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December 23, 2024
 

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Masami Ito

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Masami Ito
Masami is a staff writer for the Life and Culture Division at The Japan Times. She is in charge of the weekly Sunday Timeout, covering various issues related to Japan, from alcohol/drug addiction and juvenile crime to female sushi chefs and kendama. Over her 15-year career, she has written extensively on Japanese politics, foreign policy and social issues.
JAPAN / PARTY POWERS
Jul 29, 2009
New Komeito chief slams DPJ policies, rules out alliance
Citing the Democratic Party of Japan's "unreliable" policies, New Komeito chief Akihiro Ota says joining hands with the DPJ is unlikely even if the largest opposition force wins the Aug. 30 election.
Japan Times
JAPAN / PARTY POWERS
Jul 25, 2009
Ruling bloc lowers sights for poll, sets goal as 241-seat threshold
The Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc's goal in the Aug. 30 Lower House election is simply to keep its majority and grip on power, a far cry from its landslide win in the September 2005 poll, LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / PARTY POWERS
Jul 24, 2009
Do or die at poll for Kokumin
The upcoming Lower House election is the last chance for Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) to stop postal privatization — and failure would leave the party's survival in doubt, leader Tamisuke Watanuki said.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2009
Aso pulls plug on Lower House
Prime Minister Taro Aso played his ultimate trump card Tuesday and dissolved the Lower House, turning a deaf ear to vociferous opponents of the move from within his own party.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2009
Aso forced to act by mutinous ranks in LDP
Prime Minister Taro Aso had no choice but to dissolve the Lower House to contain anti-Aso members of his own party, even though public support for him and the Liberal Democratic Party are at a critically low level, experts said.
JAPAN
Jul 18, 2009
Aso ducks ouster bid: dissolution Tuesday
After days of chaos within the Liberal Democratic Party, the movement to oust Prime Minister Taro Aso as party president effectively failed Friday, setting the stage for a Lower House dissolution Tuesday and a general election Aug. 30.
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2009
Aso foes unlikely to block dissolution
Moves by lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to remove Prime Minister Taro Aso as LDP president looked doomed Thursday because it appeared they will be unable to prevent him from dissolving the Lower House early next week.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2009
Aso attacked on all fronts
The Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc easily shot down a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday, but the LDP slipped further into chaos as members pressed for their unpopular leader to exit.
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2009
Aso to call Lower House election Aug. 30
Just one day after a crushing defeat in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly race, Prime Minister Taro Aso played his ultimate trump card Monday and announced the Lower House election will be held Aug. 30 under his leadership.
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2009
DPJ scores big win in Tokyo assembly
The Democratic Party of Japan was cruising Sunday night to a clear victory in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, taking over as the No. 1 force from the Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2009
Aso fate rides on Tokyo showdown
The election campaign for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly that kicked off Friday is the preliminary battle for the looming Lower House election and could determine the fate of Prime Minister Taro Aso and his Cabinet, analysts said.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2009
LDP slams Hatoyama on funds scandal
The ruling bloc lambasted Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama over the political funds scandal he's embroiled in, but the opposition chief held his ground Thursday and said he had fulfilled his duty to explain the details.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2009
Aso adds to Cabinet but LDP execs stay
Prime Minister Taro Aso gave up an apparent plan to rejigger the Liberal Democratic Party's top posts Wednesday as strong opposition from LDP heavyweights only left him leeway to fill two Cabinet posts concurrently held by other ministers.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2009
LDP leaders scramble to end disarray
The Liberal Democratic Party fell into further disarray Tuesday, with party executives scrambling to stop the movement to oust Prime Minister Taro Aso from spreading as some LDP lawmakers grew louder in their calls to replace the unpopular party chief ahead of the Lower House election.
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2009
Kawamura retracts skin color gaffe
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura was quick to retract what could be considered a racist remark Friday over the color of late pop star Michael Jackson's skin.
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2009
Bill drafted for JCG, MSDF to inspect North vessels
A project team of the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc endorsed the outline of a special bill to enable both the Japan Coast Guard and the Maritime Self-Defense Force to inspect vessels sailing to or from North Korea suspected of being involved in arms shipments.
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2009
Aso hints at calling snap election
Despite his dwindling opinion poll numbers, Prime Minister Taro Aso said Thursday that he will dissolve the Lower House before too long, brushing off growing calls within his own Liberal Democratic Party to find a new leader.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2009
Caterer used fake ID to get into prime minister's office
One would assume the prime minister's office's state-of-the-art security system prevents unregistered individuals from entering the premises.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2009
Antipiracy, gift tax bills enacted
The ruling bloc rammed three key bills through the Lower House Friday, including a permanent antipiracy law that lets the Maritime Self-Defense Force protect ships of any nationality and have greater latitude in the use of force, and a relaxed gift tax so parents can give their offspring funds to buy...
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2009
Antipiracy bill set to be enacted
The Diet is set to enact an antipiracy bill Friday to establish a permanent law that will enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to protect vessels of any nationality off Somalia, by use of force if necessary.
Zelenskyy to replace Ukraine ambassador to Japan
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky delivers a speech during a handover ceremony of Self-Defense Force vehicles to Ukraine, at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, in May last year.
Bankruptcies and suicides rise as Japanese struggle with mounting debt
Lawyers estimate that personal bankruptcies in Japan are on track to reach the highest since 2012 this year.
Honda and Nissan consider mutual production of vehicles, report says
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2023.
The mighty Mekong River's growing plastic problem
A group of elephant keepers in Chiang Saen, Thailand, remove plastic waste from the Ruak River, a tributary of the Mekong River, as a pair of Asian elephants bathe behind them.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
For baseball fans, 2024 brought The Summer of Shohei Ohtani
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts to a standing ovation from fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season, against the Marlins in Miami on Sept. 19.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
Is Japan finally ready to tap its abundant geothermal energy potential?
Steam rises from a geothermal plan in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture. Despite its long history and potential, geothermal provided just 0.3% of Japan's overall energy mix in the fiscal year from April 2023
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
North Korea aiding Russia where it needs it most, Canadian general says
North Korean special forces soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang in April 2017.

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