IMF: Japan must raise sales tax to show fiscal commitment
News On Japan via Reuters -- Jun 12
The International Monetary Fund urged the Japanese government on Tuesday to raise the country's sales tax and reform its welfare system to demonstrate a commitment to fiscal reform.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has staked his political life on the plan's fate, aiming to pass the tax and social security bills during the current session that ends on June 21.
Japan's ruling and opposition parties launched talks on tax and welfare reforms last week, aiming to strike a deal by June 15 to secure parliamentary approval of a plan to raise the sales tax to 10 percent by 2015 to fix tattered public finances.
Source: Reuters
| May 24 | AV amateurs perform in the comfort of their own homes |
 Always in search of a new wrinkle, Japan’s adult video (AV) industry is now taking applications from every Tom, Dick, and Harry to fulfill the dream in performing in porn pictures. (Tokyo Reporter) |
| May 24 | Tokyo cops bust casino in Shibuya |
 Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Wednesday raided an Internet casino in Shibuya Ward for offering illegal gambling. (Tokyo Reporter) |
| May 23 | Osaka court accepts losing horse racing bets as expenses |
 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  ) |
| May 23 | Youth arrested for hitting 16-year-old girl with baseball bat |
 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 ) |
| May 22 | X Japan waxes lyrical at Madame Tussauds debut |
 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 ) |
| May 22 | Transport ministry to unify rules for baby strollers on buses, trains |
 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 ) |
| May 21 | Man stabs ex-wife, then crashes car during getaway |
 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 ) |
| May 21 | Japan Crown Prince to visit Spain |
 Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito will visit Spain for seven days from June 10, the government said Tuesday. (Jiji Press ) |
| May 21 | Tokyo broker for Thai hostesses busted for wrongful employment |
 Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday announced the arrest of a broker of Thai females for violating immigration laws by employing the women as masseuses. (Tokyo Reporter ) |
| May 21 | Claim filed against Yamaguchi-gumi top bosses for arson death in Nagoya |
 The parents of a nightclub worker killed in an arson fire three years ago filed a suit in the Nagoya District Court on Monday seeking damages against top members of the Yamaguchi-gumi organized crime group. (Tokyo Reporter ) |