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Inmates on hunger strike in Japan immigration centre
Scores of foreigners in a Japanese immigration detention centre have been on hunger strike for more than a week, demanding to be released and protesting the mysterious death of an African deportee. Some 70 detainees — many of them Sri Lankans and Pakistanis — have refused food since May 10, also seeking to highlight suicides…
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National health insurance a basic universal safety net
HEALTH INSURANCE All Japanese citizens are required by law to be covered by public health insurance. Because of this universal system, most medical treatment is covered and the costs are reasonable. The first health insurance law took effect in 1927 to protect laborers, and in 1938 the umbrella was extended to farmers, according to the…
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Is Japan becoming more insular?
With so much talk of globalization, it might seem counterintuitive to suggest that Japan is turning inward, but that’s what some have concluded. Take Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, where the local government last year made what seemed like a coldhearted offer to Latin American immigrants: It would pay them to go back home — as long…
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Bar association supports woman’s claim that prefecture denied her promotions due to gender
A bar association here has found the Gunma Prefectural Government’s reluctance to promote a female employee to a higher position to be discriminatory and made a request to the government office to improve its promotion practices. The request was made Thursday by the human-rights committee of the Gunma Bar Association. According to the committee, it…
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Beard ban sparks controversy
The Isesaki city government has stirred controversy with an edict to public servants not to grow beards. In a notice distributed to city workers Tuesday, Isesaki city said the ban was placed because some citizens find facial hair “unpleasant.” The notice, aimed to inform workers of the start Wednesday of the summer “Cool Biz” campaign…
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Economy picks up despite deflation
The economy grew at its fastest pace in three quarters as an export surge prompted companies to increase capital spending even as the nation endures persistent deflation at home. Gross domestic product rose 4.9 percent pace in the first three months of 2010 at an annual rate, less than forecast, a Cabinet Office report showed…
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Nihongo teaching guidelines drafted
A Cultural Affairs Agency council has accepted a draft of the first-ever language guidelines on how to teach foreigners living in Japan the minimum Japanese language skills required to function in society. The subcommittee of the Council for Cultural Affairs drew up a curriculum for national language education, which was accepted Wednesday by the council’s…
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Workplace policy: What strange things have been banned?
The municipal government of Isesaki in central Japan has banned its male employees from growing beards. Yahoo News reports that there were two specific reasons for the ban. City officals cited a need for public servants to maintain decorum. Also, there were complaints from citizens who found beards and stubble unpleasant. The facial hair policy…
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Gov’t eyes more Japanese language teachers to improve education for foreign children
The government finalized a plan Tuesday to make it easier for children of foreign residents to get a public school education in Japan, including a possible expansion in Japanese language teacher numbers to improve foreign children’s communication skills. According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, there were 18,585 foreign children registered…
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Municipal government bans male employees from wearing beards
The municipal government of Isesaki in central Japan on Wednesday banned male employees from wearing beards, citing concerns that citizens find beards unpleasant and the need for public servants to maintain decorum. The government of the Gunma Prefecture city said it has received complaints from some citizens who were offended by city office employees who…