Local News

Kagoshima Prefecture, the last of the nation’s prefectures to offer its employees paid break time during working hours, announced it will abolish the practice as of the end of the current fiscal year. The break times are 15-minute periods starting at noon and 5:00 p.m. The original purpose of the breaks was to give employees a chance to use the restroom or take a break at their desks, but most employees used the time to tack on to their lunch breaks and leave the worksite for lunch.