Mar 3, 2012

How to push reform forward

by Shinji Fukukawa

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has stated he would stake his political life on realizing integrated reform of the tax and social security systems. Japan’s financial structure is worse than those of other advanced countries and even that of Greece, which was responsible for the ...

| Jan 30, 2012

Royal challenge awaits Noda

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appears strongly committed to revising the Imperial Household Law to let female members of the Imperial family remain in the royal family even if they marry commoners. The Imperial family is the oldest royal family in the world and Chapter ...

Jan 26, 2012

Tax plan ill-timed and ill-thought

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made a policy speech before the Diet on Tuesday as it started a regular session for 2012. His main theme was a raise of the consumption tax and he called on opposition parties to take part in consultations on the ...

Jan 21, 2012

Bolstering Japan-India ties

Compared with its long historical and cultural ties and deep economic relations with China, Japan’s relations with India are not so strong. But the economic and strategic importance of the world’s largest democracy to Japan is growing fast. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s visit to ...

Jan 14, 2012

Questionable Cabinet reshuffle

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Friday reshuffled his Cabinet. His main aim is to push a hike in the consumption tax and social welfare reform. To show his strong will, he picked Mr. Katsuya Okada as deputy prime minister and minister in charge of ...

Jan 11, 2012

Residents' say over tax rates

In a report to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in mid-December, an advisory panel on local autonomy recommended that local governments be allowed to hold assembly sessions throughout the year so that a wide range of local residents can serve as local assembly members. But ...

Jan 7, 2012

Bumpy road ahead for Mr. Noda

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, at a new year news conference Jan. 4, expressed his determination to push a two-stage raise of the consumption tax as well as to reform the social welfare system, and called for the opposition forces to join consultations with his ...

Jan 1, 2012

Quality of governance in 2012

Even though the new year has started, it is impossible for people in Japan to put 2011 behind them. The effects of the March 11 triple disasters — the magnitude-9 earthquake followed by the massive tsunami that devastated the Tohoku coastal area, plus the ...