Society

Japan intends to distribute $880 to minors as post-pandemic relief

Nov 06 (devdiscourse.com) - The Japanese government with the support of the ruling coalition plan to give 1,00,000 yen (USD 878) in cash to every citizen aged 18 and younger in a bid to mitigate the post-coronavirus effects, the Kyodo news agency reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The authorities and the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Komeito Party also intend to distribute 30,000 yen among holders of the so-called "My Number" ID cards. The initiative involving the national identification system is aimed at boosting consumption and ensuring faster economic recovery after the pandemic, the sources told the agency.

The measures in question were a part of the economic agenda in the election campaign of the ruling coalition, which secured 293 out of 465 seats in the parliament's lower chamber last weekend. The packages also aim to promote the unpopular "My Number" system, introduced in Japan in early 2016 for the country's citizens and foreigners to combine all personal data about one user from various administrative systems into one. Every holder has a personal 12-digit ID number.

However, many Japanese residents fear the system to be unreliable in terms of possible leakage of private data.

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.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.