Society

Minister admits dining with NTT president in potential ethics law breach

Mar 19 (Japan Times) - Communications minister Ryota Takeda admitted Thursday that he dined with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. President Jun Sawada, as had been reported by a weekly magazine.

"It is true that I joined the dinner," Takeda said at a meeting of the communications committee of the House of Representatives.

Takeda said that he left the table after having two to three glasses of beer without ordering anything to eat, and that he paid Y10,000.

"I think my attendance at the gathering was not something that conflicts with the Cabinet's ministerial code of conduct," Takeda said, noting that he did not receive any request from participants regarding the ministry's approval for specific matters.

His action could be a violation of the National Public Service Ethics Law prohibiting central government officials from receiving favors from companies in sectors they regulate. Meals expected to cost more than Y10,000 must also be declared beforehand.

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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