Japan Press Weekly

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2018 September 26 - October 2 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Tokyo governor responds to JCP proposal to install more A/Cs in school gyms

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko on September 26 said that the metropolitan government will promote the installation of air conditioners at public school gyms. Her announcement was made in response to a proposal made by the Japanese Communist Party Tokyo Metropolitan Assemblymembers’ Group.

In a plenary meeting of the metropolitan assembly held on the day, JCP lawmaker Tokutome Michinobu underscored the need for measures to prevent heatstroke in school. Saying that most of school gyms in Tokyo are without air conditioners, he urged the Tokyo government to immediately draw up a supplementary budget or take other measures so that air conditioners will be introduced in as many school gyms as possible before the start of next summer.

Governor Koike acknowledged that A/C systems in school gyms are essential to reduce the risk of heatstroke. She expressed her intent to install A/Cs in gyms at metropolitan high schools. Concerning municipal-run elementary and junior high schools in Tokyo, Koike said that the metropolitan government will consider establishing a supplementary budget to help municipal governments purchase air conditioners.

The JCP Tokyo Metropolitan Assemblymembers’ Group earlier this month submitted to the assembly an ordinance bill to set up a program to subsidize municipalities concerning the cost of installing air-conditioning units in school gyms. At a press conference held after the submission, JCP Yonekura Haruna said that the JCP-proposed subsidy program will enable municipal governments to install A/Cs in school gyms regardless of their financial conditions.

Past related articles:
> JCP Tokyo announces ordinance bill to install air conditioners in public school gyms [September 13, 2018]
> Nearly 10K people taken to hospital due to heatstroke within one week [uly 22 & 23, 2018]