Abe urges people to apply online for swift $930 payments

Apr 18, 2020 | News On Japan

Apr 18, 2020 (Nikkei) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to see people apply for universal 100,000 yen ($930) cash payouts online or via mail to ensure the assistance gets to them quickly, possibly in May.

"Unity with the people is important to overcome the fight against the virus, which could become protracted," the prime minister told a press conference Friday, explaining the cash assistance.

Residents can apply "by mail or online," not at local government offices, Abe said, adding "We want to prioritize speed while also avoiding having floods of people [at the offices] that would heighten the risk of transmitting the virus."

The government has decided to give a cash handout of 100,000 yen to every resident, regardless of income and age, after a haphazard withdrawal of an earlier proposal to give 300,000 yen to qualifying households that had lost income. Heavy criticism of the earlier plan from the public, including coalition partner Komeito, forced Abe to scrap it.

"I apologize to the people for creating confusion in the decision-making process," Abe told reporters.

Abe brought up Japan's heavy reliance on medical supplies, apologizing "as the prime minister" for a shortage of masks and other protective gear for medical personnel treating coronavirus patients.

"It's a problem that we depend heavily on foreign sources, especially China," he said.

On U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to cut off funding for the World Health Organization over alleged mismanagement of the pandemic, Abe said, "Japan is not considering reducing its contribution," adding that "we must support the WHO."

"It is true that [the WHO] has its problems and challenges," he said. "We should fully examine its functioning after the coronavirus outbreak is under control."

The cash handouts, designed to cushion the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to cost 14 trillion yen ($130 billion), the prime minister said. Although Abe did not specify when exactly the cash would get to households, he said it would take "another week" for it to be deliberated in parliament.

Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services.

Mount Fuji Puts on First Snowcap

Mount Fuji has received its first snowcap of the season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 30, after temperatures at the summit plunged to minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, marking the arrival of winter conditions on Japan's highest mountain.

Chinese Female Spy Suspected of Targeting Nvidia Chief

U.S. intelligence agencies suspect that a Chinese female intelligence operative developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an attempt to obtain confidential corporate and U.S. government information, according to a report published by The New York Times on October 29th.

Japan Blocks Websites Leaking GMO Personal Data

The Japanese government has asked major telecommunications operators to forcibly block access to websites believed to contain personal information stolen in a cyberattack on GMO, it emerged on October 29th, as authorities moved to prevent further exposure of sensitive data online.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Typhoon No. 31 was located near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, as of 3 a.m. on October 30, and was expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo over the October 31-November 1 weekend while maintaining very strong intensity, bringing a growing risk of dangerously high waves, powerful swells and extremely rough seas.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Landlords Bear Financial Burden of Lonely Deaths

Japan's rapidly aging population is facing a growing crisis of elderly people dying alone at home, with grieving families sometimes unable to see their loved ones before burial and landlords increasingly forced to shoulder substantial cleanup and estate clearance costs when relatives abandon their inheritance.

Prison Inmates Help Preserve Japan's Traditional Crafts

Traditional Japanese crafts are finding an unexpected source of skilled workers in prisons across the country, where inmates are learning painstaking production techniques that build patience and concentration while helping preserve industries struggling with a shortage of craftspeople.

South Korean Man Arrested Over Killing of Japanese Woman Following Stock Crash

A Japanese woman in her 20s was found dead at an apartment complex in Cheonan, central South Korea, on October 29th, prompting police to detain a South Korean man in his 30s on suspicion of murder after he allegedly confessed to killing her because he had decided to commit suicide following stock market losses but could not bring himself to die alone.

Japan's Imperial Family Hosts Autumn Garden Party

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted the annual autumn garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on October 29, welcoming approximately 1,400 guests, including actor Kotaro Yoshida and novelist Miyuki Miyabe, while female members of the Imperial Family attended in traditional Japanese attire.

Rescuers Save Paraglider Who Stopped Breathing

A 59-year-old water sports rental shop owner in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture, has received a letter of appreciation from police after rescuing a paraglider who plunged into a lake on September 21, pulling the unconscious man from the water and performing CPR after discovering he was no longer breathing.

Couple's Gardening Hobby Turns Out to Be Cannabis Cultivation

A married couple in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been arrested after police discovered cannabis plants growing in pots on the terrace of their home during a search connected to a separate investigation, authorities said on October 28th.

Elderly Woman Drives Along Railway Tracks, Ends in Tragedy

A woman in her 80s was killed after her car entered railway tracks on the Odakyu Enoshima Line in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on October 27, with security camera footage showing the vehicle traveling along the tracks, passing an oncoming train and stopping with its hazard lights flashing before being struck from behind by another train.

Teen Hospitalized After Electric Shock From Basketball Hoop

A teenage male was rushed to a hospital after suffering an electric shock while putting away a motorized basketball hoop at a gymnasium in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in an accident believed to have been caused by an incompatible extension cord, according to a report on October 27th.

< 2 3 4 5 >