51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Tag - bureaucracy

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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BUREAUCRACY

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials wear shorts, T-shirts and sneakers at work on Tuesday as part of the capital's Cool Biz initiative.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 15, 2026
Too hot: Buttoned-up Tokyo officials ditch suits for ¡®cool¡¯ shorts
The loosening of a strict dress code comes as Japanese offices cut reliance on air conditioning due to high energy costs linked to the Middle East war.
A labor ministry official was convicted Tuesday for stalking a female subordinate and illegally entering her home.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jun 30, 2026
Labor ministry official convicted over stalking and trespassing
Tokyo District Court handed down its ruling on Atsushi Takabayashi, 39, who had been on leave since his indictment.
The Defense Ministry in Tokyo. Cases of administrative documents containing specially designated secrets being handled improperly were found at the ministry and the Cabinet Secretariat.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 26, 2026
Improper handling of secrets found at Cabinet Secretariat
Documents were stored inappropriately, such as being left in office drawers, instead of being kept in lockable safes, according to a report.
A 39-year-old male employee at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has been indicted on charges of stalking a subordinate in her 20s, sources have said.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jun 25, 2026
Health ministry worker indicted for stalking subordinate
According to the prosecution, the health ministry worker repeatedly messaged his subordinate, secretly photographed her and entered her home without permission.
A survey conducted by the National Personnel Authority in December found that 16.1% of full-time national government employees said they "absolutely do not want" to relocate for work, while 36.5% said they would "prefer not" to do so.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 17, 2026
Government employees in Japan express reluctance to relocate for work
The National Personnel Authority urged government agencies to reassess whether relocations carried out largely as a matter of custom are still necessary.
Digital minister Hisashi Matsumoto answers questions at a Lower House plenary session in April.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 6, 2026
Government to launch AI pilot program to boost efficiency and encourage tech¡¯s adoption
Gennai, a generative artificial intelligence platform developed for internal use by civil servants, will be rolled out across 39 government agencies.
Tokyo Vice Gov. Akiko Matsumoto speaks during an interview at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office in January.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 8, 2026
Recalling past struggles, these women hope for more gender equality in Japan
Two senior public servants looked back at the challenges they faced as female workers, 40 years after Japan enforced gender equality measures at work.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is developing a "Generative AI Platform," which will allow government employees to create AI applications to assist with their work.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 19, 2026
Tokyo government builds infrastructure to expand use of generative AI
Authorities in the capital aim?to boost efficiency in public services and address growing concerns over labor shortages through AI.
Japan's Digital Agency said it will start in May a large-scale test of its generative artificial intelligence platform for administrative tasks.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 7, 2026
Digital agency to begin testing AI use for administrative tasks in May
The agency aims to ascertain the effects of generative AI utilization and sort out issues related to its use for work style and task process reforms.
More than 85% of national public servants took paternity leave in fiscal 2024.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Nov 28, 2025
Record 85.9% of eligible Japan civil servants took paternity leave
Among them, the proportion of those who took child care leave for more than one month stood at 51.4%, exceeding 50% for the first time ever.
A National Personnel Authority official has attributed a dip in the competition ratio for national public service applicants to "the number of successful applicants rising in line with an increase in the number of planned hires by each ministry and agency."
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 12, 2025
Japan marks lowest level of competition on record for civil service applicants
Women made up a record high of 47.1% of all successful applicants, up from 43.0% in the previous year.
The National Personnel Authority recommended Thursday a 3.62% increase in average monthly base pay for public employees in the current fiscal year.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2025
Japan¡¯s public workers set to get largest pay hike in 34 years
The rise in wages will come as a welcome development for policymakers at the Bank of Japan, who are seeking broad-based and lasting growth to support stable inflation.
The National Personnel Authority plans to submit a proposal to?raise bonus pay and the salaries for government employees to parliament?and the Cabinet on Aug. 7.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 31, 2025
Government employees in Japan to see higher bonus pay on top of salary raise
This will mark the fourth straight year of increase in both salaries and bonuses for government employees amid rising salaries in the private sector.
The National Personnel Authority in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward. The authority, , which makes recommendations for wage changes for national public servants, is expected to recommend pay hikes of at least 3% for central government workers next month.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 28, 2025
Central government workers to get a pay bump of at least 3%, sources say
The National Personnel Authority is looking to bridge the wage gap between public servants and private-sector workers.
A municipal library in Fujikawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, that opened in July 2023, has become a community hub.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 16, 2025
Work to consolidate public facilities gains traction across Japan
Municipal facilities such as libraries are increasingly being constructed within government office complexes in a bid to streamline public services.
Tokyo¡¯s skyline keeps evolving, but the country¡¯s drab, outdated government district, long hours, low pay and poor work conditions are driving young bureaucratic talent away just when it needs them most.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 11, 2025
Tokyo is missing ¡®Blade Runner¡¯ where it needs it most
Until the 1960s, Japan had strict prohibitions on developments higher than 31 meters (around 100 feet), a provision that kept cities dense but low.
An internal affairs ministry study group for reviewing regional administrative services compiled a draft report that stressed the need for reallocating tasks from a fresh perspective.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jun 17, 2025
Japan study group seeks review of local government tasks
The current approach to administrative work is ¡°creating challenges in light of sustainability,¡± a government study group said.
A former nonregular government employee, who cooked lunch for a public school in the Tohoku region, says she was dismissed after she was made to take an open recruitment exam.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
May 19, 2025
Civil service contract workers fear lack of job security
Contracted civil servants are paid about half the salaries of regular staff or even less, and a fear of being dismissed hangs over their heads.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (right) responds to questions from Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda (left) at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on April 14.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 9, 2025
Hung parliament keeps Lower House Legislative Bureau busy
As each party pushes its own agenda by drafting its own bills, the workload increases for the bureau, which supports lawmakers in such matters.
A group of lawyers representing a former journalist ¡ª who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a now-deceased secretary of a lawmaker ¡ª speak at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday following a ruling that ordered the government to pay damages to her.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Apr 25, 2025
Government ordered to pay over sexual assault by lawmaker¡¯s former aide
A Tokyo court ordered the ?4.4 million ($30,850) payment to a former female journalist who was allegedly assaulted by the now-deceased government-paid secretary.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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