News On Japan

Revised Family Registry Law Takes Effect

TOKYO, May 26 (News On Japan) - A revised Family Registry Act requiring kana (phonetic reading) to be included alongside names in the official family registry came into effect on May 26th. Postcards listing the planned kana readings will now be sent by municipalities to all residents across Japan.

Currently, names in the family registry are not registered with kana. With the enforcement of the amended law, phonetic readings will officially be recorded starting May 26th next year.

To prepare, local governments will begin sending notification postcards from May 26th onward, informing residents of the kana spelling that will be recorded for their registered names.

If the kana shown on the postcard is correct, no action is required. However, if there is an error, individuals must report the correction via the government’s My Number Portal or at their local municipal office by May 25th next year.

The Ministry of Justice emphasized that no payment is required to submit corrections and urged the public to be cautious of potential fraud schemes related to the notification process.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A permanent gate has been installed at the Yamanashi Prefecture entrance to the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, unveiled on June 13. Authorities hope the new measure will help address the ongoing problem of reckless climbing attempts.

A former resort area in the Otamoi district of Otaru City has hit a major roadblock in its redevelopment plans. "This is the Otamoi coastline," explained a Ryugu Cruise guide. "There used to be a building here called Ryugukaku, a high-end restaurant. It's hard to believe."

The Pension System Reform Law was passed and enacted at the Upper House plenary session on June 13th with majority support from the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, the Constitutional Democratic Party and others.

Riding a bicycle while holding an umbrella, a practice often seen during the rainy season in Japan, poses significant danger as it becomes more frequent with the arrival of June rains.

The Diet has passed legislation to establish the Science Council of Japan as an independent corporation, separating it from direct government control.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Politics NEWS

Amid rising rice prices, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi has stirred debate by floating the idea of emergency rice imports. This is not his first confrontation with Japan’s powerful agricultural cooperatives. Nearly a decade ago, Koizumi attempted major reforms of JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives), only to face fierce resistance from entrenched interests within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

More than half of female local assembly members in Japan have experienced harassment, according to a Cabinet Office survey released on June 6th.

Tachibana, head of the NHK Party, has been referred to prosecutors on suspicion of defaming a Hyogo prefectural assembly member during last year’s gubernatorial election campaign, according to investigative sources.

The number of applications for public assistance in fiscal 2024 rose 3.2% from the previous year to 259,353, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This marks the fifth consecutive year of increase.

Opposition parties submitted three bills to the Diet on May 30th seeking to introduce a system allowing married couples to retain separate surnames—a topic that returned to parliamentary deliberation for the first time in 28 years.

Akie Abe, widow of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, visited the Kremlin on May 29th and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, Akie was seen tearfully listening to Putin’s words, reflecting the emotional nature of their exchange. Following the conversation, she was invited to ride in Putin’s official limousine to the Bolshoi Theatre, where the two attended a ballet performance together.

Prime Minister Ishiba met with Montenegrin Prime Minister Spajic in Tokyo on May 28th during the latter’s official visit to Japan, marking what both leaders described as a historic occasion.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has temporarily halted new applications for discretionary contracts to purchase rice from government reserves, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on May 27th. The decision comes after applications for 2022-harvest rice reached the quota limit of 200,000 tons.