高齢ドライバーによる事故への対策が進む【Measures against accidents involving elderly drivers advance】
Fatal accidents caused by drivers aged 75 or over, of which there were hundreds in 2020, are in the spotlight. Many are surrendering their drivers’ licenses, testing will become stricter, and new cars are required to have automatic braking. However, a major challenge is that rural areas lack other transportation options.
若い世代が東京から地方移住の先頭に【Youth leading exodus from Tokyo to countryside】
The pandemic has caused many, especially young people and women, to consider escaping cramped, overpriced, and overworked lifestyles in greater Tokyo and moving to rural areas. The government supports this trend, which it hopes will help close Japan’s urban-rural population and income divide.
訴訟が日本の賛否ある死刑運用を明らかに【Lawsuit highlights Japan’s controversial death penalty practices】
Two death row inmates are suing the Japanese government over same-day notifications of executions. Retaining capital punishment makes Japan, like the US, an outlier among developed nations, and the practice of not informing prisoners until the day of their hanging has been a particular target of criticism.
有権者の無関心は若者の間で顕著【Voter apathy high, especially among youth】
A significant reason for Japan’s low turnout in elections is that young people tend not to vote. Many feel the government and particularly the ruling coalition, dominated by older male lawmakers often belonging to political dynasties, has no connection to their lives and concerns.
学校制服の選択肢と柔軟性が広がる【Choice, flexibility in school uniforms growing】
More schools in Japan are letting female students choose either uniforms with a skirt or with pants, while proposals for unisex uniforms are also being considered. Increased options are seen as having practical benefits, as well as accommodating non-gender-conforming students or those with body image issues.
過労自殺が過重労働とハラスメントを浮き彫りに【Work-related suicides reveal extent of overwork, harassment】
In two cases, in 2017 and 2019, an engineer and a salesperson at top automaker Toyota took their own lives due to on-the-job pressure including so-called “power harassment” by superiors. The company’s failure to rein in abusive bosses points to wider issues with Japan’s workplace culture.
10代少年が刺殺と放火事件で逮捕【Teen held in fatal stabbing, arson case】
A 19-year-old youth, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, has been detained by police in Kofu, Yamanashi for alleged involvement in a home break-in, assault, and arson that left two parents dead. His motive is thought to be emotional attachment to the eldest daughter of the family.
ノーベル賞受賞者の真鍋さんが好奇心とコミュニケーションの重要性を強調【Nobel laureate Manabe emphasizes importance of curiosity, communication】
Speaking about the research environment in his home country of Japan and how it compares to the US, Syukuro Manabe, one of three winners of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics, emphasized the importance of curiosity-driven research, and of communication between scientists and the government that shapes policy.
11月総選挙、岸田内閣に影響【November general election will impact Kishida Cabinet】
The new LDP president Fumio Kishida has promised to boost incomes and economically assist those affected by COVID-19, but a general election in November will indicate public approval of these policies and the potential longevity of his administration.
