Ryosuke Takashima, who became the youngest-ever mayor in Japan at age 26 in 2023, is among Time Magazine's 100 most influential emerging people. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/01/japan/ashiya-mayor-time-influential-emerging-people/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #ryosuketakashima #ashiya #hyogo #time #magazines #localgovernment
Crowdfunding-style projects to address specific local challenges are gaining traction in Japan's hometown donation system. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/29/japan/society/japan-hometown-donations-crowdfunding/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #furusatonozei #taxes #localgovernment #crowdfunding
The internal affairs ministry has said it will bar four municipalities from taking part in Japan's furusato nōzei hometown tax donation program for two years due to their excessive spending on the program. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/26/japan/politics/four-municipalities-banned-from-furusato-nozei/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #furusatonozei #taxes #localgovernment #internalaffairsministry
Forget all the silly candidates in this year's local body elections, at last there are some serious contenders;
The organizer of the Osaka Expo is encouraging local governments and companies to reuse pavilion buildings and equipment including air conditioners and lighting, in line with its theme of sustainability. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/16/japan/expo-reuse-pavilions/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #2025osakaexpo #environment #localgovernment#airconditioners #toilets
One of the biggest problems with local government in Aotearoa is that central government have devolved a whole lot of responsibilities to them, without passing on sufficient funding to fulfill them. So they either need to hike rates, increase council debt, or both. Or cut services.
A lot of this is effectively creative accounting by govts. Moving public spending and debt onto someone else's balance sheet, so their own books look healthier come election time.
(1/?)
Meet Jon Heese, the Saskatchewan native who has remained staunchly independent throughout his career in Japanese domestic politics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2025/09/08/our-lives/jon-heese-ibaraki-politician/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #community #ourlives #expats #ibaraki #localgovernment #canada
Japan will raise its minimum wage by a record 6.3% to ¥1,121 per hour, reinforcing the nation’s wage-price cycle and supporting the case for the Bank of Japan to keep hiking rates. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/05/economy/japan-to-hike-minimum-pay-by-record/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #wages #localgovernment #japaneseeconomy
Some local governments in Japan are turning to the hometown donation program to solicit contributions for projects aimed at passing down memories of World War II to future generations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/03/japan/hometown-donations-used-to-preserve-wartime-memories/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #wwii #localgovernment #taxes #furusatonozei #museums
The government has announced a system to support a new regional cooperation framework across prefectures, with grants and subsidies to help local governments and businesses pursue regional development initiatives. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/02/japan/politics/cross-prefectural-cooperation-support/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #depopulation #tourism #localgovernment
The city assembly of Ito in Shizuoka Prefecture has unanimously passed a no-confidence motion against Mayor Maki Takubo, 55, who is alleged to have falsified her academic record. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/01/japan/politics/japan-mayor-no-confidence/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #makitakubo #ito #shizuoka #localgovernment
Kathy Reid
boosted
Council sounds alarm on 'tidal wave' of data centre water applications
By Leanne Wong
A council in Melbourne's outer north has voted for more scrutiny over applications for resource-intensive data centres, with its deputy mayor warning the significant volumes of water they require could jeopardise new housing and population growth.
Council sounds alarm on 'tidal wave' of data centre water applications
By Leanne Wong
A council in Melbourne's outer north has voted for more scrutiny over applications for resource-intensive data centres, with its deputy mayor warning the significant volumes of water they require could jeopardise new housing and population growth.
The Cabinet Office will create a system designed to dispatch personnel with damage assessment experience to affected areas promptly once a disaster occurs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/18/japan/japan-local-governments-disaster-damage-certificates/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #disasterpreparedness #localgovernment #cabinetoffice
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has suggested the possibility of making another bid for a so-called Osaka metropolis plan, an idea rejected twice in local referendums. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/13/japan/politics/ishin-osaka-metropolis-plan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #osaka #nipponishinnokai #localgovernment
Incumbent Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka has won a second four-year term as head of the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/04/japan/politics/yokohama-mayor-wins-second-term/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #yokohama #localgovernment
The total amount of "furusato nо̄zei" hometown donations to local governments across Japan hit a record high for the fifth consecutive year in fiscal 2024, the internal affairs ministry said Thursday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/01/japan/hometown-donations-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #furusatonozei #taxes #localgovernment
Maki Takubo, mayor of the city of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Thursday withdrew her resignation over allegations that she had lied about her academic record. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/01/japan/politics/ito-mayor-decides-not-to-quit/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ito #shizuoka #makitakubo #localgovernment #universities
The number of local governments able to operate without tax allocations from the state thanks to their abundant tax revenues has increased for the fourth consecutive year, the internal affairs ministry has said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/29/japan/society/local-governments-tax-allocations/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #localgovernment #taxes #internalaffairsministry #kumamoto
Japan has held the first meeting of its panel tasked with reviewing guidelines on how companies and local governments should respond to emergency information on a possible earthquake in the Nankai Trough. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/25/japan/nankai-trough-quake-info-guidelines-review/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #nankaitrough #earthquakes #localgovernment