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EDITORIALS
Nov 30, 2010

Diet must focus on duties

Monday marked the 120th anniversary of the ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Imperial Diet, which was held on Nov. 29, 1890, with the Emperor Meiji attending and reading an imperial message. Under the Meiji Constitution, the Diet was composed of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives....
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Oct 26, 2010

LDP by-election win may be slap at DPJ but little else

Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Nobutaka Machimura's victory Sunday in the Lower House by-election in Hokkaido for the Hokkaido No. 5 constituency has dealt another blow to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, which suffered a huge setback in the July Upper House election.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2010

Ozawa's long career over, experts say

The political career of Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa, who has been at the center stage of politics for more than 20 years, was effectively crushed Monday when the Tokyo No. 5 Inquest Committee decided to indict him over falsified political funds reports, political observers said....
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2010

Kan, Ozawa draw flak for fiddling while Rome burns

As Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa battle toward their showdown Tuesday, observers are criticizing them for creating a political void in the ruling party at a time when Japan is struggling to rekindle the economy and address other pressing issues.
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2010

Shrine decision draws both praise and protest

Peace activists rejoiced Sunday over the fact that Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet didn't visit Yasukuni Shrine this year, while conservatives slammed the decision.
COMMENTARY
Aug 11, 2010

Can Japan's politics change people's despair to hope?

The outcome of the July 11 Upper House election symbolized voters' distrust of national politics in Japan. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan led by Prime Minister Naoto Kan took only 44 of the 121 contested seats against its pre-election share of 54 seats due for contention and the DPJ-led coalition...
BUSINESS
Jun 23, 2010

Fiscal rehab plan issued, draws fire

The government served up a fiscal reconstruction plan Tuesday that calls for achieving a surplus in the primary budget by the end of fiscal 2020 and keeping new bond issuance below this fiscal year's ¥44 trillion, but experts say the outline lacks specifics on how to curb the massive national debt or...
JAPAN
Jun 12, 2010

Kamei resigns over postal reform bill

New Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government had its first casualty Friday as financial services minister Shizuka Kamei stepped down in protest because the Diet session won't be extended to act on his controversial pet bill to scale back the postal system privatization.
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2010

First order of business: Remedy nation's debts

New Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday reiterated his intention to work toward restoring Japan's fiscal balance, stressing in his inaugural remarks that the economy's plunge in recent years was the result of steering clear of tax hikes and relying too much on government bonds.
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2010

Hatoyama finds SDP joining his foes

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's administration found itself in an increasingly tight spot Monday after the Social Democratic Party bolted from the ruling bloc and then turned around and signaled it would side with a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet.
EDITORIALS
May 31, 2010

Reining in personnel costs

A bill to revise the National Public Service Law, intended to strengthen Cabinet members' control over national public servants, is before the Diet. The Cabinet decided May 21 to cut by 39 percent the recruitment of national public servants in fiscal 2011, but there appears to be confusion in the Hatoyama...
EDITORIALS
May 30, 2010

Futenma outcome disappoints

In a joint statement Friday, the foreign and defense ministers of Japan and the United States declared that the replacement facility for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, will be relocated to the Henoko area of Camp Schwab and adjacent waters in Nago, the northern part of Okinawa Island....
EDITORIALS
May 5, 2010

Mr. Hatoyama's rating in a spin

The Hatoyama Cabinet, which enjoyed an approval rating of 72 percent when it started in mid-September, is now writhing under an approval rating that has plummeted to 20.7 percent in an April 28-29 Kyodo News poll — a drop of 12.3 points from the previous poll on April 3 and 4. Meanwhile, the disapproval...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 21, 2010

S&P eyes debt target, Upper House results

Standard & Poor's will be taking a keen look at the debt reduction target announced by the government in June, when the midterm fiscal policy will be compiled, but the result of this summer's Upper House election may have a greater impact on its rating of Japanese government bonds, a director of the...
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2010

DPJ to punish Kobayashi for inaction on scandal

The Democratic Party of Japan will discipline Chiyomi Kobayashi since she has reneged on her decision to quit the Diet over a scandal involving ¥16 million in shady funds, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Tuesday.

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