LDP draws up reforms on proportional representation system
Jiji Press -- Mar 14
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved proposals on reforming the proportional representation system for House of Representatives elections at a meeting of the party's electoral reform headquarters on Thursday.
The proposals call for cutting the number of proportional representation seats in the lower chamber of the Diet, or parliament, by 30 to 150 and the number of regional proportional representation blocs to eight from 11.
Of the 150 seats, 90 will be allocated to all parties and the remaining 60 to all except the party with the most votes. Additional arrangements will be made to ensure that a party with a smaller number of votes than another party in a proportional representation bloc will not obtain a larger number of seats in the bloc.
At least six researchers suffered internal radiation exposure this week due to an accident during an experiment related to elementary particles, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday. (Jiji Press )
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday that his country will provide nation-building support to Myanmar while paying due heed to the needs of local people. (Jiji Press )
A government research panel says there is a 60 to 70 percent probability that a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8 to 9 will occur off Japan's Pacific coast in the next 30 years. (NHK )
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said Saturday he will retract his remark suggesting that U.S. servicemen in Japan use the country's adult entertainment industry in order to prevent them from committing sex offenses against locals, adding that he will apologize to the U.S. people and military. (Kyodo )
Weather officials say the average density of carbon dioxide in Japan is rising above the international standard at all 3 observation points in the country.
Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases associated with global warming. (NHK )
At the Nagoya Castle compound in central Japan, restoration work has been completed on the entrance and reception room of the main residential building for the first time in 70 years. (NHK )
The government of Japan has bestowed one of that nation's highest honors on a Japanese-American, a former U.S. Soldier and World War II veteran, for his work furthering relationships between the Japanese and Americans. (army.mil )
Osaka District Court accepted a claim on Thursday that losses on betting on horse racing should be deductible from payouts to calculate taxable income. (Jiji Press )
An 18-year-old youth has been arrested on a charge of attempted murder after he allegedly hit a 16-year-old girl in the head with a baseball bat. (Japan Today )
This Monday, members of the seminal metal band X Japan were in Odaiba rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga and AKB48′s Yuko Oshima. The catch? They were all made out of wax. (Japan Times )
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced that it intends to draw up a set of unified rules for the use of baby strollers on buses and trains. (Japan Today )
A man stabbed his ex-wife on a street in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday morning, and then caused a car crash while he was fleeing from the scene. (Japan Today )
At least six researchers suffered internal radiation exposure this week due to an accident during an experiment related to elementary particles, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday. (Jiji Press 
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday that his country will provide nation-building support to Myanmar while paying due heed to the needs of local people. (Jiji Press 
A government research panel says there is a 60 to 70 percent probability that a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8 to 9 will occur off Japan's Pacific coast in the next 30 years. (NHK 
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said Saturday he will retract his remark suggesting that U.S. servicemen in Japan use the country's adult entertainment industry in order to prevent them from committing sex offenses against locals, adding that he will apologize to the U.S. people and military. (Kyodo 
Weather officials say the average density of carbon dioxide in Japan is rising above the international standard at all 3 observation points in the country.
Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases associated with global warming. (NHK 
At the Nagoya Castle compound in central Japan, restoration work has been completed on the entrance and reception room of the main residential building for the first time in 70 years. (NHK 
Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Wednesday raided an Internet casino in Shibuya Ward for offering illegal gambling. (Tokyo Reporter 
The government of Japan has bestowed one of that nation's highest honors on a Japanese-American, a former U.S. Soldier and World War II veteran, for his work furthering relationships between the Japanese and Americans. (army.mil 
Osaka District Court accepted a claim on Thursday that losses on betting on horse racing should be deductible from payouts to calculate taxable income. (Jiji Press 
Eighty-year-old Yuichiro Miura has become the oldest person to scale Mount Everest, his management office said Thursday. (Japan Times 
An 18-year-old youth has been arrested on a charge of attempted murder after he allegedly hit a 16-year-old girl in the head with a baseball bat. (Japan Today 
This Monday, members of the seminal metal band X Japan were in Odaiba rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga and AKB48′s Yuko Oshima. The catch? They were all made out of wax. (Japan Times 
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced that it intends to draw up a set of unified rules for the use of baby strollers on buses and trains. (Japan Today 
A man stabbed his ex-wife on a street in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday morning, and then caused a car crash while he was fleeing from the scene. (Japan Today 
Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito will visit Spain for seven days from June 10, the government said Tuesday. (Jiji Press 