Govt may streamline funeral plans for Emperor
News On Japan via Yomiuri -- Jul 15

In line with the Emperor's wishes, the government plans to simplify the Taiso no Rei funeral it will sponsor for him, sources have said.

The Emperor has expressed his wish to be cremated and simplify the whole funeral process so that the ceremony will affect people's daily lives as little as possible.

The Imperial Household Agency plans to make a final decision on the Imperial funeral by next spring, the sources said. Based on the agency's decision, the Cabinet Secretariat and other government organizations will examine ways to reduce costs associated with the funeral, including setup and security.

Source: Yomiuri



Jun 18 Best biwa selected as gift for Imperial Household
A competition has been held near Tokyo to choose the season's best loquats, or biwa fruit, to be presented to the Imperial Household. (NHK )
Jun 18 64-year-old woman arrested for stabbing 59-year-old boyfriend
Police said Monday they have arrested a 64-year-old woman in connection with the murder of her 59-year-old partner in Seki, Gifu Prefecture. (Japan Today )
Jun 18 Tokyo cops bust Gotanda massage parlor for prostitution, arrest 7
Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday announced the bust of a massage parlor in the Gotanda area of Shinagawa Ward on charges of prostitution. (Tokyo Reporter )
Jun 17 Saitama cops crack down on non-yakuza gangs for brawl
Saitama Prefectural Police on Monday announced the arrest of 31 suspects connected with special criminal groups for violent incidents that took place earlier this year. (Tokyo Reporter )
Jun 17 Iwate town on alert following series of bear attacks
Four people were injured in a series of attacks by at least two bears on Saturday and Sunday in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture. (Japan Today )
Jun 17 Tokyo cops crack down on beauty products scam on Mixi
Tokyo Metropolitan Police last week arrested the manager of a beauty products company that defrauded women recruited on the social-networking site Mixi. (Tokyo Reporter)
Jun 17 Population pyramid a thing of the past
The Japanese word "choju," meaning longevity, implies, with its kanji, joyous celebration of long life. Intrinsically, it is a joyful thing for people to live long. But if a society has many people who age in solitude, isolated from their families and local communities, it cannot be called choju. It should rather be called "roka shakai," or a society that weakens as it ages. (Yomiuri )
Jun 16 Crown Prince returns from Spain
Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito has ended his official visit to Spain after a trip to a Christian pilgrimage site in the northwest. His visit marked the 400th anniversary of relations between the 2 countries. (NHK )
Jun 16 2 men arrested for pushing man onto train tracks after argument
Police said Sunday they have arrested two men who allegedly pushed a 43-year-old man off the platform onto the tracks on Saturday morning at JR Oimachi Station in Tokyo. (Japan Today )
Jun 16 Man arrested for running online high school prostitution ring
Police have arrested a 28-year-old man has been arrested for providing a service that illegally put high school girls in contact with men for the purpose of prostitution. (Japan Today )