Latest news with #MyNumber
The Star
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Japan to introduce automated driving system for official govt vehicles
The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. - Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun file TOKYO: The government aims to introduce an automated driving system for vehicles used by national and local government officials for official duties, according to a draft strategy revealed Thursday (May 29) for the promotion of the digitisation of the automotive industry. With autonomous vehicles becoming more common, it has been pointed out that Japan is falling behind. The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry as well as the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry are working to promote the introduction of the vehicles through more public-private cooperation amid intensifying international competition. For that purpose, government procurement will be utilised. As vehicles used for official government duties often use specific routes, it is believed that those vehicles can be easily replaced with autonomous ones. In autumn, the government will begin conducting pilot tests, in which autonomous vehicles drive regular routes back and forth between the economy ministry building and the Diet Building. Test runs for autonomous trucks are currently underway on a section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway. Starting in or after fiscal 2026, the tests will be expanded to include general roads between logistic facilities and expressway exits and entrances. If automated driving is realized on general roads, it will create an environment in which such services as automated deliveries and joint deliveries to improve load efficiency will become easier. Efforts to share data across automakers will also be strengthened. In addition, the government aims to strengthen the resilience of supply chains. Learning from the Covid-19 pandemic, when a shortage of semiconductor chips led to factory operations being shut down, a system will be established to enable automakers to share information regarding the procurement status of the chips, among other things, starting this fiscal year. The government will also study ways to enhance the convenience of services such as ride-sharing services, in which individuals use their private vehicles to transport others for a fee, by linking the My Number identification system to vehicle information. - The Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan to Introduce Automated Driving System for Official Govt Vehicles; Test Runs for Automated Govt Vehicles to Begin in Autumn
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo The government aims to introduce an automated driving system for vehicles used by national and local government officials for official duties, according to a draft strategy revealed Thursday for the promotion of the digitization of the automotive industry. With autonomous vehicles becoming more common, it has been pointed out that Japan is falling behind. The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry as well as the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry are working to promote the introduction of the vehicles through more public-private cooperation amid intensifying international competition. For that purpose, government procurement will be utilized. As vehicles used for official government duties often use specific routes, it is believed that those vehicles can be easily replaced with autonomous ones. In autumn, the government will begin conducting pilot tests, in which autonomous vehicles drive regular routes back and forth between the economy ministry building and the Diet Building. Test runs for autonomous trucks are currently underway on a section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway. Starting in or after fiscal 2026, the tests will be expanded to include general roads between logistic facilities and expressway exits and entrances. If automated driving is realized on general roads, it will create an environment in which such services as automated deliveries and joint deliveries to improve load efficiency will become easier. Efforts to share data across automakers will also be strengthened. In addition, the government aims to strengthen the resilience of supply chains. Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, when a shortage of semiconductor chips led to factory operations being shut down, a system will be established to enable automakers to share information regarding the procurement status of the chips, among other things, starting this fiscal year. The government will also study ways to enhance the convenience of services such as ride-sharing services, in which individuals use their private vehicles to transport others for a fee, by linking the My Number identification system to vehicle information.
Yomiuri Shimbun
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
My Number Cards for Health Insurance: Sluggish Usage Rate Shows Lack of User-friendliness
There have been a spate of problems surrounding the use of My Number identification cards that function as health insurance certificates. The government should strengthen measures to ensure that patients can visit medical institutions with peace of mind. When the Japanese Medical and Dental Practitioners for the Improvement of Medical Care (Hodanren) surveyed nearly 10,000 medical institutions in 33 prefectures, it was found that 90% of them had experienced problems related to My Number insurance cards since December last year, when the government stopped issuing new paper health insurance certificates. With multiple answers allowed, 60% of the respondents that reported problems said that 'some kanji characters are not displayed correctly,' and 40% said they experienced 'poor card reader connection and authentication errors.' More than 10% reported that they had patients pay the full amount of their medical fees because they could not use their My Number insurance cards. The introduction of My Number insurance cards was supposed to make procedures more convenient. If it causes inconvenience to patients, it defeats the purpose. The fact that the usage rate is still in the 20% range is probably due to the public's deep-rooted distrust of the system. An 'expiration date' problem was also reported at 30% of the medical institutions. A My Number card, the physical embodiment of a My Number insurance card, contains an 'electronic certificate' with a validity period of five years, which is used to identify the holder, among other purposes. About 28 million people are due for renewal of the electronic certificates this fiscal year. But it is believed that many people will continue to try to receive medical care without being aware of the expiration date. It seems that the system of My Number insurance cards is complicated, and the government also has not sufficiently informed the public about the renewal. The government must identify the issues and take immediate action to solve them. For people who do not have My Number insurance cards, a 'certificate of eligibility,' which serves as a substitute for a health insurance certificate, is issued by entities such as health insurance associations to which the individuals belong. However, this system is also extremely difficult to understand. The government intends to issue certificates of eligibility to everyone aged 75 or older as a provisional operational step until July 2026. This is because many elderly people find it difficult to use My Number insurance cards, and some welfare facilities are concerned about managing the cards. In contrast, the Shibuya and Setagaya ward governments in Tokyo plan to soon send certificates of eligibility to all national health insurance subscribers in the wards, regardless of whether they have My Number insurance cards. This is an unusual measure that allows people other than the elderly to have both a My Number insurance card and a certificate of eligibility. Although this measure may seem to go against the central government's policy of aiming to promote the use of My Number insurance cards, the decision by the two wards may be more reasonable, considering the current situation of a spate of problems at medical institutions and the convenience of users. The digitalization of administrative and medical services is an important issue. However, if the government is in such a rush to spread digital technology that it pushes ahead too aggressively, it will not be able to win the trust of the public. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 23, 2025)
Asahi Shimbun
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Nippon Ishin submits bill to Diet to legalize maiden names
Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) members heads to the Lower House to submit a bill to legalize the use of maiden names as common names on May 19. (Takeshi Iwashita) Opposition Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) submitted a bill to the Lower House on May 19 to maintain the much-criticized 'one-surname' policy but allow for the legal use of maiden names. The party's plan is a departure from the bill submitted by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in April to allow married couples to use dual surnames. Nippon Ishin's bill would essentially uphold the principle of 'same family register and same family surname.' But it would also legally recognize a married person's maiden name as a 'common name' if so desired. Currently, couples can use dual surnames for their passports and My Number identification cards, but Nippon Ishin's bill would allow the use of only the legal common names. Public opinion polls have shown increasing support for a change in the legal system to allow couples to register their marriages under dual surnames. There have also been calls within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to legalize the use of maiden names, but LDP leadership is cautious about consolidating the party's views. Like the bill submitted by the CDP, Nippon Ishin's proposal does not appear to be supported by a majority in the Lower House, so it likely won't be passed during the current Diet session. 'LOSS OF IDENTITY' Article 750 of the Civil Code stipulates that upon marriage, 'the husband or wife shall take the family name of his or her spouse.' This means married couples in Japan are obliged to use the same family name. An overwhelming 95 percent of married couples take the husband's surname, according to a 2023 survey by the Cabinet Office. Critics have said the spouse who loses his or her family name upon marriage faces such disadvantages as a 'loss of identity' and 'inconvenience in daily life and work.' However, opponents of a dual-surname system argue that it would have 'undesirable effects' on the couple's children, and that the 'one-surname' policy is well-established in Japan.' The business community, local assemblies and others have called on the central government to activate discussions to introduce the system as soon as possible. Some LDP lawmakers have proposed keeping the one-surname system but promoting an 'expansion of the use of the maiden name as a common name.' Junior coalition partner Komeito, which submitted a proposal to the Diet to introduce such a system in 2001, wants the ruling parties to establish a forum to discuss the issue. (This article was compiled from reports written by Ryohei Miyawaki and Suzuka Tominaga.)
19-05-2025
- Politics
Nippon Ishin Submits Bill to Give Legal Validity to Maiden Names
Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)--Opposition party Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) on Monday submitted to parliament a bill aimed at giving legal validity to maiden names, as a counterproposal to the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's bill to introduce a selective dual surname system. With the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which is divided within the party over how married couples' surnames should be, considering postponing the debate on the matter, Nippon Ishin aims to stimulate discussions by submitting the bill. Nippon Ishin's bill, submitted to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, features giving legal validity to the surname before marriage by allowing it to be recorded in the family register as a commonly used name, while maintaining the principle that persons of the same family register shall have the same surname, which conservative lawmakers emphasize. If the maiden name is recorded in the family register, the bill seeks to allow it to be used alone on the residency card, the My Number personal identification card, the driver's license and the passport. Among other parties, the opposition Democratic Party for the People and Komeito, the junior member of the ruling coalition, are in favor of the introduction of a selective dual surname system. The DPFP is preparing its own bill and Komeito plans to wait for the LDP to consolidate party opinion on the issue. As the LDP is considering imposing party discipline to oppose related bills submitted by opposition parties, it is increasingly likely that none of the bills will be enacted during the current parliamentary session. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
