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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
Oct 17, 2007
New MSDF bill to have one year limit
A joint ruling-bloc panel paved the way Tuesday for Cabinet approval of a bill to continue logistic support for antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan for a another year.
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2007
Afghan SDF mission constitutional, Ozawa says
Ichiro Ozawa, president of the Democratic Party of Japan, said Wednesday the Self-Defense Forces' participation in NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan would not violate the Constitution, contrary to the claims of the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition, which...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2007
Ozawa's Afghan gambit rejected
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura on Tuesday rejected Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa's suggestion that Japan participate in NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2007
Ruling bloc, in rare twist, hands MSDF bill to opposition
The ruling coalition Friday submitted to the opposition camp the draft of a new bill to continue the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean in support of antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan — a key goal of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in the current Diet session....
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2007
DPJ adviser quits over fund scandal
Kozo Watanabe said Thursday he has stepped down as the top adviser of the Democratic Party of Japan to take responsibility for a political money scandal.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2007
Opposition takes fight to Upper House
Azuma Koshiishi, chairman of the Democratic Party of Japan's caucus in the Upper House, threatened Thursday to submit a censure motion against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and warned him against fighting the opposition camp in the chamber out of spite.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2007
Hatoyama rips into Fukuda, wants poll
Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, officially launched the opposition's battle Wednesday against Yasuo Fukuda in the Diet, pressing the new prime minister to dissolve the Lower House and call a general election.
BUSINESS
Sep 28, 2007
LDP executives opt for talk, not action, on tax system overhaul
Apparently testing the waters before backing a possible consumption tax hike, the new top executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party soft-pedaled the sensitive topic in separate interviews Thursday.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2007
Fukuda elected prime minister in Diet faceoff
New Liberal Democratic Party President Yasuo Fukuda was elected prime minister by a divided Diet on Tuesday afternoon amid the political turmoil stemming from Shinzo Abe's sudden resignation announcement two weeks ago.
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2007
Fukuda rewards key supporters
New Liberal Democratic Party President Yasuo Fukuda chose four veteran heavyweights for the party's top posts Monday, including education minister Bunmei Ibuki as secretary general, the LDP's No. 2 position.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 24, 2007
Hawks expected to push Fukuda hard
New Liberal Democratic Party President Yasuo Fukuda is known as an advocate of relatively conciliatory policies, so after a year with the hawkish Shinzo Abe in power the public may be expecting a major shift in various policy areas, including diplomacy and the Yasukuni Shrine issue.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2007
New U.N. motion won't affect DPJ stance, Kan says
Democratic Party of Japan deputy chief Naoto Kan declared Thursday that a U.N. resolution expressing appreciation for support for counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan will not alter the party's opposition to use of Maritime Self-Defense Force refueling ships in the Indian Ocean.
JAPAN
Sep 20, 2007
Aso, Fukuda address foreign press club
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Taro Aso may be losing to Yasuo Fukuda in the party's presidential election battle, but he scored a few points over his rival at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Wednesday, using his English-language ability to charm the foreign press.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2007
Fukuda enters race, vows to avoid Yasukuni
and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda shake hands at LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Saturday before holding a joint news conference. KYODO PHOTO
JAPAN
Sep 15, 2007
Fukuda in lead to take over LDP
Yasuo Fukuda emerged Friday as the clear favorite in the race to replace Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, in what is shaping up to be a two-man contest with LDP Secretary General Taro Aso.
JAPAN
Sep 13, 2007
Ozawa says DPJ ready for election; still opposes MSDF law
Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa said Wednesday his party will be prepared for the possible dissolution of the Lower House and general election following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's surprise resignation announcement.
JAPAN
Sep 13, 2007
Exit should have come sooner: critics
For the Liberal Democratic Party, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's resignation Wednesday was too long in coming, and regaining the public's trust will have to be the LDP's main objective from this point forward, critics said.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 11, 2007
Funds law no match for wily politicians
Almost every day it seems another politician is making headlines over a money scandal. Four members of embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet — administrative reform minister Genichiro Sata, and farm ministers Toshikatsu Matsuoka, Norihiko Akagi and Takehiko Endo — have been forced from their...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2007
Clock ticking as Councilor Kawada goes after what has long ailed Japan
Newly elected Upper House lawmaker Ryuhei Kawada was diagnosed with hemophilia soon after he was born.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2007
Farm chief for week, Endo exits in scandal
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's week-old Cabinet suffered a major blow Monday as farm minister Takehiko Endo stepped down over a money scandal just eight days after he was appointed.
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.
Nippon Steel alleges undue White House influence on doomed deal review
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
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.
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.
Crime numbers rise in Japan for second straight year
A police officer stands in front of the residence of a man alleged to have stabbed two junior high school students in Kitakyushu.
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.

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