Japan decides to forbid duty-free purchases by foreign students
The Japanese government has decided to put an end to the system permitting foreign students and other long-term residents to make duty-free purchases, reported Kyodo News.
The government and the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party, Japan is planning to streamline the eligibility of duty-free purchases to tourists and to people with a short-term visa of a maximum of 90 days, as a part of tax reform measures.
According to Kyodo News, the decision comes in response to suspected cases of reselling and complaints of burdensome eligibility checks, sources familiar with the plan said on Sunday.
"Under the current system, which will be revised as part of tax reforms for fiscal 2022, foreign students staying long-term in Japan and not working part-time can make tax-free purchases within six months of entering the country," reported Kyodo News.
There has been some criticism over the time-taking security checks at duty-free stores to check whether the student is working. While, others have complained that stores with lenient security checks end up attracting more customers, reported Kyodo News.

theguardian.com - Aug 16
Waiting lists for Japanese nurseries are finally falling, but many parents have found that securing one of the coveted places comes at a price – taking home their child’s soiled nappies.

stripes.com - Aug 15
Audio recordings of Shoichi Yokoi — the former Japanese soldier who held out for 27 years in the jungles of Guam after the end of World War II — have been obtained by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Nikkei - Aug 14
Japan has set stricter screening requirements for foreign researchers entering the country, aiming to keep sensitive research and technologies from leaking to China and elsewhere.

indianexpress.com - Aug 12
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida replaced the female minister in charge of tackling the country’s falling birthrate and installed a man who sought to deepen his understanding of the issue by trying out a “pregnancy belly.”

econotimes.com - Aug 11
At the start of the 1600s, Japan’s rulers feared that Christianity – which had recently been introduced to the southern parts of the country by European missionaries – would spread.

Kyodo - Aug 10
Japan's population declined to 125.93 million as of Jan. 1, down by 726,342 in its biggest drop since comparable data became available in 2013, as deaths again outnumbered births and COVID-19 border restrictions kept foreign resident numbers low, government data showed Tuesday.

NHK - Aug 06
Students at the University of Tokyo are protesting the termination of make-up exams for people who are unable to take scheduled tests because of the coronavirus.

Nikkei - Aug 04
Japan will consider revamping its quotas for visas issued to skilled foreign workers, putting more emphasis on production of ready-made meals and less on restaurants and hotels to reflect changes in demand amid the pandemic.
ie-today.co.uk - Aug 04
Rugby School Japan (RSJ) is scheduled to open in September 2023. The new facility will be the Rugby School Group’s (RSG) second international school, following the opening of Rugby School Thailand five years ago.

NPR - Jul 30
In a cramped room, Shinichi Netsuno sits cross-legged on a thin mat and guides a stack of specialized paper as it's pounded by a mechanical hammer. In between each sheet is a small square of gold leaf.

Max D. Capo - Jul 29
Jazmine Sachiko Ross is born and raised in Ishikawa prefecture Japan, and despite having both English parents, she only went to Japanese public schooling her entire life.

Nikkein - Jul 29
More than half the foreign technical trainees in a recent survey took on an average of 540,000 yen ($3,950) in debt to come to Japan, with around 80% of trainees from Vietnam and Cambodia carrying such debts.

NHK - Jul 29
Japan's education ministry says it aims to restore the number of foreign students in the country to the pre-pandemic level in around five years.

Japan Today - Jul 25
Police in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, have arrested a 30-year-old elementary school teacher on suspicion of disturbing the public peace after he filmed up a teenage girl’s skirt with his smartphone camera.

soranews24.com - Jul 25
Obesity rates among Japanese school students have started falling after they climbed sharply between the end of 2019 and throughout 2020.

newsonjapan.com - Jul 25
Major procedures like kidney transplants are already quite daunting for adults to think about.