Society

Former City Councilor Sentenced to 10 Years for COVID Loan Fraud

OSAKA, Oct 09 (News On Japan) - A former city councilor from Neyagawa City in Osaka Prefecture has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for defrauding the government of a significant sum through COVID-19 relief loans.

Mika Yoshiba, a 44-year-old former city councilor, was convicted for her involvement in three fraud cases. In January 2021, Yoshiba, along with an accomplice who has already been convicted, facilitated a public loan of 600 million yen for a medical corporation in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, from which they swindled 230 million yen as a commission fee.

Throughout the trial, Yoshiba consistently claimed her innocence, arguing that she had been deceived by the accomplice.

However, the Fukuoka District Court rejected her defense, stating that her claims were not only "unreasonable but highly suspicious." The court criticized her motives, highlighting her selfish pursuit of personal gain while serving as a public official, describing her actions as "reckless and self-centered." The court handed down a 10-year prison sentence, along with an order to pay restitution of approximately 1.98 billion yen, in line with the prosecution's request.

Source: YOMIURI

Aoi Festival Kicks Off in Kyoto

The Aoi Festival, one of Kyoto’s three major traditional festivals, began on May 15th with a vibrant procession of around 500 people dressed in elegant Heian-period garments making their way through the streets of the ancient capital.

Japan Marks 150 Years of Meters

Japan’s prototypes of the kilogram and meter, which once served as national standards for weight and length, were presented to the press this week ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Meter Convention, the international treaty that standardized global measurement systems, to be marked on May 20th.

Bluefin Tuna Season Starts Earliest Since 1982 Due to Ocean Warming

The season’s first bluefin tuna catch landed in Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture, on Wednesday morning, marking the earliest start to the summer fishing season since records began in 1982.

Japan's Teachers to Receive Higher Pay and Shorter Hours

A bill to revise the Kyūtoku Law, aiming to improve the treatment of Japan's public school teachers by gradually raising the salary supplement in place of overtime pay from 4% to 10%, was approved by the Lower House Committee on Education on Wednesday after ruling and opposition parties agreed on revisions.

Student Fights for the Right to Be Taught in Japanese Sign Language

A lawsuit over the right to education in Japanese Sign Language concluded at the Sapporo High Court on May 13th, with a junior high school girl using the language in court to state that "Japanese Sign Language is my identity."

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