1. NHK has learned that the Japanese government is in the final stage of compiling a draft budget worth about 122.3 trillion yen, or about 784 billion dollars, for the next fiscal year starting in April. The size is the largest ever in yen terms. That marks a rise from the initial budget for this fiscal year at about 115.2 trillion yen, which was a record high at the time.
2. NHK has learned that the Mie Prefectural government is considering halting the employment of foreign nationals as early as in fiscal 2026, which begins next April.
Sources say the prefecture in central Japan plans to conduct a survey of about 10,000 residents from January to gauge their opinions before making a formal decision.
3. NHK has found that the foreign population has risen in most municipalities across Japan over the past decade. The Immigration Services Agency says a record high of more than 3.95 million foreign nationals were living in the country as of the end of June.