News On Japan

Debate on Tokyo's Costly Projection Mapping as Food Distribution Continues

TOKYO, Jul 05 (News On Japan) - In the upcoming Tokyo gubernatorial election, a key issue is incumbent Governor Yuriko Koike's projection mapping project.

Last Saturday, a 100-meter-tall 'Godzilla' was projected onto the wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

'I’ve never seen anything this big before.'

'It was interesting.'

Since late February, this projection mapping event has been held daily. Including related projects, approximately 4.8 billion yen has been allocated over two years.

Incumbent Yuriko Koike emphasized the significance of the project: 'I have been creating something out of nothing. Places that were empty are now filled with people.'

However, at the foot of the same building, free food distribution takes place every Saturday.

A 22-year-old male university student living in Tokyo, receiving scholarships to pay tuition and working part-time at a convenience store, stood in line for food distribution for the first time last Saturday.

'It’s very tight. Sometimes I can only afford one meal a day.'

A 45-year-old man on welfare highlighted the severe impact of rising prices.

'Everything is getting more expensive.'

He expressed frustration over the projection mapping project.

'Isn’t this a misuse of funds? It seems utterly foolish.'

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has implemented support measures such as providing food to households exempt from resident tax, with the threshold for single households set at an annual income of 1 million yen or less.

A survey conducted by JNN on June 22 revealed that about 50% of respondents believe the projection mapping project needs to be reviewed.

Regarding the gubernatorial candidates:

Former Upper House member Renho stated on June 27: 'If there are lights and shadows, I will shine light on the shadows of disparity until they fade, and those in the shadows can stand and walk on their own.'

Renho does not oppose projection mapping as a tourism policy but suggests limiting the event duration and reallocating the remaining budget to welfare policies.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A professional women’s golf tournament scheduled to begin on July 17th in Miyagi Prefecture was canceled after a bear was spotted on the course, as bear-related incidents continue to mount in northern Japan.

A host club operator in Nagoya has been arrested for allegedly threatening a female customer at her home in an attempt to collect about 1 million yen in unpaid club bills. This marks the first such arrest in Japan following the enforcement of revised regulations on the adult entertainment industry.

Nissan Motor announced on the evening of July 15th that it will end vehicle production at its key Oppama Plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, by the end of fiscal 2027. Company President Ivan Espinosa held a press conference at 5 p.m. to explain the decision.

About 300 railway enthusiasts gathered near JR Ōmiya Station in Saitama City around 3 a.m. on July 13th, creating chaos that escalated to the point of police intervention.

Sexual deepfakes, created using generative AI, are rapidly emerging as a new form of digital abuse, with cases increasing across Japan. Without their knowledge, individuals—especially minors—are finding their photos misused to produce sexually explicit images or videos, often in under a minute.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Politics NEWS

The government has launched a new command organization under the Cabinet Secretariat to oversee foreign resident policies, aiming to strengthen responses to crimes and nuisance behavior involving foreigners.

The ruling coalition is facing an increasingly difficult battle to retain its majority in Japan’s House of Councillors, according to a mid-campaign opinion poll by FNN ahead of the July 20th election. Meanwhile, the minor party Sanseitō is showing strong momentum and could see a significant boost in its number of seats.

With Japan facing a labor shortage due to its aging population, immigration policy has emerged as a key issue in the upcoming Upper House election in July. On July 9th, the topic was discussed in depth by news program “It!”, which highlighted public concerns and political stances regarding the role of foreign nationals in Japanese society.

The Ground Self-Defense Force has deployed its first V-22 Osprey to a newly opened base in Saga, with all 17 aircraft to be relocated from Chiba by mid-August as part of Japan’s shift to strengthen defense in the southwest region.

Japan’s position on its handling of World Cultural Heritage sites, including Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) in Nagasaki City, has been upheld by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which rejected South Korea’s demand for a renewed review of Japan’s efforts.

As Japan's Upper House election approaches, party leaders debated whether restrictions should be placed on foreign property ownership. Amid soaring housing prices—especially in Tokyo where secondhand condominium prices now exceed 100 million yen—seven of the eight major political parties expressed support for some form of regulation on foreign homebuyers.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed doubts about reaching a trade agreement with Japan and hinted at the possibility of imposing tariffs of 30% to 35%.

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again voiced strong dissatisfaction with Japan over automobile tariffs, a key issue in ongoing trade talks between the two countries, criticizing Japan for not importing American cars and calling the situation unfair.