Society

Suga vows to 'create a Cabinet that works for people' after LDP election win

Sep 15 (Japan Times) - Newly elected Liberal Democratic Party President Yoshihide Suga, who is set to become Japan's next leader later this week, has vowed to 'create a Cabinet that works for people.'

In a post-election news conference on Monday, Suga expressed his determination to push forward with government reforms and deregulation in Japan by including in his Cabinet “reform-minded people who are found in various factions.”

“Since there is a change of prime minister, I will venture the promotion of people who are fit to carry out my policies,” he said, while expressing his intent to work toward launching a digital agency and tackle issues such as revising the country’s pacifist Constitution.

Suga plans to retain LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai and Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Hiroshi Moriyama in an LDP leadership reshuffle Tuesday, LDP sources said. Suga also intends to appoint Tsutomu Sato, a former internal affairs and communications minister, as chairman of the party’s General Council.

Hakubun Shimomura, the current LDP election strategy committee chairman, will take over the partyâ€™s policy council chairman title, replacing Suga’s election rival, Fumio Kishida, public broadcaster NHK reported.

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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