MANABU KAME and TSUBASA YODA, Nikkei staff writers   TOKYO — A long-serving opposition lawmaker backed by Toyota Motor’s labor union will not run in Japan’s lower house election on Oct. 31, a decision that comes as the auto industry considers its relationship with the government in an era of stricter environmental restrictions.   Shinichiro Furumoto, who represented Aichi Prefecture’s….Read more

Tomoko Yoshino, a veteran labor union leader, has become the new chief of Rengo, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, taking the helm of the nation’s largest labor organization amid declining union membership rates and deepening political divisions within the body.    Yoshino is the first woman to head Rengo, which was founded in 1989 as the umbrella organization of labor….Read more

TSUBASA YODA, Nikkei staff writer   TOKYO — The Japanese Trade Union Confederation, known as Rengo, has been hoping to regain political influence for some time. The country’s largest national labor organization supports the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, and another opposition party, the Democratic Party for the People, but given their low support ratings, they are unlikely….Read more

By Fiujisaki Mari, staff writer   The first woman to chair Japan’s largest labor organization decided she would step into the role after listening to her own advice to young women: “Don’t miss an opportunity.”   Tomoko Yoshino, 55, became the eighth head of Rengo, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, on Oct. 6.   Yoshino was previously one of the….Read more

All national dailies wrote that the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, also known as Rengo, selected Yoshino Tomoko as its new president on Wednesday. This is the first time for Japan’s largest labor organization since its establishment in 1989 to select a woman president. Yoshino, who leads a labor union mainly representing small and medium-sized manufacturers, will serve a two-year term.….Read more

Tokyo–The nomination committee of Japan’s largest labor organization said Tuesday it has selected Tomoko Yoshino, one of the body’s vice presidents, as its candidate for next president, who will be the first-ever female chief if appointed.   The successor of Rikio Kozu, 65, the head of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, known as Rengo, is expected to be picked at….Read more

KYODO – The Nagoya Regional Taxation Bureau audited the “Asia kyoei business cooperative” (Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture) and its partners and found they had concealed a total of about 200 million yen in income over the three-year period through the fiscal year ending March 2020, sources revealed on Sept. 18.   The cooperative arranges training opportunities for foreign technical intern….Read more

No one filed to be a candidate for the President or General Secretary of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) by the Sept. 22 deadline, Sankei learned from an informed source on that day. The terms of both positions end on Oct. 6. In an unprecedented move, Rengo’s election committee has extended the filing deadline to Sept. 30. Rengo President….Read more

The Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a survey of 121 major companies in Japan to inquire about their efforts to secure work opportunities for those age 65–70. Such efforts became mandatory for companies starting from April this year. Only about 30% of companies reported that they are taking action to employ those age 65 or over. About 60% said that they are….Read more