Tag - ldp

 
 

LDP

Hiroyuki Hosoda is elected as Lower House Speaker in November 2021.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 10, 2023
Former Lower House speaker and LDP heavyweight Hiroyuki Hosoda dies
The seasoned lawmaker served in key posts in the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, including as chief Cabinet secretary.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishda speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 9, 2023
Kishida rules out snap election amid record low popularity
The prime minister has once again ruled out a snap election as he faces record low popularity ratings and growing criticism from within his own party.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's approval ratings have dropped significantly with his economic stimulus package being met with disapproval.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 7, 2023
Kishida is so unpopular, he can't even give money away
Kishida has seen his popularity plummet as his tax rebate leaves residents with the impression that it’s just a cynical ploy to win votes.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Takanami destroyers leads the MSDF fleet during the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the force in Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in November last year.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 7, 2023
Japan ruling parties eye talks on allowing anti-air missile exports
The export of destroyers and patrol airplanes, with the aim of better securing sea lanes important for Japan, is also expected to be discussed.
Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan delivers a speech during an anti-government rally in Tokyo in October 2017.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2023
Ex-Prime Minister Kan officially announces he will not run in next Lower House election
Kan named Musashino Mayor Reiko Matsushita as his successor in the Tokyo No. 18 constituency of the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a news conference about a new economic stimulus package in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Nov 2, 2023
Kishida unveils ¥17 trillion stimulus package amid pushback
A supplementary budget proposal — worth a total of ¥13.1 trillion — to back the package will be submitted to parliament in the upcoming weeks.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida chats with Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki (left) in a parliamentary session in October.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Nov 2, 2023
Kishida distances himself from panel report backing tax overhaul
The advisory panel's medium-term reform proposal could mean higher taxes for salaried workers.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds his glasses during an Upper House Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 1, 2023
Hotly debated tax cuts risk backfiring on Kishida administration
When Kishida announced plans to cut income and residence taxes to ease the hit from inflation, there was a chorus of skepticism rather than joy.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends an extraordinary session at the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 23.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2023
Prime Minister Kishida and a month of misery
The challenges Fumio Kishida faces are eroding confidence in his leadership and are likely to influence policy decision-making.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida answers questions during an Upper House Budget Committee session on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2023
State justice minister resigns over link to illegal campaigning
Mito Kakizawa, state minister of justice, resigned Tuesday after admitting to being involved in election campaign misconduct in the spring.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida answers questions at a Lower House Budget Committee session on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2023
Kishida says tax hike and tax cut policies ‘don’t contradict’
“An (income tax cut) is a temporary measure until wages increase to a level that can cover rising prices," the prime minister said.
Prince Hisahito is the only male member of the imperial family eligible to ascend the throne in the generation after Emperor Naruhito and his younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino, who is the father of the 17-year-old prince.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2023
LDP to create new team on imperial succession
Prince Hisahito, Crown Prince Akishino's 17-year-old son, is the only member of his generation currently eligible.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida replies to questions at Friday's budget committee session at the Diet in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2023
Amid scrutiny, Kishida emphasizes tax cuts to pull out from deflation
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has heavily criticized the government for its belated response to rising inflation.
Taro Yamada, parliamentary vice minister for education, speaks to reporters at the parliament building in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 26, 2023
Parliamentary Vice Minister Taro Yamada steps down over affair
The first Cabinet resignation since a mid-September reshuffle deals a blow to Kishida at a time when public support rates have plummeted.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida listens as Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan chief Kenta Izumi speaks in parliament in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 24, 2023
Tough questions for Kishida in parliament over spending plans
Japan’s main opposition party began its scrutiny of Kishida's economic stimulus package as the country struggles with inflation and stagnant wages.
The Unification Church headquarters in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward
JAPAN / Society
Oct 23, 2023
Unification Church tells branches to manage assets based on law
Lawmakers are stepping up efforts to ensure the assets of the Japan affiliate will be used to help victims of the group's donation tactics.
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force disembark from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a live fire exercise in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in May 2022.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 23, 2023
Kishida's proposed tax cuts put higher defense spending on hold
The plan to raise defense spending partly through tax hikes has been put on ice. In fact, it was never likely to deliver fast results.
Hajime Hirota is lifted up after winning the Upper House seat in the Kochi-Tokushima district by election Sunday in the city of Kochi.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 23, 2023
In blow to Kishida, LDP loses one of two seats in by-elections
An independent candidate backed by the opposition won in the Tokushima-Kochi Lower House race, while the LDP pick won in the Nagasaki Upper House poll.
Voters fill out ballots for an Upper House by-election in the Tokushima-Kochi district, in the city of Kochi on Sunday morning.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 22, 2023
Voting kicks off in key parliamentary by-elections
The polls are the first national contests since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revamped his Cabinet last month in a bid to bolster his government.
Newly elected Lower House Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 20, 2023
Former finance minister elected as Lower House speaker
The 79-year-old Fukushiro Nukaga, a 13-term Diet member and former finance minister, was chosen, replacing Hiroyuki Hosoda.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals