Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on October 25th, 2023. In today’s news, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has issued a notification to local governments regarding a company operating facilities for people with disabilities. The company, located in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, is being audited by the national and local authorities for suspected overcharging of food expenses from residents of group homes. The ministry is also investigating whether the company has been making fraudulent claims for disability welfare service fees and if there have been any instances of abuse towards individuals with disabilities.

Moving on to our next story, discussions have taken place for the establishment of the ‘Volcanic Research Promotion Headquarters’ in order to enhance volcanic countermeasures. During the second meeting, participants exchanged opinions on the roles and challenges that the headquarters should undertake, such as predicting the range of volcanic eruptions and its impact.

Now let’s turn our attention to the weather. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a warning for unstable atmospheric conditions in western to northern Japan late tonight. Due to the influence of strong cold air flowing into the upper atmosphere during this time of year, the state of the atmosphere is expected to become very unstable. The agency is urging people to be cautious of severe gusts, such as lightning, tornadoes, hail, and sudden heavy rain.

In transportation news, the JR Yamanote Line, Yokosuka Line, and Tokaido Line have all resumed operations. JR East Japan had suspended train services on the Yamanote Line due to contact with foreign objects. However, as of 6 a.m., both the inner and outer loop services have resumed on the entire line.

Shifting gears, the Supreme Court is set to make a decision today on a case regarding the change of gender on official documents without undergoing sterilization surgery. The case was brought forward by an individual with gender identity disorder who requested a change in their registered gender without the requirement of surgery. This ruling has the potential to provide a new constitutional interpretation regarding the surgical requirements outlined by the law.

In other news, a new system will be introduced in December that allows prisons and juvenile detention centers to listen to the emotions and experiences of crime victims and their families, and then convey those sentiments to the offenders. A training seminar was held in Tokyo on the 24th to prepare officials for the implementation of this new system.

Lastly, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Department conducted a search of the office of Miyuki Kimura, the mayor of Tokyo’s Koto Ward. The investigation is related to allegations that Kimura’s campaign team had placed paid advertisements on a video-sharing website, calling for votes in her favor during the mayoral election period. The authorities are conducting a thorough investigation, including voluntarily questioning the mayor, to determine the details of the case. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 21°C and a minimum temperature of 18°C. There is a 70% chance of rain. The wind speed will be around 5 km/h. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.