The assembly has traditionally used 18-karat gold for its official member badges. However, costs have surged significantly in recent years. According to the assembly, the price of a single badge increased from 32,400 yen in fiscal 2018 to 66,000 yen by fiscal 2022.
With the next assembly election scheduled for two years from now, estimates for purchasing new badges—including spares and those for former members—put the total cost at more than 30 million yen in the next fiscal year.
Faced with this sharp increase, the assembly’s steering committee has voted to switch the badge material from solid gold to gold plating. Additionally, they have decided to abolish badges for former members.
These changes are expected to drastically reduce total costs, lowering them from around 30 million yen to approximately 2 million yen.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147279.php
