Residents of Tokyo’s 23 wards may soon be required to pay to get their waste collected. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/14/japan/tokyo-garbage-collection-fee/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #tokyo #localgovernment #waste
In a model project by the internal affairs ministry, municipalities in the countryside are collaborating with university students from urban areas in order to leverage young people's ideas for regional revitalization. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/02/japan/society/rural-municipalities-students/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #localgovernment #students #wakayama #ehime #depopulation
Japan is set to begin another round of screening for locations seeking to develop integrated resorts including casinos, following Osaka’s approval in 2023. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/29/japan/new-casino-resort-site-selection/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #casinos #tourism #osaka #hokkaido #tokyo #localgovernment
Japan’s efforts to to halt rural depopulation and revive its countryside have failed because jobs alone are insufficient, requiring a broader focus on quality of life, productivity and realistic population goals. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/editorials/2025/12/26/japans-regional-revitalization-policy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #editorials #depopulation #japaneseeconomy #meti #robots #localgovernment #rurallife #tech
A Japanese prefecture is considering stopping hiring foreign nationals in order to protect confidential information, particularly in light of a Chinese law requiring its citizens to cooperate with intelligence agencies. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/24/japan/society/mie-prefecture-foreigner-hiring/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #mie #localgovernment #expats #jobs #personalinformation
Japan adopted a strategy on regional revitalization, such as drawing more tourists to rural areas, designed to help realize a strong economy — a goal of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/23/japan/local-revitalization-strategy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #japaneseeconomy #sanaetakaichi #disasterpreparedness #localgovernment
Okinawa Prefecture’s image of “islands blessed with children” might not be entirely accurate when it comes to its remote islands and isolated communities, which struggle with acute depopulation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/22/japan/society/okinawa-remote-islands-depopulation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #okinawa #population #depopulation #rurallife #localgovernment
Japan's next-generation ETC records and visualizes the driving histories of vehicles equipped with onboard units, and the government aims to harness this large-scale data for a variety of public and economic purposes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/17/japan/etc-data-use/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #expressways #driving #mlit #tourism #localgovernment #disasterpreparedness
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@futuresprog
> You’ve got quite a good explainer on rates in your thread
Thanks, good summary.
> Council rates need to go up because of inflation, otherwise we’re getting worse services
When you factor in inflation, the rates cap will effectively keep rates from rising *at all*. Despite years of being kept unsustainably low, given increasing populations, cost increases imposed by climate change, etc.
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@futuresprog
> More services should be funded via income tax
Tax in general. For reasons explained in a number of my recent threads about #LocalGovernment. Devolution of central govt responsibility to councils without ongoing funding being a *major* one.
In at least one thread I proposed that central govt return 50% of income taxes derived from an area to local bodies, and take 50% of the rates take. Then they can devolve functions, cut targeted funding, and cap rates, all they like.
Track Surveillance (Flock Cameras) Tech in Local Government Meetings
#HackerNews #TrackSurveillance #FlockCameras #LocalGovernment #TechNews #PrivacyConcerns
A total of 49 cases of groundwater use by individuals or entities believed to be foreign have been identified across Japan as of October, a government survey shows. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/16/japan/society/groundwater-use-foreigners/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #surveys #water #localgovernment
Sunday's mayoral election in the city of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, held due to the ouster of former Mayor Maki Takubo, resulted in the first-time election of former city council member Kazuya Sugimoto. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/15/japan/politics/ito-mayor-fails-reelected/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ito #shizuoka #localgovernment #makitakubo
Japan’s land ministry is considering granting prefectures authority to coordinate efforts to preserve scenic landscapes that extend across municipal boundaries, sources said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/14/japan/prefectures-coordinate-landscape-protection/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #localgovernment #environment #tourism
More Japanese municipalities now have ordinances in place for measures to support victims of crime in their jurisdiction. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/12/japan/crime-legal/municipalities-crime-victims-support/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #surveys #localgovernment #japanesepolice #nationalpoliceagency
The government and the ruling camp are considering capping the amount of tax deductions allowed under the furusato nо̄zei hometown donation system. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/02/furusato-nozei-cap-deductions/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #furusatonozei #taxes #localgovernment
Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki has announced his support for a planned restart of the No. 3 reactor at Hokkaido Electric Power’s Tomari nuclear plant. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/28/japan/politics/hokkaido-governor-tomari-nuclear-restart-support/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #hokkaido #naomichisuzuki #nuclearenergy #energy #tomari #restarts #localgovernment
The governors of the 47 prefectures urged the central government to implement measures to help them cope with expected declines in local government revenue due to the planned abolition of the provisional gasoline tax. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/27/japan/prefectures-tax-revenue/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sanaetakaichi #taxes #localgovernment #inflation #gas
Akira Ogawa, mayor of Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, plans to step down following a scandal involving her "love hotel" visits with a married male city employee. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/26/japan/politics/maebashi-mayor-to-quit/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #akiraogawa #maebashi #gunma #localgovernment
The Lower House on Tuesday passed legislation to scrap the provisional gasoline tax surcharge of ¥25.1 per liter, effective Dec. 31. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/25/japan/politics/gasoline-bill-lower-house/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #gas #ldp #cdp #taxes #energy #nipponishinnokai #komeito #jcp #localgovernment
The Osaka prefectural government and several municipalities submitted a proposal to stop accepting new applications for “minpaku” private-lodging services in special zones starting next year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/18/japan/osaka-halt-minpaku-applications/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #osaka #tourism #localgovernment