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 Reiji Yoshida

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Reiji Yoshida
Reiji Yoshida is a staff writer and deputy manager of the Domestic News Division. Since joining The Japan Times in 1993, he has intensively covered domestic politics, diplomacy and defense issues as well as the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 14, 2017
New guidelines fail to close all loopholes for covering up official documents
The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has taken action to close legal loopholes that have led to major government scandals over alleged document cover-ups.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 6, 2017
Trump meets abductees' kin and pledges to work with Abe to bring them back to Japan
In a half-hour meeting, the U.S. and Japanese leaders lend an ear to the Japanese families who have been waiting for their kidnapped loved ones to return.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 4, 2017
Optimism abounds as Trump heads to Japan but North Korea concerns lie under surface
Calling Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump “a big difference from the Obama administration,” Japanese officials are optimistic about the upcoming summit.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2017
DP taps Upper House member Kohei Otsuka as new party president
The Democratic Party elected Upper House member Kohei Otsuka as new party president on Tuesday following the formal resignation of Seiji Maehara the previous day.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2017
Abe confirms ¥1 trillion aid package with Duterte as Tokyo races Beijing for Manila's support
Japan is looking for cooperation from the Philippines in dealing with China's aggressive territorial ambitions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 25, 2017
Koike says she won't resign as Kibo no To head after poor election showing
Tokyo governor says she will distance herself from national politics and leave parliamentary affairs to members who won Diet seats.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 25, 2017
'Honey trap' and 'selfie' added to Japan's Kojien dictionary
The latest update for the nation's most authoritative Japanese-language dictionary has added 10,000 new words, pared down from a list of 100,000 candidates.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 24, 2017
Japan’s welfare ministry argues for shift in spending to younger generations from retirees
White paper says current system offers better benefits for the elderly as more young people struggle with low incomes.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 24, 2017
Is Abe's free day care and kindergarten worth the cost?
Sunday's general election is over and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's gamble seems to have paid off. But politics never stops and Abe is now obliged to carry out what he promised during the campaign.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 23, 2017
Much of LDP's success rests in electoral system itself
The campaign is over, and now judgment time has come: Who were the winners and losers in Sunday's Lower House election?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Decision 2017
Oct 22, 2017
Abe emerges stronger with win, but faces nation still divided over constitutional revision
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might have emerged from the Lower House snap election with a stronger power base — but he faces a sharply divided nation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Decision 2017
Oct 19, 2017
'Manifesto' era may be over but election campaigns still rife with rosy pledges and vague bottom lines
Eight years is a long time in Japanese politics and people are quick to forget, but things were vastly different then.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Decision 2017
Oct 16, 2017
Edano taking center stage as CDP gains momentum
Yukio Edano, founder and president of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, is taking the spotlight ahead of the general election.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 13, 2017
In fresh blow to Koike, majority of Upper House DP members rule out joining Kibo no To after election
More than half of Democratic Party's 47-member caucus say they won't link up with upstart party after poll, top official says.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Oct 12, 2017
Motosada Zumoto and the origins of The Japan Times
A 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station brings one to a small, white clock tower in the city center. The 13-meter-high Western timepiece is an iconic image of the city and Hokkaido.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2017
In the shadow of Yuriko Koike's rise, some insiders see an isolated populist
Koike appears to have carved out a position as the most popular politician in Japan, but insiders see a starkly different image of the media-savvy leader.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 4, 2017
In phone call with Trump, Abe extends condolences for victims of Las Vegas massacre
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a 12-minute phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday night, in which Abe offered his condolences for the victims of Sunday's mass shooting in Las Vegas that left 59 people dead, a senior Japanese official said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 4, 2017
Two Tomin First members quit over Yuriko Koike's leadership style
Two founding members of Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First), a regional party effectively led by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, plan to abandon the party on Thursday citing frustrations over the closed nature of top management, sources said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 28, 2017
Democratic Party effectively disbands, throwing support behind Koike’s party for Lower House poll
The effective sudden death of the largest opposition force could turn the Oct. 22 election into a two-party race between conservative forces: Abe's LDP and Koike's Kibo no To.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2017
Abe trots out tax hike issue again before snap election to boost LDP chances
The controversy over increasing the consumption tax won't be unfamiliar to those who follow modern Japanese politics, as earlier proposals have proven unpopular with voters throughout the postwar years and have even doomed previous administrations.

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