Japan plans another record minimum wage hike, says report
The proposed hike, to about ¥1,118 ($7.43) per hour, would exceed last year's increase of 5% and be the largest since the current system began, the agency added, without citing sources.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration set a target last year of raising the average minimum wage by 42% to ¥1,500 per hour by the end of the decade.
Raising the legally binding minimum wage would boost households' purchasing power, but squeeze profits at small firms that struggle to make ends meet.
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Asahi Shimbun
an hour ago
- Asahi Shimbun
No message from Ishiba on 80th anniversary of end of war
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks with reporters on Aug. 1 after the start of the extraordinary Diet session. (Takeshi Iwashita) Rather than have his name associated with a historic milestone, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has apparently chosen to face political reality. He has abandoned plans to issue a personal message to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, according to several sources. Having been dealt a devastating blow in the Upper House election July 20 and facing calls from within his Liberal Democratic Party to resign, Ishiba has chosen not to rankle conservative elements in the party that would take umbrage at a fresh interpretation of Japan's role in the war. Tomiichi Murayama blazed the trail in 1995 with a statement backed by his Cabinet and issued in his name on Aug. 15 that expressed 'deep remorse' and offered a 'heartfelt apology' for Japan's 'colonial rule and aggression.' Ten years later, on the 60th anniversary, Junichiro Koizumi issued a statement as prime minister that echoed a similar sentiment. In 2015, Shinzo Abe put a special twist to the statement issued under his name. He noted that Japan has 'repeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war' and that the 'position articulated by the previous Cabinets will remain unshakable into the future.' However, he added that, 'We must not let our children, grandchildren, and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologize.' Conservative elements in the LDP felt the Abe statement covered all the bases and that no new message was needed. Ishiba had initially envisaged setting up a panel of experts to assess the process that led Japan to invade China and then go to war with other countries. Based on that evaluation, Ishiba had planned to issue a personal message in line with the 80th anniversary observances on Aug. 15. But with growing calls within the LDP for Ishiba to resign, sources reported little progress in choosing the members to serve on the panel. Others felt that if Ishiba, 68, went ahead and issued a message, it would only add fire to calls for him to resign and place the administration itself in jeopardy. Those close to Ishiba said now is not the right time to broach such a delicate issue as historical understanding. Ishiba has previously stated he wanted to weigh the significance of serving as prime minister on the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, leaving open the possibility of a statement in the autumn or later, depending on the state of internal party dynamics.
Japan Today
2 hours ago
- Japan Today
Ishiba not to make statement on 80th anniversary of WWII end
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has decided not to express his views on World War II on the 80th anniversary of its end on Aug 15 but may do so later, government sources said Friday. Although Ishiba, believed to be relatively dovish, has already decided not to have a prime minister's statement approved at a cabinet meeting, he remains eager to offer his perspective and may do so on another occasion, the sources said. Speculation is growing that he will make the announcement on Sept 2, the date Japan signed the instrument of surrender, rather than Aug 15, when hostilities ceased, according to the sources. The government had begun selecting experts for an advisory panel to help draft Ishiba's views, but political events, such as U.S.-Japan tariff negotiations and the July 20 House of Councillors election, led to the postponement of its formation, the sources said. Recently, Ishiba has faced strong internal pressure within his Liberal Democratic Party to step down following its heavy loss in the upper house election, while also working to implement the U.S.-Japan tariff agreement. On the anniversary of the end of World War II, Ishiba is expected to deliver a speech at a national memorial service in Tokyo, organized by the government to mourn the war dead, the sources said. In March, Ishiba visited Iwoto Island, formerly known as Iwojima, the site of a fierce World War II battle between Japan and the United States in the Pacific, for the first time since taking office late last year. During his campaign speeches for the upper house election, in which his ruling coalition lost its majority in the chamber, he highlighted the impact of air raids across Japan, stressing the importance of learning lessons from the war. Japan's prime ministers marked the 50th, 60th, and 70th anniversaries with statements that have been scrutinized by Asian neighbors, including China and South Korea, which experienced Japanese wartime aggression. On the 50th anniversary in 1995, then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, leader of a major left-leaning party, expressed "deep remorse" and offered his "heartfelt apology" for Japan causing damage and suffering to the people of many nations. In 2015, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a conservative, retained key phrases such as "aggression" and "colonial rule" from the statement a decade earlier and acknowledged Japan's past apologies without offering a new one of his own. Conservative members of the LDP argue Abe's statement on the 70th anniversary marked the end of "apology diplomacy," contending that comments by Ishiba on the 80th anniversary may be unnecessary. © KYODO
Japan Today
2 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan insurer to cover damage caused by emergency bear-shooting
With Japan set to allow the emergency shooting of bears in populated areas from September, an insurance company has decided to offer coverage for damage caused by stray bullets during such operations. The new insurance product for municipalities from Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co provides up to 30 million yen for damage to property, including buildings and vehicles. It does not apply to human injuries or deaths, which are covered by the State Redress Act. The move comes after Japan, faced with more bears coming into contact with humans, amended the law on wildlife protection and management to allow local governments to authorize hunters to shoot a bear or wild boar in emergencies such as when they enter a residential area. The insurance premium is expected to be around 100,000 yen per year, but may vary depending on the frequency of bear appearances and other regional factors, according to the company. Between April and June, one person was killed and 36 injured by bears, according to the Environment Ministry. A 52-year-old newspaper delivery man was also killed by a bear last month in Hokkaido, prompting the prefectural government to issue its first bear warning. © KYODO
