi Nozawa, head of the Development Bank of Japan's healthcare department who is familiar with hospital management. According to Nozawa, some hospitals are actively accepting emergency patients and patients from other medical institutions. Other measures include multiple hospitals joining together to purchase supplies in bulk. 'The situation has become polarized. Deficit-ridden hospitals need to try to improve their financial conditions,' he said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
2025 Expo Osaka : Visitors Enjoy Opportunity to Drink Alcoholic Beverages from Around the World
The Yomiuri Shimbun A server pours a glass of Mliko, a style of beer that is mainly foam, in the Czechia Pavilion in Konohana Ward, Osaka. OSAKA — The 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo offers many attractions, with one of them being the opportunity to drink various alcoholic beverages from overseas. One Japanese sake brewery has even begun selling a drink that it made in collaboration with another country's pavilion to help boost the number of visitors to the Expo. In the Czechia Pavilion's restaurant, visitors can drink Pilsner Urquell, a beer from the Czech Republic, that can be poured in three different ways. Each drink has a different amount of foam, and the manner of enjoying the drink is particular to the country. One glass of the beer is priced at ¥1,450 including tax. Mliko has the least amount of beer and is the heaviest on foam. 'Even though my mouth was full of foam, it was sweet and tasty,' said Yu Shiotani, 26, a public servant from Kobe who visited the pavilion to drink the Mliko beer. From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m only, visitors at the Peru Pavilion can try a free Pisco sour cocktail. Pisco is a distilled sprit made from grapes. The cocktail's special feature is the floating meringue covering the top. 'The taste and aroma are good, and they aren't things I can experience in Japan,' commented Takashi Morikawa, 70, from Kyoto City after trying the cocktail. 'This Expo is a must-go for people who love drinking.' Courtesy of Asahi Shuzo Co. A bottle of special edition 'Dassai — Composing the Future' that was produced with Austria. Asahi Shuzo Co., a Japanese sake brewery, developed a special edition drink with Austria to be served at the Expo. The brewery, based in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, has sold a special edition of its Dassai sake, named 'Dassai — Composing the Future' in the Austria Pavilion since May 22. A 720-milliliter bottle of the sake is priced at ¥8,000 including tax. Harald Mahrer, president of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, became fond of Dassai when he drank it at a sushi restaurant in Austria, according to Asahi Shuzo. He then proposed some form of joint project. Recorded concert performances of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra were played next to the tanks brewing the sake. 'The two countries are bridged through sake brewing,' said a company official, about his expectations. 'It may also create a good change in the taste [of the sake].'
Yomiuri Shimbun
14-06-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
New Mt. Fuji Gate on Yoshida Route in Yamanashi Pref. Completed; Gate to Be Closed from 2 P.M. to 3 A.M.
The Yomiuri Shimbun The completed permanent gate at the fifth station of Mt. Fuji is seen on Friday. The Yomiuri Shimbun A Mt. Fuji ranger, right, gives guidance to a lightly dressed climber during a preliminary exercise on Friday at Mt. Fuji. KOFU – Construction of a permanent gate at the fifth station of the Yoshida Route at Mt. Fuji has been completed, and the gate was unveiled to the press on Friday. The gate, which was built by the Yamanashi prefectural government, was installed to regulate entry to the mountain. The gate's completion comes as preparations are underway for the mountain's opening on July 1. The preparations include a preliminary training exercise by the prefectural 'Mt. Fuji rangers,' who are in charge of safety guidance for climbers. Considering Mt. Fuji's image as a mountain of faith, the approximately 8-meter-wide and 3.5-meter-high gate was designed in the style of a torii gate, which marks the entrance to Shinto shrines. The gate was constructed with a strong steel frame to withstand the area's harsh climate. According to the prefectural government, the gate will be closed from 2 p.m. to 3 a.m. this summer. During that time, climbers descending the mountain and those staying at mountain lodges will enter and exit through side doors. Guards will be stationed in front of the gate, and they will patrol the area and check wristbands to verify that climbers have paid the necessary tolls. During the exercise on the day, the rangers reviewed the guidance they will provide to lightly dressed climbers who face cold temperatures on the summit, among other procedures.
Yomiuri Shimbun
12-06-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Gull Hatching Season Begins in Aomori Prefecture; Fluffy Chicks Vulnerable to Predators
The Yomiuri Shimbun A black-tailed gull chick nestles beside its parent in the Kabushima district of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, on Friday. With the arrival of the hatching season, fluffy newborn chicks have been spotted chirping in nests all over Kabushima — the nation's largest breeding ground for the species. The first chick of this year was confirmed to have hatched Wednesday, about a week later than last year, according to a local protection monitoring center for the birds. 'When chicks are born, predators also come near,' said a monitoring member. 'We want to continue our monitoring activities so that the parent birds can raise their chicks safely.' Peering into a nest, a woman from Yokohama said, 'The parent bird looks a bit scary, but the chicks are so cute.'
