japan trade and investment environment

Fta
- http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/1846008/delayed-tpp-talks-may-hamper-japans-bid-other-free-trade-deals
- tpp

• Japan plans to push forward talks to put a Pacific rim trade pact into force without the United States, which withdrew from the multination agreement in January as President Donald Trump pursues bilateral trade deals, a government source said Saturday. https://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/japan-eyes-putting-tpp-into-force-without-u-s
•  https://www.ft.com/content/3ccdf200-2658-11e7-8691-d5f7e0cd0a16 According to officials who work on trade, Tokyo is now ready to proceed without much change to the existing TPP text, a big departure from its previous reluctance to expose Japanese farmers to a surge of agricultural imports without offsetting ease of access to the US auto market.
• A meeting of chief negotiators for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact from 11 participant countries, without the United States, was set to be held in Hanoi on Saturday evening, followed by a ministerial meeting on Sunday morning. The Japanese government intends to lead discussions and pave the way for early enforcement of the pact by the 11 countries. Prior to the meeting, Nobuteru Ishihara, Japan’s minister in charge of TPP affairs, held a series of separate talks with his counterparts from Australia, Chile, Canada and Malaysia on Saturday. Ishihara also had separate talks on Friday with ministers from four countries — Vietnam, Mexico, Peru and New Zealand. According to a source related to the negotiations, Ishihara agreed with ministers from Vietnam, Mexico and Peru to promote discussions for realizing the TPP.http://www.the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003710700

- usa

• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-japan/japan-finance-minister-suspects-u-s-wants-bilateral-fta-idUSKBN1HO0B8 Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Tuesday he suspects the United States wants a bilateral free-trade agreement, but he reiterated Japan’s preference for Washington to join the multi-lateral Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
•  United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer issued the following statement today after Japan’s Diet approved the recently-signed U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2019/december/ambassador-lighthizer-lauds-japan

- eu

• https://www.ft.com/content/c2696826-5e67-11e7-91a7-502f7ee26895 Japan and the EU are set to sign a sweeping free trade deal next week after talks in Tokyo made significant progress on the sensitive areas of cheese and car parts. Although the negotiations broke up around 9pm on Saturday in Tokyo without a formal deal, officials signalled that their political leaders would be able to reach an agreement at a summit on July 6. A deal would be an emphatic rejection of US President Donald Trump’s protectionism on the eve of next week’s G20 summit in Hamburg. It would send a message that the liberal world order is still in business and that those who reject it risk losing out on trade opportunities.
• https://www.ft.com/content/20248b48-6193-11e7-91a7-502f7ee26895 Europe’s farmers will win prized access to the Japanese market as part of a trade deal that will also sweep away tariffs that have impeded exports by Japan’s carmakers to the EU. Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, and Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, will present the agreement in Brussels on Thursday, a day before G20 leaders meet in Germany. The deal is a boost for a global trading system that has been put under strain by the protectionist instincts of Donald Trump, US president, and a broader rise in economic nationalism. The accord, reached after four years of talks, will remove tariffs from 99 per cent of goods traded between the EU and Japan, although in some cases lengthy transition periods of a decade or more will apply. The EU and Japan have also agreed to open up their public procurement markets to each other and to remove some non-tariff barriers to trade. 日本放送協會報道，EPA主要內容包括歐盟在協議生效7年內，逐步廢除日本汽車關稅，日本則在15年內分階段取消歐盟入口芝士關稅。日本又同意對歐洲進口的紅酒、意大利粉、朱古力、牛肉、各級豬肉，實施完全及局部免稅。歐洲從日本進口的綠茶及日本酒，亦享免稅優惠。http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2017/07/07/a24-0707.pdf
• According to ignacio sanchez recarte, sec-gen of euro ctte of wine companies, abolition of custom duties made them able to compete with chief rival chile
• https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/2155573/japan-signs-eus-biggest-ever-trade-deal-donald-trump-puts The European Union and Japan on Tuesday signed the single market’s biggest trade deal ever and present a united front as Washington upends the international trade order. The signing in Tokyo for the deal, largely reached late last year, was ceremonial.

Tax
- corporate

• http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27994913 (24 jun 14) Japan has unveiled plans to cut the country's corporate tax to below 30% in several stages starting next year. The move is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to revive the economy, a pledge made when he took office in December 2012. Japan's corporate tax rate, at nearly 36% for large companies operating in the capital Tokyo, ranks among the highest in the industrialised world. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/13/us-japan-economy-abe-idUSKBN0EO0K320140613

• http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4fdd74fc-8ff0-11e4-a0e5-00144feabdc0.html The Japanese government has agreed the first in a series of promised corporate tax cuts, as it tries to encourage cash-rich companies to raise wages to spur demand. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/30/us-japan-economy-taxes-idUSKBN0K804020141230

- gst

• http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/international/art/20150822/19265795 為吸引遊客消費，日本政府考慮將部份產品的消費稅免稅門檻，由原來的10,000日圓（629港元）以上調整至5,000日圓（314港元），但擔心此舉令消費稅稅收減少，執政黨將在年底前展開討論。
  日本國土交通省轄下觀光廳前日初步決定，將降低消費稅免稅門檻建議，寫入2016年度稅制改革建議內，建議家電、陶瓷、木製工藝品等一般物品，免稅門檻由每人每天每家店10,000日圓以上減至5,000日圓。至於食品、飲料、藥物和化妝品等消耗品，則建議由現在的「超過5,000日圓至50萬日圓」，改為「滿5,000日圓至50萬日圓」。
  觀光廳認為降低免稅門檻有利促進遊客（圖）購買工藝品，亦會吸引地方店舖註冊為免稅店。日本希望在2020年東京奧運時地方免稅店數量增至2萬間。
• http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/bd956978-5c37-11e5-a28b-50226830d644.html 
  Shoppers in Japan may have to hand over their tax ID number every time they go to the supermarket as part of a unique, controversial plan to ease the pain of a rise in consumption tax. Under the proposed system, consumers would be able to apply online for a 2 per cent rebate on essential purchases such as food, according to officials at the Ministry of Finance. That would offset some of a planned rise in consumption tax from 8 per cent to 10 per cent.
• http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a5c6d206-f001-11e5-aff5-19b4e253664a.html The meetings suggest Mr Abe is determined to put off a rise in consumption tax from 8 to 10 per cent scheduled for April 2017. Mr Abe is likely to use May’s G7 summit, which he will chair, as both platform and excuse for the delay
• 日本參議院周五通過延遲增加消費稅，令日本未來三年的消費稅率維持在百分之八。日本將由原定的二○一七年四月，延至二○一九年十月才加稅。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20161119/00180_022.html

• 為應對人口老化導致福利開支增加， 日本政府在 2012年決定分兩階段大幅提升消費 稅率至 10%，其中首階段已在 2014年 4月實 施，由 5%加至 8%；第二階段原定於 2015 年10月實施，但其後因為政治(選舉)及經 濟等因素而多次押後，最終落實於 2019年 10月 1日，將消費稅率由 8% 提升至10%。 為減少加稅對日常生活開支的影 響，日本政府首次採取歐洲國家常 見的「輕減稅率」制度，對不同消 費品設定不同稅率。簡單而言， 日本「輕減稅率」制度規定除了 酒類以外所有食物飲品，以及每 周發行日兩日或以上的報章，都 可以在 10月 1日之後維持 8%消費 稅率，措施暫未有實施期限。 食物送贈品計法又不同 不過「輕減稅率」 具體執行上卻非 常複雜，就 食 物 飲 品而言，在超市、便利店、菜檔或魚檔等店舖購買的 預先包裝食品、加工食品、新鮮食材或送禮用食品， 不論價格高低，基本上都會維持 8%稅率；不過如果 是組合商品，例如紅茶加紅茶杯、附送玩具的食品玩 具等，則要視乎價格而定，若組合商品售價在 1萬日 圓(約 728港元)以下而且組合內食物佔價值 2/3以上 時，可歸類為食品，稅率維持 8%，否則將要徵收 10%新稅率。 食肆的情況則更複雜，消費稅率上調後，食肆內堂 食消費一律按10%消費稅率計算，但如果外賣則維持 8%。例如在快餐店點漢堡包，如果留在店內進食需 要交 10%稅，但如果行出店外或拿回家吃則只需 8%。這規定同樣適用於便利店，如果在便利店購買 任何食品但在店內提供的桌椅進食，便會當堂食計收 10%稅，即場帶走則按8%計。http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2019/09/25/a23-0925.pdf

• 國際貨幣基金組織（IMF）總裁格奧爾基耶娃近日首次訪問日本，與日本政府等就經濟形勢展開磋商。她周一表示，為籌措因高齡化加劇而增加的社會保障費用，日本應分階段提升消費稅；至二○三○年和二○五○年，必須進一步將稅率提升至15%和20%。她又強調，若延遲消費稅增稅，老年人雖能受惠，但將給為下一代人帶來不利。https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20191128/00180_016.html

- tourism related

• 日本政府計劃從2019年起，向所有離境的日本人及外國旅客，徵收每人約1,000日圓(約68.6港元)的離境稅，並可能將有關稅款計在機票價格來徵收。當局預計於明年推出的稅制改革方案中提出建議，目標在後年開始實施，一旦落實，勢必引起日本旅遊業界反對。http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2017/10/29/a15-1029.pdf

• 日本參議院周三表決通過開徵「國際觀光旅客稅」，有關法例正式成立。政府將向所有年滿兩歲的國民及外國旅客，於從日本出境時徵收一千日圓（約七十三港元）稅款，明年一月七日實施。今次日本是自一九九二年新增地價稅以來，時隔廿七年再開設新稅項。旅客稅將會從機票或船票的附加費中收取，而機組人員、過境旅客及未滿兩歲的兒童則可獲豁免。日本政府預期，二○一九年度可徵收約四百三十億日圓（約三十二億港元）稅款，將把有關稅收用於推行觀光政策。政府原打算在二○一七年度通過法案，但因森友學園等風波而延誤了國會審議。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20180412/00180_020.html

• 日本財務省和觀光廳計劃，擴大訪日旅客免稅制度，只要一般商品和消耗品合計的消費額滿五千日圓（約三百四十港元），便可免除消費稅。當局希望趕在二○一八年度通過，並於明年夏天實施。旅客目前購買化妝品、食品等消耗品，以及其他一般商品，需分別滿五千日圓才能免稅。當局前日定出方針，擬把消耗品及一般商品合而為一，消費總額達標便可免稅，並且合併以同一種申請表辦理。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20171117/00180_011.html
• https://www.ft.com/content/4d7a771e-e0a6-11e7-a8a4-0a1e63a52f9c Japan’s conservative ruling parties have announced tax rises for higher earners, in stark contrast with the income tax cuts being pushed through the US Congress. In an effort to stimulate the economy and ignite inflation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government also said it would cut corporation tax — but only for companies that sharply increased wages.

Economy
- http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0118e3a6-ea99-11e5-bb79-2303682345c8.html
Meti is haunted by the knowledge of what it is like to hold real power and then lose it. Throughout the postwar recovery — and more spectacularly so during the miracle growth years of the 1970s — Meti throbbed with influence. International bestsellers such as The Enigma of Japanese Power or Japan: Who Governs? focused on the activities of the ministry. It played the role of an arch manipulator of a command economy, with a mandate to take on the world. It did not just have the ear of the sitting prime minister, it was also the gateway through which all leaders were expected to pass on their way to the top. Gauging the ministry’s influence in 2016 prompts much deeper questions of what Abenomics can still hope to achieve, how political power is applied in Mr Abe’s administration, and whether Meti’s activities are genuinely better for Japan. It is easy to see, says Atsushi Saito, the former head of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and now chairman of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in Japan, why Meti has seized the Abenomics opportunity so aggressively. “The important thing about the rise of China is that most developed nations have seen that pure market-based capitalism sometimes cannot compete against the Chinese state. Government officials in most developed nations believe that helping their nations’ companies with their decisions can help them compete more effectively with China,” says Mr Saito.

price

• 日本政府施壓下，當地的電訊商NTT DoCoMo周一落實將手機服務費劈價最多40%，1GB用量的基本計劃月費減價40%至2,000日圓，而三人家庭計劃月費則由17,140日圓削至10,940日圓。其餘兩大電訊商KDDI及軟銀股份（Softbank Corp）料跟隨減價。  日本政府官員包括官房長官菅義偉之前不斷向電訊商施壓要求減費，以減輕消費者在今年十月上調消費稅前的財務壓力。https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/finance/20190416/00202_023.html

company law
- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/12/04/business/new-law-strengthens-independent-checks-on-major-firms-japan/#.Xeja1fn_zIU Following the high-profile corporate governance scandal at Nissan Motor Co., the Diet on Wednesday passed a law to strengthen independent checks on major listed firms by obliging them to have outsiders on their board of directors and make executive compensation more transparent.

movement of natural persons
- technical migrants

• [hku-wes symposium on 9-11sep19] since 2016, there are 1 million foreign workforce in japan with 20% of them being technical interns.  

• technical intern training program in 2010 and 2017, trainee quota ministerial order (24may1990)
• recruitment thru (1) private intermediaries (2) government involved channels arranged by 中日友好协会， selected from vocational schools; example case shizuoka prefecture 

- qualification exam

•  http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2019-04/16/content_37458774.htm Japan held the first qualification exam for foreigners seeking new work visas on Sunday, aiming to tackle its serious labor shortages. About 390 people took Sunday's exam, which involved a paper test and a skill test focused on checking the knowledge and skills required to work in the country's hotel and accommodation business.The exam was held in seven locations across Japan and the results are set to be published on May 25. Japan, shifting from its traditionally strict immigration rules, launched a new visa system from April 1.Under the new system, Japan is expected to accept about 345,150 foreign workers in the next five years. Workers are supposed to get a job in 14 labor-hungry sectors such as accommodation and nursing care. There are two kinds of visas for them. One allows them to stay in the country up to five years without bringing relatives, while another, for more skilled workers, allows them to stay longer than five years after renewing licenses and to bring family members to Japan.

• https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3009857/malaysia-eyes-deal-send-blue-collar-workers-japan-under Malaysia is in talks with
  Japan on sending blue-collar workers to the country under a new visa programme that was launched on April, according to official sources. The two countries are aiming to strike a deal as early as July this year, when Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran will visit Tokyo for the signing of a memorandum of cooperation. The memorandum is intended to provide a basic framework for information sharing for the recruitment of blue-collar workers in specified sectors to work in Japan, which is in need of more foreign workers due to a rapidly ageing population and low birth rate.

special economic zones

• When Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe created a series of “special economic zones” in 2014 he promised they would be “the drill that breaks through the rock of vested interests”. Three years on, that drill threatens to break his own government, amid a growing scandal about how a close friend of Mr Abe, who runs a school operator called Kake Gakuen, came to open a new veterinary school in one of the zones. The scandal raises questions about whether the SEZ system tackles special interests, or has instead become a way for different special interests — those with close ties to Mr Abe — to seek privileges of their own.https://www.ft.com/content/490b51be-5729-11e7-9fed-c19e2700005f

technology
- 日本內閣會議18日通過 《外匯法》修正案，將就外資對 武器製造或核能等安全保障領域 相關日企的投資加強限制。此舉 旨在擴大監管網，防止日企重要 技術和信息外流。修正案將提交 至臨時國會，力爭在2020年以 內實施。 按照新規，境外投資者在購 買日本國內上市企業的股票時， 作為事先申請標準的持股比例將 從 「10%以上」 下調至 「1%以 上」 。也就是說，外國投資人只 要購買1%或以上的日本特定產 業企業股份，就必須取得監管當 局許可。新規的限制對象主要是 航天相關、通信、半導體等行業。 此外，外國投資人若要在投 資的日本企業任命董事或提議出 售重要業務，也須事先取得日本 監管當局同意。不過，對於沒有 安保方面問題的投資，將免除事 先申請和審查，以簡化手續。http://paper.takungpao.com/resfile/PDF/20191019/PDF/a23_screen.pdf

• 日本東京警視廳公安部上月以違反防止尖端技術外流的《外匯法》為由，拘捕橫濱市一間機械製造公司負責人。被捕人士是橫濱大川原化工機的社長大川原正明等人，他們涉嫌在前年向南韓企業非法出口噴霧乾燥裝置，該機器可轉用於軍用細菌製劑。https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20200616/00180_010.html

farming

•  日本農業老齡化及人手不足的問題加劇，政府周三基本決定在新潟市、愛知縣和京都府三個國家戰略特區，允許外國人從事農業，希望召集海外有經驗人士，為農業注入活力。申請條件包括擁有一年以上務農經驗，以及在日生活總計不得超過三年。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20180309/00180_028.html

electricity

• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-power-reforms/japans-power-monopolies-face-major-reform-jolt-idUSKCN0WX0G1 Japan’s power utilities will lose their monopoly over electricity on Friday in an unprecedented shakeup that could give a much needed jolt to Japan’s long stagnant economy. Already, a price war has broken out among many of the more than 260 companies that will be allowed to sell electricity in Japan’s $70 billion retail market. From April 1, Japanese consumers will be able to buy electricity from suppliers ranging from telecoms conglomerate Softbank and trading firm Marubeni to travel agency H.I.S. and a Hokkaido-based supermarket co-operative that has branched out into solar parks. They and others like Japan’s biggest city gas operator, Tokyo Gas, are packaging other services, offering loyalty programs and even employing, in the case of Marubeni, the magic of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation powerhouse that won an Oscar for “Spirited Away.”

wind energy

- The Japanese government has imposed a blanket ban on foreign firms becoming involved in the development of the nation’s offshore wind power industry, citing concerns that foreign governments may seek to obtain information about resources and the underwater topography within 
Japan’s coastal waters. According to an analyst, Tokyo may also be motivated by a desire to protect the underdeveloped domestic wind power sector, an area in which it lags a long way behind many other nations.
Japan’s trade and industry ministry, and the ministry of land and infrastructure in late June began the first public application process for an offshore wind energy project off the town of Goto, in Nagasaki Prefecture. The fine print of the application specifies that the developer must be a “domestic corporation” with its headquarters in Japan. It did not identify any countries by name in the documents.Under the contract, the company behind successful bids will be able to erect and operate wind turbines for up to 30 years.The Yomiuri newspaper reported, however, that foreign firms are being excluded because there are “fears that if the data on seabed topography, geology and ocean currents collected by the operators are leaked to foreign countries, they could be used for military purposes, such as submarine navigation or special forces landing operations”.a Hong Kong-headquartered company contacted a Japanese surveying firm to conduct underwater surveys off the Izu Peninsula, southwest of Tokyo, and off Kagoshima Prefecture, in the far southwest, for a wind farm and the laying of submarine cables. In all of the cases, the docking of foreign-flagged ships and foreign crews was reported to the authorities and the research was halted.But Brown believes that Tokyo may be equally motivated by the desire to build up local companies’ wind generation technology.“Denmark is one of the world leaders in offshore wind power, while the UK has also moved forward a lot in this area in the last few decades. Germany makes some of the best turbines in the world,” he said.“One would have thought that Japan would have been keen to work with companies from those nations, but these contracts rather make it appear that they are being reserved for Japanese companies, and that looks like protectionism,” Brown said.“And that may also be a recognition that Japan has been a bit slow in this area and its companies need to be protected because the nation has not embraced wind power to the degree that other countries have,” he said.

hotel

• http://paper.takungpao.com/resfile/PDF/20161207/PDF/a24_screen.pdf 日本近年來遊客劇增，當 局希望借助如Airbnb等短租民宿，來緩解酒店業壓力。自去年 開始，日本政府就已着手制定民宿新法，日前，其通過一項新規，將民宿的 年度營業天數上限設定為180天，新法將在明年國會會期中通過。有分析稱，此舉將有助 當地私人住宅出租行業的發展；但亦有人士指出，180天的時間仍相對有限，除必要成本外 ，屋主可能難以盈利。
• 日本上月九日通過新民宿法，認可並規管民宿設施，料可紓緩二○二○年東京奧運面臨的酒店荒。國內外相關公司隨即展開推廣，令業界朝氣勃勃。然而，近來接連發生涉及民宿的案件，引起民眾的疑慮。日本對民宿開綠燈前，東京、大阪等大城市早已是非法民宿林立。新民宿法將於明年春天於全國實施，准許房東向政府提交申請並獲批後，便可依法經營民宿，營業日數以每年一百八十日為限。旅遊相關服務業大表歡迎，紛紛參一腳開展相關活動。orientaldaily 18jul17
• 京都市議會前日通過從明年10月起，實施三級制「宿泊稅」，根據每晚房間租金，向所有酒店、旅館或民宿等設施的住客收取最多每晚1,000日圓(約68港元)稅款，用於保護文物、改善交通及旅遊設施，是日本首個全面徵收「宿泊稅」的城市。http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2017/11/04/a15-1104.pdf
• 日本國會去年通過的《住宅住宿事業法》(又稱民宿新法)昨日正式實施，這條新例雖然一度被形容是「民宿合法化」，吸引不少港人前往日本買樓收租，但實際上卻是大大收緊了Airbnb等類型民宿的經營難度。新例下，Airbnb上的民宿已有多達8成下架，公司於是在前日宣佈，將會推出措施協助業主申請民宿資格並管理物業。新例實施前，在日本經營民宿原本需要根據《旅館業法》申請許可，新例實施後，業主只需向所屬都道府縣政府提交申請便可，但新例同時規定這類民宿每年只能經營最多180天，加上各地區政府紛紛加入不得產生噪音等額外要求，令很多業主卻步。雖然日本中央政府希望藉民宿新法增加旅客住宿供應，以應付2020年東京奧運的旅客潮，但不少地方政府卻試圖利用新法案，打擊違法民宿，減少大量旅客入住住宅區造成的不便。截至6月8日，當局只接到2,707宗的民宿申請，遠少於Airbnb在5月底時列出的5.5萬家日本民宿，顯示不少業主都不願登記。截至本月1日，全日本53個地方政府制訂了條例，設置了比新法更嚴的限制。東京23區中也有18個區對營業區域和時間進行了限制。「限制太嚴了。只聽到個人房東叫苦不迭。」http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2018/06/16/a20-0616.pdf

• https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/daily/article/20180616/20422117 在大阪持有三個單位經營民宿的港人Kammy Kwok向《蘋果》表示，單位至今仍未獲發牌，而其民宿管理公司旗下的21個民宿單位，亦只有一個獲批。她指申請許可的手續繁複，客戶預約亦被迫取消。Kammy指，單位經營民宿回報率原可達8%至9%，若最終不獲發牌，會考慮轉租予當地留學生和參加工作假期人士，料回報仍達7%至8%。她正探討與日本公司合作，購買整幢大廈翻新並改建成酒店，毋須受每年180日經營日數限制。

casino

• https://www.ft.com/content/a8325b90-bb95-11e6-8b45-b8b81dd5d080 Japan took a step towards legalising casinos on Tuesday, fulfilling a cherished ambition of Shinzo Abe and firing the starting gun on a race to control a potential $40bn Japanese gaming industry.
• 日本參議院上周五表決，在執政自民黨等多數贊成票下，正式通過包括解禁賭場的綜合度假區（IR）建設法。這是日本民營賭博首次合法化，政府將設立賭場管理委員會，負責管理及監督賭場營運。IR建設法的核心內容是將賭場從賭博罪的適用對象中排除，加以解禁；可在國內最多興建三處包含賭場的綜合度假區，首個賭場最快在二○二○年代中期開業。目前北海道、大阪、和歌山及長崎四個道府縣均有意興建賭場，政府會在評估經濟效益後決定選址。根據該法，賭場可向客人貸款，外界憂慮或會助長賭風及病態賭博。為免民眾沉迷賭博，將針對本地居民設立每周三次、每月十次的入場限制，並收取六千日圓（約四百二十二港元）入場費。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20180722/00180_006.html
• 日本去年正式通過包括解禁賭場的綜合度假區（IR）建設法，政府周二公布，擬從二○二一年一月四日至七月三十日接受申請引進綜合度假區。此舉顧及到欲申請的地方政府需要時間準備，最多選址為三處。橫濱市、大阪府和大阪市、和歌山縣、長崎縣四地已表態，或將成為開設首個賭場的城市。日本觀光廳正就建設日程方案向公眾徵集意見，截至下月十八日為止；政府將在明年一月底前，在內閣會議上確定綜合度假區建設的基本方針。除上述四地外，北海道、東京都、千葉市和名古屋市四地亦表示「計劃申請或正在研究中」。希望申請的都道府縣與政令指定都市，將和通過公開徵集選出的企業，向中央政府提交建設計劃，政府經專家委員會審查後作定斷。https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20191121/00180_006.html
• 日本在野立憲民主黨、國民民主黨與共產黨的國會議員，周三一致同意於本月二十日，即國會今年會期首日，共同提交禁止賭場營業的法案。https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20200109/00180_010.html

- 美國拉斯維加斯金沙集團昨宣布，放棄競逐日本賭場營運牌照，該項目投資總值達一百億美元（約七百八十億港元）。發言人指決定與新冠肺炎疫情無關。金沙主席艾德森稱，非常看好集團的未來及增長前景。https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20200514/00180_002.html

labour and employment

• Japan is moving to limit overtime to 60 hours a month to rein in overwork among corporate employees, with the aim of implementing the rules from April 2019.https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/Japan-unveils-overtime-cap-to-curb-long-work-hours?n_cid=NARAN11
• 日本參議院昨日在自民、公民兩黨及日本維新會等政黨支持下，表決通過《出入境管理及難民認定法》修正案，擴大接收更多外國人才；並新增讓兩類有特定技能的外國人，取得居留資格，分別是從事需具備知識、經驗等一定技能業務，以及需要熟練技能業務勞工。政策料明年四月一日實施，預計到第五年累計接納三十四萬人。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20181209/00180_021.html

old people's homes

• 日本安老院分私營和民營，私營安老院每月收費約十五萬至二十萬日圓（約一萬至一萬四千港元），民營安老院收費相對便宜，約五萬至十五萬日圓（約三千六百至一萬港元）。安老院經營者需向當局提出經營許可，以檢查入住長者人數和設施是否符合標準。不過，在高齡人口急增下，全日本有一千六百間無牌安老院，是有牌安老院的一成五。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20180212/00180_015.html