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Hibiya Park tent village for laid-off workers draws 300
The population of a temporary tent village set up for people who have lost their jobs and housing had exceeded 300 by Friday compared with about 130 on New Year’s Eve when volunteers first established it in Tokyo’s Hibiya Park, organizers said. “People here have been worn out due to the cold . . .…
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Japan sees biggest population fall
Japan’s population had its sharpest decline ever last year as deaths outnumbered births, posing an escalating economic threat to growth prospects amid a global recession. With low birthrates and long lifespans, Japan’s shrinking population is ageing more quickly than any other economic power. Health ministry records estimated the population fell by 51,000 in 2008. The…
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Debate on multiple nationalities to heat up
Diet battle lines being drawn in wake of law change and amid Kono effort to rectify dual citizenship situation The issue of nationality had never been discussed more seriously than it was in 2008. In a specific legal challenge in June, the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to deny Japanese citizenship to children of…
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Volunteers offer jobless temps free food, advice
Temp workers who have lost their jobs amid the global financial crisis lined up Wednesday for free food and consultations with volunteers at Tokyo’s Hibiya Park. The event, sponsored by 20 groups, including unions, citizen groups and lawyers, will run through Monday. The groups served up rice and pork miso soup and offered employment consultation…
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Is Japan undergoing a downhill slide like ancient Rome?
Novelist Nanami Shiono has pointed out that Japan, in which the LDP picks the nation’s prime minister, is similar to ancient Rome, in which its consul was named by the Roman Senate. Such a system in which a small number of people are involved in the leadership functions may work if a country is growing,…
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Don’t bring me your huddled masses
Not what the conservatives want, yet some people are beginning to imagine a more mixed Japan Inflammatory remarks by Japan?s speak-from-the-hip conservative politicians?among them the prime minister for now, Taro Aso?embroil them in endless controversy with neighbours over Japan?s wartime past. In their defence, conservatives often say that what really concerns them is the future,…
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Foreign university faculty face annual round of ‘musical jobs’
Universities in Japan force most of their foreign instructors to play an unnerving version of musical chairs. Every year the music starts and instructors with expiring contracts scramble for an opening at a new school. University administrators force teachers to play “musical jobs” by offering limited-term contracts. The game has lots of players ? many…
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85,000 temp jobs could go by March
Labor ministry estimate surges 55,000; work offers withdrawn from students up 130% The number is up around 55,000 from the previous estimate, which was based on a survey conducted in November by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The number of people who have lost or will lose their housing as a result of job…
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Number of temp workers hits record high of 3.84 million in Japan
The number of temporary dispatch workers in Japan has hit a record high of about 3.84 million people, a report released Friday by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has shown. The ministry’s fiscal 2007 report on temporary work services found that there were 741,644 temporary workers on long or short-term contracts, and 2,795,999…
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85,000 non-regular employees to lose work during second half of fiscal 2008
The number of non-regular employees to have their employment terminated during the current half of the financial year is expected to surpass 85,000, a government survey has found. The figure, announced by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on Friday, is about 2.8 times higher than the figure of 30,067 that was announced on…