Society

Universities divided over whether or not to enforce no-smoking rules

Jul 01 (Japan Times) - With Japanâ€™s revised health promotion law, which includes enhanced measures against secondhand smoke, set to partially take effect at the beginning of July, universities across the country are divided over rules governing smoking.

The partial implementation prohibits smoking in principle at the premises of public facilities, including schools, nurseries and hospitals.

After the law fully goes into effect next April, smoking will be banned in principle also at business offices and some restaurants, and on passenger planes, buses and in taxis.

Oita Prefectureâ€™s Oita University fully introduced a smoking ban in April 2011. During medical examinations that are held during the spring, each student who smokes holds a one-on-one meeting with a doctor, and nicotine patches or support from nurses is given to them if needed to help them quit smoking.

As a result, the smoking rate among students who attend classes at the universityâ€™s campuses in the city of Oita dropped to 3.7 percent in 2019 from 7 percent in 2013.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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