Random Japan

HIGH-TECH JAPAN
The justice ministry is considering a plan to keep tabs on furloughed prisoners using “GPS-equipped cellphones and […] small devices attached to the wrist or ankle.”

Good times for keitai companies: NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank all logged increases in their net profits and operating profits in fiscal 2010.

Meanwhile, NTT Docomo announced a tie-up with Twitter that will allow tweets to show up in iMode search results.

Japan and 20 other nations have adopted the Nagoya Protocol, which is “is aimed at setting rules for the use of genetic resources.”

Japan expressed its displeasure to Russia over a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov to the disputed northern islands last month.

Satoshi Furukawa, a 47-year-old former surgeon from Tokyo, will begin a five-and-a-half-month stint on the International Space Station this week.

Stats

¥174 billion
Donations received by the Japanese Red Cross for its earthquake relief efforts since March 11. That’s $2.15 billion, folks

52,931
Number of disabled people in Japan who found jobs last year—a record high, according to the labor ministry

4.91 million
Cellphones using Android software sold in Japan in fiscal 2010

3.23 million
iPhones sold in Japan in FY

UP, UP AND AWAY (TO MONGOLIA)
Disgraced former sumo champion Asashoryu announced that he will run for political office in his native Mongolia.

Japan’s ANA and Mongolia’s Eznis Airways announced a tie-up that will “aid long-term development of air transportation between the two countries.”

It was also reported that more passengers flew on ANA than JAL last year for the first time since 2002.

The labor ministry reported that “the number of newly employed people with mental disorders jumped 33.2 percent to 14,555.”

There will be 10,800 prizes worth ¥1 million in Japan’s new “Dream Jumbo” lottery, to be drawn on June 14. First prize is a cool ¥200 million.

According to the World Health Organization, Japanese women are—once again—the world’s longest-lived persons. Their life expectancy is 86 years.

Japanese men tied for second place on the life-expectancy list with Iceland, Australia, Switzerland and Israel (80 years), trailing only San Marino’s 82.

However, the WHO warned: “Unless the Japanese control their smoking epidemic, they will likely be overtaken by Australia.”

A knife-wielding assailant robbed a pachinko parlor employee of ¥1.6 million in Osaka. Police are on the lookout for a man wearing “a cap, a white flu mask, glasses, a white shirt and black trousers.”

A lawsuit filed by 14 Muslims claims they “were forced to leave their jobs and live apart from their families” after antiterrorism documents compiled by the MPD were leaked onto the internet.

It was reported that residents near the Futenma air base in Okinawa are concerned about the US military’s decision to replace its fleet of CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters with “accident-prone” MV-22 Ospreys.

Kobe Steel said it has invested a whopping ¥4 billion in a Chinese company that specializes in manufacturing “large processed gas compressors,” whatever the heck those are.

Cops busted a high-ranking official of the Japan Housing Finance Agency for receiving ¥2 million worth of bribes from a Tokyo financial firm.

Bottom Story of the Week: “Gift of Gloves Reignites Dreams” (via The Daily Yomiuri)

Fools Attempt To

Replace A Fool

Do Over

Do Over

Victimizing

The Victims

Why Japan eyes raising consumption tax under social security reform

TOKYO
The Japanese government announced Thursday a social security reform plan including a proposal to double the consumption tax rate to 10% in stages by fiscal 2015. The following are questions and answers concerning the proposed tax hike.

Why does the government think the tax has to be raised?

The main reason is Japan’s aging population, which is swelling social security costs for the government. It says it cannot continue sustaining welfare services with the current tax revenues. Issuing debt is an option but not necessarily the best one because of the country’s deteriorating fiscal health.

Why the consumption tax?

The government says it distributes the burden equally among citizens regardless of age or job situation, unlike income tax, for example, which largely targets the current generation of workers with income.