New fences installed at Mount Fuji photo spot to curb jaywalking – Yamanashi Prefecture
New fences were erected to prevent jaywalking in front of a convenience store in Yamanashi Prefecture that has become a popular spot for photographing Mount Fuji. The site in Fujikawaguchiko has drawn many foreign tourists seeking to capture images of the iconic mountain perching above the Lawson convenience store.
The town installed fences and black screens to block the view on the opposite side of the road in May to reduce crowding and misbehavior such as loitering and littering. While the screens were removed in August, additional fencing was erected on the same side in October after a resurgence of jaywalking.
The town installed two metal fences, each measuring 3 meters in length and 80 centimeters in height, on the side of the road closest to the convenience store to prevent people from jaywalking. The town also plans to repaint the nearby pedestrian crosswalk in green and white by the end of December to improve visibility and encourage its use.
Tokyo to make daycare free to boost birthrate – Tokyo Prefecture
Tokyo plans to make daycare free for all preschool children starting in September, the city governor has announced as part of efforts to boost Japan’s low birthrate. The move aims to reduce the financial burden on families by expanding a policy of free daycare for second-born and subsequent children to first-borns as well. While many developed countries are struggling with low birthrates, the problem is particularly acute in Japan where the population has been declining for years.
Japanese media said the policy in Tokyo, one of the world’s biggest cities with a population of 14 million, is the first initiative of its kind at a regional level in Japan. Public day care is currently available to working parents in Japan, but the national government is planning to widen access to all households. Koike also said earlier this month that she wants to introduce a four-day workweek option for government staff in Tokyo as part of a nationwide push to encourage parenthood.
Japan has the world’s second-oldest population after Monaco and the country’s relatively strict immigration rules mean it faces growing labour shortages. Koike, who has governed Tokyo since 2016, won a third term in July on vows to boost social welfare benefits while acknowledging challenges facing residents, such as inflation.
Health insurance cards to no longer be issued as info will be integrated with My Number cards – Nationwide
The Japanese government will no longer issue health insurance cards, instead integrating them with My Number cards. The health ministry said people with current health insurance cards that have not yet expired will still be able to use them until Dec 1, 2025.
Registration procedures are required to use a My Number card as a health insurance card. These procedures can be completed on the government’s online website, My Number Portal, through card readers at hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, as well as at Seven Bank ATMs in convenience stores. If your My Number card has expired, you will need to apply for a new one at your ward office.
The My Number card, which has a 12-digit number for each individual, links together various personal data, such as taxes and social security information, and from next March, driver’s license information. The integrated cards allow medical institutions to view the cardholder’s data, including medication prescription records and health checkups, and offer patients appropriate treatment options. When you use your My Number card integrated with health insurance data, you scan it using a card reader at a medical institution, with their identity verified by entering a four-digit code or through facial recognition.
First introduced in 2016, the My Number ID system has been unpopular among the public following revelations of personal information leaks and registration errors.
