A welfare ministry expert panel has broadly approved a draft revision to the reduction rate for basic welfare payments, following a Supreme Court ruling that found the government's cuts to welfare benefits unlawful. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/17/japan/welfare-payments-smaller-reduction/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #japanesecourts #socialwelfare #poverty #mhlw

Flu cases in Japan have exceeded an alert level of 10 per regularly monitored medical institution, suggesting the possibility of a large-scale outbreak within four weeks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/07/japan/science-health/flu-cases-alert/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #flu #health #mhlw

The underlying wage growth remained steady in September, keeping the Bank of Japan on its tightening path as markets look for triggers for the bank’s next move. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/11/06/economy/wage-growth-september/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #mhlw #wages #boj #japaneseeconomy #economicindicators #tariffs #us

Wasteful and ineffective use of taxpayer money by the Japanese government in fiscal 2024 totaled about ¥54.081 billion in 319 projects, according to a Board of Audit of Japan report. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/05/japan/tax-money-wasted/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #meti #mhlw

The seasonally adjusted job-to-seeker ratio stood at 1.20 in September, flat from the previous month, with the number of effective job seekers falling by 0.8% and that of effective job openings by 0.7%. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/10/31/economy/job-september-unchanged/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #mhlw #jobs #jobhunting #wages #internalaffairsministry

A record number of workers applied for mental health-related compensation in fiscal 2024, according to health ministry data released Tuesday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/28/japan/society/karoshi-white-paper/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #mhlw #overwork #surveys #jobs #karoshi #mentalhealth

The health ministry has started considering ways to promote the use of follow-on products of very expensive original biological drugs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/26/japan/science-health/follow-on-biologics/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #medicine #mhlw #pharmaceuticals

The number of suicides among students in elementary to high school hit a record in 2024, with the figure for those in their 20s also remaining high, underscoring the need to beef up care, health ministry data showed. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/24/japan/society/students-suicide-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #suicide #students #children #mhlw #mentalhealth #surveys

In a first, Japan has approved the over-the-counter sale of emergency contraceptive pill Norlevo. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/20/japan/science-health/japan-morning-after-pill-otc-sale-approval/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #mhlw #pregnancy #birthcontrol #drugs #health

Wages rose at the slowest pace in three months, with real pay extending its falling streak, highlighting a challenge for newly elected ruling party leader Sanae Takaichi and her pledge to address rising living costs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/10/08/economy/wages-growth-slow-august/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #mhlw #wages #sanaetakaichi #ldp #boj

Flu season has kicked off in Japan, the health ministry said, marking the second-earliest start in the past 20 years. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/03/japan/science-health/influenza-season-start-early/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #flu #health #mhlw

Former Suntory CEO Takeshi Niinami is resigning as head of Keizai Doyukai, the business lobby announced, after a review by its ethics committee. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/30/companies/niinami-keizai-resign/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #drugs #marijuana #takeshiniinami #japanesepolice #mhlw #cbd #corporategovernance #keizaidoyukai

Japan witnessed a 40% rise in cases of the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease in just eight years, according to a government-backed study. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/29/japan/science-health/japan-bowel-diseases-patients/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #mhlw #ulcerativecolitis #crohnsdisease #tohouniversity #kyorinuniversity #osakametropolitanuniversity #health #medicine

Niinami’s quick ouster, before the investigation is done, is not unusual as corporations prioritize protecting their reputation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/09/companies/niinami-governance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #drugs #marijuana#takeshiniinami #japanesepolice #mhlw #cbd #corporategovernance

Japan’s strict threshold for the compound in cannabis responsible for the “high,” makes buying products containing cannabidiol akin to navigating a mine field. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/05/japan/cbd-illegal-or-legal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #drugs #marijuana#takeshiniinami #japanesepolice #mhlw

A growing number of people are sharing how their fathers — former Imperial Japanese servicemen — underwent complete changes due to war, prompting the government to launch an initiative to document such realities. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/13/japan/society/former-japanese-soldiers-war-trauma/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #wwii #mhlw #mentalhealth #imperialjapanesearmy

Japanese workers saw their nominal wages rise at the fastest pace in four months, fueling market speculation that the Bank of Japan could hike its benchmark rate in coming months. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/08/06/economy/nominal-pay-june/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #japaneseeconomy #wages #us #boj #mhlw #inflation

As inflation hits households, a government panel has recommended a record hike of ¥63, or 6%, for the average minimum hourly wage in the country, which would bring the figure up to ¥1,118 per hour. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/08/05/economy/japan-minimum-wage-record-hike/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #wages #japaneseeconomy #inflation #shigeruishiba #jobs #mhlw

A labor ministry panel reportedly plans to recommend an increase of about 6% in the national average minimum wage for this fiscal year, the biggest such jump since at least 2002. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/01/japan/minimum-wage-hike-plan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #mhlw #wages

Japan's seasonally adjusted effective jobs-to-applicant ratio fell 0.02 point month on month in June to 1.22 as more people entered the job market amid soaring prices of food and other goods. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/08/01/economy/job-applicant-ratio-june/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #mhlw #jobs