Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Reference | FYI Aug 12, 2013
Defense firms pushing to boost role
With pressure mounting from U.S. defense officials and the powerful Keidanren business group on the government to relax arms export restrictions, the military-industrial lobbies in Washington and Tokyo hope the future bilateral security relationship will incorporate their interests more robustly. At the same time, ...
Politics & Diplomacy Aug 12, 2013
Hashimoto advocate Sakaiya to advise Abe
Taichi Sakaiya, 78, the man credited with persuading Osaka Mayor and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) co-leader Toru Hashimoto to trade the world of television punditry for the world of politics, has been appointed as an adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ...
National Aug 6, 2013
Nuke opponents feud over bombs vs. power
Every August, thousands of visitors from Japan and around the world gather in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to commemorate the dropping of the atomic bombs. In addition to the solemn ceremonies that draw survivors and VIPs, there are numerous side events dedicated to seeking the ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 23, 2013
U.S. worried election-emboldened, nationalist Abe may roil Asia waters
Sunday’s overwhelming victory by the Liberal Democratic Party has created a dilemma for the United States, which wants closer economic and military ties with Tokyo even as it fears that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet now have free reign to pursue a ...
Business | BALANCING INTERESTS Jul 22, 2013
Farmers stealing TPP spotlight from other key issues
While a great deal of political and media attention is focusing on what the Trans-Pacific Partnership might mean for Japan’s agricultural sector, less is being devoted to how it could impact investor-state disputes and copyright laws, two controversial areas that present a growing challenge ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 22, 2013
Defiant Nippon Ishin pauses on resignations
After an election that saw only eight of its 44 candidates win seats in Sunday’s Upper House election, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) leaders were stressing the need for a unified opposition against the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition. With talk ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 22, 2013
Hashimoto in limbo after trouncing
The future of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) co-leader Toru Hashimoto remained unclear Sunday evening following the party’s poor performance in the Upper House election. “This isn’t a victory. It’s not something to be proud of,” Hashimoto, also the mayor of Osaka, ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 19, 2013
Ishin's woes go beyond Hashimoto's gaffes
While Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) battles for seats in Sunday’s Upper House election, it has given up on two key local races where the expected winners oppose its fundamental goals, further eroding support in its Kansai base. The Hyogo gubernatorial race ...
National Jul 12, 2013
Feelings about Japan depend on who's polled, and where
Public sentiment about the economy and the direction Japan is taking has improved somewhat since last year, according to a study by the Washington-based Pew Research Center. But the way Asia looks at Japan and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is mixed, with highly unfavorable ...
Social Issues Jul 10, 2013
Politicians silent on curbing hate speech
Calls in the Diet for legislation to curb hate speech targeting foreign residents of Japan are being made even as the issue barely registers on the campaign trail for the July 21 Upper House poll.
Politics & Diplomacy | GAME OF NUMBERS Jul 10, 2013
Pro-nuke LDP's candidate quiet on Ehime reactor restart bid
On the far western edge of Shikoku, Ehime’s Sada Misaki Peninsula juts out into the Seto Inland Sea. It’s a long sliver of land home to several species of hawk and several varieties of the prefecture’s famous “mikan” oranges. It’s also home to the ...
Politics & Diplomacy | GAME OF NUMBERS Jul 8, 2013
Hashimoto: from third force to political farce?
Third in a series One year ago, Toru Hashimoto was the toast of the nation’s media, with many predicting the outspoken Osaka mayor, who was then laying plans for a new national party, would become prime minister after the next Lower House election. Politicians ...