This Week in Japan

The Cabinet approved draft legislation putting stricter rules on foreign investments for stocks related to national security. The new legislation will require overseas investors to report in advance if they plan to buy more that 1 percent of shares in a company that is related to the country's national security. This is down from the current threshold which was 10 percent. The most critical issues for those in the industry are 1) what the exceptions to the new rules will be, and the exact definition of what kind of investments would fall into the category of "linked to national security" still remains unclear. 

To read more, here are some useful links: Bloomberg   Nikkei Asian Review

The government approved granting pardons of about 550,000 petty criminals for Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony. The Justice ministry said that the emperor's enthronement is an opportunity for people to," cleanse their spirit and start anew." The pardons will help the people get back into society and restore their civil rights, also giving them the opportunity to apply for professional licenses which they would ordinarily have been barred from obtaining for a period of five years. Around 80% of those pardoned were involved in traffic law violations or accidents, some of which caused death or injury to others. 

To read more here are some useful links: The Mainichi    CNN

In the BBC's ranking of 100 most inspiring and influential women in the world, two Japanese women have been selected this year for challenging gender based stereotypes in Japan. The first was Yumi Ishikawa, actress and writer, headed a campaign against women being forced to wear high heels in the workplace. The other woman named was HIyori Kon, a university student practicing sumo. Women are still barred setting foot in a professional sumo ring, the dohyo, and are prohibited from practicing professional sumo. Kon is the subject of a documentary film titled "Little Miss Sumo" which shows her efforts to change the traditional gendered rules of sumo.

To read more here are some useful links: The Japan News   NHK World

US luxury lifestyle magazine Conde Nast Traveler rank Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka among the top ten best large cities in the world, with Tokyo maintaining its no.1 position for 4 consecutive years. Kyoto ranked 2nd for the second year in a row, and Osaka moved from 12th last year to 5th this year. This is the first time 3 Japanese cities have made the top 10 list. The rankings were determined by votes of more that 600,000 readers. 

To read more here are some useful links: The Japan Times   The Mainichi