News On Japan

National Health Insurance premiums to be raised

TOKYO, Oct 28 (News On Japan) - Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has proposed raising the upper limit on annual insurance premiums for self-employed people by 20,000 yen starting next year.

National Health Insurance is an insurance system that self-employed people and non-regular employees enroll in.

Premiums increase depending on the person's ability to pay, but there is a cap on the amount.

From next fiscal year, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will raise the upper limit for medical care from 870,000 yen to 890,000 yen among insurance premiums consisting of "medical care" and "nursing care" in order to respond to rising medical costs due to factors such as the aging of the population.

Targets are high-income households with an annual income of approximately 11.6 million yen or more, which is expected to account for 1.35% of all subscribers.

On the other hand, the upper limit of 170,000 yen for nursing care paid by members aged 40 to 64 will remain unchanged.

The maximum amount of National Health Insurance premiums has been raised almost every year, except for fiscal year 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A special session of the Diet convened on October 21st, where Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Takeuchi is expected to be chosen as Japan’s next prime minister in the afternoon’s leadership vote. Following a coalition agreement reached on October 20th between the LDP and Nippon Ishin no Kai, Takeuchi’s appointment is now virtually certain, paving the way for her to become the first woman in Japan’s constitutional history to lead the government.

Typhoon No. 24 (Fung-shen) is strengthening over the South China Sea and is expected to make landfall in Vietnam later this week, according to forecasts. Satellite images on October 201st show extensive cloud coverage over the central South China Sea. After passing over the Philippines, Fung-shen temporarily weakened but is projected to intensify again as it continues westward through Tuesday.

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

Investigators from the Immigration Services Agency conducted on-site inspections in Osaka on October 14th amid a surge in so-called 'paper companies' created by foreign nationals seeking residency.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Politics NEWS

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) leader Hirofumi Yoshimura held a joint press conference in Tokyo after signing a coalition agreement. The deal aims to strengthen parliamentary cooperation and policy alignment on economic reform and national security.

Maebashi Mayor Akira Ogawa announced his decision to remain in office during an emergency press conference held on October 17th at 3:30 p.m., following public criticism over a scandal involving a meeting with a married city employee at a hotel.

Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who served as Japan's 81st prime minister and led the country through major events including the 1995 Kobe earthquake, passed away on the morning of July 14th at a hospital in Oita City. He was 101 years old.

The departure of Komeito from the ruling coalition has thrown Japan’s political landscape into deeper uncertainty, as attention now turns to the prime minister selection vote expected to take place in the Diet next week. With the Liberal Democratic Party’s new president Takaichi aiming for the top post, the outcome will hinge on shifting alliances and last-minute negotiations among rival parties.

Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly decided on October 14th to replace its traditional 18-karat gold member badges with gold-plated ones, in response to soaring gold prices that recently hit a record high.

The abrupt collapse of the long-standing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)–Komeito coalition ahead of the upcoming prime ministerial vote has thrown Japanese politics into flux, complicating the path for Takaichi to take office and intensifying behind-the-scenes maneuvering among all major parties. Takaichi, who visited the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) headquarters earlier this week, was met with criticism over remarks describing an opposition figure as “damaged goods,” a sign of heightened tensions just two days before Komeito’s dramatic departure from the coalition.

The Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki reaffirmed on October 11 that his party will not cooperate with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) in unifying opposition candidates for the upcoming prime minister designation vote in the next extraordinary Diet session.

Komeito leader Saito informed Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Takaichi on October 10 that his party intends to withdraw from their coalition, bringing an end to a political partnership that has lasted 26 years, including periods when the LDP was in opposition. Leaders and secretary-generals of both parties met in the Diet at 1:45 p.m. on October 10 to discuss whether to continue the alliance, with Komeito insisting during the meeting that strengthening regulations on corporate and organizational political donations be accepted as a condition for maintaining the coalition.