J Update

A bill for revisioning the Civil Code, which enable divorced parents to share joint child custody, passed the Diet. While the revision is aimed at urging divorced parents responsible for raising their child, it is still concerned that one of the parents may continue domestic violence by keeping family relationship. Family court will decide to apply single child custody in such a case. Thus, right decision of family courts will be essential for protecting a child with divorced parents.   It was 1898 when the Civil Code under the Meiji government determined single child custody for father. Authority of father in a family was extremely strong in paternal society in the Meiji era. The Civil Code was revised after the World War II when the Constitution of Japan was established, and parents became to share joint child custody as long as they keep their marriage.   However, once the parents divorced, the custody belongs to one of the parents. The revised law changes that system with a notion

Concerning public criticisms against the slush fund scandal, the Liberal Democratic Party submitted a bill for revising the Political Funds Control Act to the Diet. The ruling party failed in reaching an agreement with its coalition partner, Komeito, to co-sponsor the bill, because they differed each other over the details of regulation. Komeito’s reluctancy for cooperation with LDP may have stemmed from public denial against LDP shown in the by-elections in April.   LDP and Komeito has reached a rough deal on the amendment last week. However, they could not agree on some details over how to regulate the sales of ticket for fundraising parties or disclosure of funds disseminated to party leaders. Although two parties continued negotiation for co-sponsoring the bill this week.   The LDP gave up its effort to persuade Komeito, considering the schedule of the Diet. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would make his best to pass the amendment by the end of this session closing i

The Board of Audit (BOA) of Japan released the result of its   survey   on how the local governments use My Number system, the digital system of identification number provided for each individual by the national government. The survey found an unexpected fact that only a few kinds of information was used for enhancing administrative efficiency. It proved that My Number system can not necessarily make the relationship between the people and public office smooth.   BOA recognizes that the government of Japan upheld the basic plan of reform for digital society in 2020, which aimed at achieving simplification, efficiency and transparency in introducing digital system in administration. Especially, it focused on the My Number system which should be fair and just for the people. Since the system was introduced with subsidy for the local government, BOA has an interest on how it is working for the users.   According to the survey, the My Number system has 1,258 kinds of function available for

Despite Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes the people to realize the gift from economic growth, real wage in Japan does not show obvious rise. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released   the Monthly Labor Survey for March 2024 , which marked new record of decline in real wage for twenty-four consecutive months. It is skeptical that Kishida will reach his goal of achieving a rise of real wage within this year. According to the survey, the total cash earnings in March was ¥301,193, which showed 0.6% of increase from the same month of the previous year. The ministry estimated, however, that the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 3.1% in March. Thus, the real wage in March was concluded as 2.5% of decline.   The real wage showed 1.8% of decrease in February. It is sure that the decline of real wage is accelerated. The total cash earnings marked high growth in March 2023. Therefore, the real wage in this March significantly declined, when it was compared to the result in the same

The Committee on Internal Affairs and Communications of the House of Representatives began discussion over amendment of the Local Autonomy Act, which would vest the national government an authority of issuing “directions” to the local governments in the time of emergency. The opposition parties oppose the amendment, arguing it would fundamentally break up the parity between the national and the local governments.   The discussion for the amendment started last December, when the Local Government System Research Council, an advisory organization for the Prime Minister, submitted a report on Japanese society in post-COVID era.   Referring to the measures for infected passengers on a major cruising ship, the Diamond Princess, in which the national and local government were required integrated actions beyond the border of governments, the report concluded that the Local Autonomy Act should be amended to deal with that kind of events.   “To ensure that necessary measures can appropriately a

The Metropolitan Police Department raided the office of the Party of Tsubasa with suspect of violating the Public Offices Election Act. The party is suspected as disturbing campaigns of other candidates by loud chanting in the by-election in Tokyo 15 th   district of the House of Representatives last month. Although the party leader argued that they had simply exercised their freedom of speech, the argument is regarded as a misinterpretation of democracy.   The police investigated some offices of the party in Tokyo with the reports of other parties which campaign speeches on the street had been disturbed by chanting through loud speaker or persistently trailing campaign car. The head of Tsubasa, Atsuhiko Kurokawa, the party’s candidate for Tokyo 15 th , Ryosuke Nemoto, and another party officer are suspected as having violated the law which prohibits disturbing freedom of election.   According to the  news reports , those three members obstructed public speech of Hirotada Ototake, an i

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare released an estimation that one out of three aged people in 65 years old or older in Japan will have dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in 2040. Although the estimated number of people with the disease has decreased, dementia remains to be a great social problem of Japan in the future. The government of Japan needs to accelerate its effort to improve the measures to deal with it. Dementia is a symptom with human aging, in which gradually decline in memory or social skills with insufficient function of brain. It has variety of shapes, including Alzheimer’s disease or Lewy body dementia. To deal with increase of the disease has been a major issue for Japanese society in the future, which already is highly aged.   The estimate of MHLW expected the number of people with dementia will rise from 4.43 million (12.3 percent) in 2022 to 5.84 million (14.9 percent) in 2040, the year when the number of aged people in 65 years old or older will be pea

Former accounting manager of Abe faction, Jun-ichiro Matsumoto, pleaded guilty with the slush fund scandal, in which factions in Liberal Democratic Party disseminated secret money to their lawmakers, in the trial at Tokyo District Court on April 10 th . Matsumoto also argued that he did not know about the money which some lawmakers had not passed over to the faction. It is still unclear who is responsible for the money which was kept by some lawmakers. Matsumoto’s appearance to the court marked the first trial for ten people, three lawmakers and seven accounting managers, indicted in the slush fund scandal which has been shaking Fumio Kishida administration and LDP.   In the trial, the prosecutors explained the overall structure of the scandal. The factions had fundraising parties in which the member lawmakers had quota for selling its tickets. Abe faction received the sales of ticket from the lawmakers, but the faction returned the sales beyond the quota to the lawmakers as kickback.

The Mayor of Genkai Town, Saga, Shintaro Wakiyama, announced on May 10 th   that the town would accept the offer of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for “literature survey” on feasibility of building a final disposal site of high-level radioactive waste. Genkai became the third local government to accept that survey, following the two in Hokkaido, and the first one with nuclear power plant. Genkai will receive ¥2 billion of reward in turn.   In a meeting of local assembly of Genkai, Wakiyama revealed his decision of accepting the literature survey. “We have contributed to the national policies in many ways. It is a significant decision for us to accept the literature survey,” said Wakiyama in his press conference after the announcement in the assembly.   Wakiyama was negative on building the final disposal site for nuclear waste in Genkai, even though it would be the purpose of the survey. “I hope that our stepping forward can be a momentum for the national government to find a

Facing public criticisms on the slush fund scandal, Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, reached a rough agreement on reforming regulations over political funds. While they agreed on introducing new rules to make them transparent, both parties failed in concluding some details which would be the fundamental elements to restore public confidence on politics. It is unlikely that the people are going to approve the effort of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and raise their support for him. After returning the official visit to the United States, Kishida ordered his LDP leaders to accelerate the discussion between LDP and Komeito over the political funds reform. Considering historical low of approval rate for Kishida administration, it seemed indispensable for him to conclude the scandal by passing bills for the reform within this ordinary session of the Diet ending June 23 rd . The secretary generals of both parties have accumulated negotiation for achieving an agreeme

This is the way the government of Japan faces to the victims of industrial development in the high economic growth period. In the hearing from the victims of Minamata disease on May 1 st , an official of Ministry of Environment cut the volume of microphone off, during a victim’s husband was speaking about how his wife had died with the disease. The victims strongly opposed to the cold attitude of the ministry. Minister of Environment, Shintaro Ito, who had been at the meeting, apologized. Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, announced that he would not replace Ito by his mishandling of the meeting.   The meeting was held for Ito to hear opinions of the victims’ family of Minamata disease on the day which marked sixty-eighth anniversary of official recognition of the disease.   In the  hearing , the Vice-chair of Minamata Disease Patients’ Union, Shigemitsu Matsuzaki, was speaking about his wife, who died with the disease last spring, with saying “It hurts, it hurts.” During he was telling th

The House of Representatives started discussion on revision of the Local Autonomy Law, which would vest the national government a power to instruct local government in an emergency. It may change the relationship between the national and local government, which has been recognized as equal. The opposition parties oppose the amendment, arguing that it would give the national government an excessive power.   With the Meiji Restoration, the national government abolished the feudal system, introducing modern governance. However, its autonomy was not sufficient. The governor of each prefecture was appointed by the national government. The local governments subordinated to the national government. It was as late as 2000 when  the Comprehensive Decentralization Law  was enacted and the relationship between the national and local government was defined as equal.   The national government found inconvenience in the relationship between the national and local government, when COVID-19 was preval

The Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, gave a   speech  on Japan’s diplomacy toward Latin American and the Caribbean in São Paulo, Brazil, on May 4 th . In the speech titled “Paving a Pathway to ‘Human Dignity’ with Latin America and the Caribbean,” Kishida insisted on further cooperation between Japan and the countries in the region based on democratic value. It was obviously to enhance the presence of Japan and to reduce the influence of authoritarian regimes such as China or Russia. It was the first opportunity in these ten years for a prime minister of Japan to give a policy speech toward Latin America and the Caribbean. At the beginning of his speech, Kishida noted that he had visited São Paulo in 2013 as the minister for foreign affairs and got back as the prime minister to further promote the cooperation with the countries.   Kishida raised three pathways as the visions toward human dignity. Firstly, he argued necessity of ensuring free and open international order based on the rule

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry requested Genkai Town, Saga, to accept “literature survey” for building a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste. Genkai is going to answer within this month. If it accepts, it will be the third place to accept that survey, following two places in Hokkaido. Main reason to accept the survey is supposed to be subsidy from the national government.   Japan has no final disposal site. Among all 54 reactors in 17 nuclear power generation plant, 12 reactors of 6 plants are operating. The rest of them are not in operation, some of which are determined to be decommissioned. Used nuclear fuels are stocked in each plant, 　 or have sent to a reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Aomori. There are two plans to stock nuclear wastes in the intermediate facility for disposal, one is already built and another is still in negotiation.   Nuclear Fuel Final Disposal Act in 2000 determines to bury nuclear waste in the underground. Literature survey, which is

The defense ministers of Australia, Philippines, Japan and the United States announced in their serious concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas, where Chinese vessels exercise dangerous and destabilizing conducts. They stressed their commitment to further cooperation each other for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. This is one of the series of efforts to deal with China’s unilateral advance to the Pacific through building frameworks of countries in the region. This was the second meeting by those ministers of four countries, since they met in Singapore last June. The  joint readout of the meeting held in Hawaii this time insisted their concern over China’s repeated obstruction of Philippines vessels’ exercise of freedom of navigation, including the disruption of supply lines to Second Thomas Shoal. They agreed on enhancing their defense cooperation in support of regional security and stability.   “ The Ministers and Secretaries discussed opportunities to further

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would establish an international framework for setting rules on artificial intelligence at a ministerial council of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris on May 2 nd . It would be an extended group of the Hiroshima AI Process, which Kishida took an initiative in the Group of Seven Summit meeting last May, with participation of forty-nine countries or regions. Kishida hopes to demonstrate his leadership in this issue as the chairman of OECD this year.   G7 leaders shared a recognition in Hiroshima Summit that the governance of digital economy, in areas such as AI, should continue to be updated in line with shared democratic values, including fairness, accountability, transparency and safety. “We task relevant ministers to establish the Hiroshima AI Process -- in an inclusive manner and in cooperation with the OECD and the Global Partnership on AI,” says  G7 Leaders’ Communiqué .   The leaders issued a  statement

It is the Constitution Day. National Holidays Act prescribes that it is the day for commemorating enactment of the Constitution of Japan and expecting growth of the nation. While the conservative lawmakers try to push forward the discussion for amendment of the Constitution, the liberal powers are careful for it, questioning legitimacy for arguing amendment of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has been involved in the slush fund scandal. Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, still cannot find the way to implement his campaign promise for LDP president in 2021 that he would achieve the amendment within his term expiring September. A  poll  conducted by  Kyodo News  showed that 33% of responders thought the amendment needed to be accelerated, while 65% answered that it needed not to be accelerated. 72% expected to put priority on reaching a broader consensus including the parties careful for the amendment. 24% thought that the willing parties should start making a draft.   Do they think that