Northwest Japan governor denounces street drinking amid virus surge
April 23, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
Akita Gov. Norihisa Satake is seen speaking at a regular news conference in this file photo taken in the city of Akita on July 29, 2019. (Mainichi/Shun Kawaguchi) AKITA Akita Gov. Norihisa Satake took aim at street drinking on April 22, saying every effort must be made to stop people drinking alcohol and chatting in groups on the street to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking to a group of reporters at the prefectural government headquarters in the northwest Japan prefecture, Gov. Satake branded street drinking as an illegal act of road occupancy. He also indicated that he would not be opposed to forceful measures to stop people doing it, saying, It d be fine with them being dragged away (from the spot in the street where they are drinking).
Frustrated Japanese gov t expanding quasi-emergency virus measures amid lack of results msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Japan now has a loneliness minister, but how will solitude be measured?
April 3, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
Minister for Promoting Dynamic Engagement of All Citizens Tetsushi Sakamoto, second from right, is seen holding a sign for the office of the minister for loneliness, in Tokyo s Chiyoda Ward on Feb. 19, 2021. (Pool photo) TOKYO While the Japanese government has established the new role of a minister for loneliness, and set about tackling isolation issues, setting up a standard for measuring individuals levels of solitude is at the center of discussion. Although creating a scale of loneliness is directly linked with achieving the government s goals, many challenges exist, such as the question of how to measure such a subjective feeling. An expert said that a consciousness unique to Japanese society has also been presenting further challenges.
PM Suga under fire over short response to opposition legislator in Japan s Diet
January 22, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (Mainichi/Kan Takeuchi) TOKYO Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga came under fire during questioning at a plenary session of the House of Councillors on Jan. 21 for spending less than 10 minutes answering some 30 minutes of questions from an opposition legislator, with criticism emerging even from within the ranks of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Suga gave the brief response following questions from Shunichi Mizuoka of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), which were divided into around 15 categories ranging from COVID-19 vaccinations to expanded testing for the coronavirus.