Society

NTT Docomo to lower mobile phone charges after gov't request

Dec 03 (Kyodo) - NTT Docomo Inc. plans to cut mobile phone fees across the board, sources familiar with the matter said, becoming the first of Japan's major carriers to do so following a government call for the industry to lower charges.

NTT Docomo said Wednesday it will hold a press conference on new service plans Thursday, at which it is expected to outline the details of the lower charges. The new service plans from Japan's leading mobile phone operator by subscribers could spark price competition in a market in which the three largest carriers, including KDDI Corp. and SoftBank Corp., control roughly 90 percent.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has asked mobile phone carriers to slash fees, saying their charges are high compared with other countries.

Prior to taking office in September, Suga said "healthy competition" was necessary and the three mobile phone companies should offer cheaper plans given their profit margins of around 20 percent that are higher than other infrastructure providers such as utilities.

KDDI and SoftBank have already said their budget brands will offer 20-gigabyte plans at lower prices of around 4,000 yen ($38) per month.

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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