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.
Issues | JUST BE CAUSE Aug 5, 2013
Ol' blue eyes isn't back: Tsurunen's tale offers lessons in microcosm for DPJ
by Debito Arudou
Spare a thought for Marutei Tsurunen, Japan's first European-born naturalized immigrant parliamentarian, who was voted out in last month's House of Councilors election.
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 22, 2013
LDP leaves opposition leadership in disarray
by Reiji Yoshida
The LDP's victory has given the opposition's leaders a tough choice: whether to quit to clear the party's image or stick to their guns and stay in the fight.
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 22, 2013
Independent vows effort for disaster-hit Iwate
Former reconstruction minister Tatsuo Hirano vowed Monday to do his best to act as a bridge between the government and disaster-hit communities in Iwate Prefecture and promote rebuilding, after winning his third term in the House of Councilors election the previous day. Hirano, running ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 22, 2013
Defiant Nippon Ishin pauses on resignations
by Eric Johnston
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
Article 96 revisionists short of two-thirds majority in Upper House
In Sunday’s election for House of Councilors, three political parties advocating a revision to Article 96 of the Constitution failed to secure the two-thirds majority required under the article for proposing a constitutional amendment. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition forces Your ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 22, 2013
Abe cements power with LDP's sweeping victory in Upper House race
The ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party secures a majority in the House of Councilor's election Sunday.
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 22, 2013
Tokyo voters mixed but most seem to want LDP in charge
by Mizuho Aoki, Masaaki Kameda, and Tomohiro Osaki
Many voters appear to be putting their faith in the Liberal Democratic Party despite the lack of "Abenomics" evidence in their lives, The Japan Times finds.
National Jul 21, 2013
Snafus invalidate ballot papers for 62 citizens
The ballots of 62 voters were invalidated by mix-ups at two polling stations, the election board of Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, said Sunday. The voters were issued ballots for the constituency and proportional-representation sections of the House of Councilors election in the wrong order. If ...
National Jul 21, 2013
Revised law allows adult ward with guardian to vote for first time
A woman with Down syndrome on Sunday cast a ballot in Ibaraki Prefecture for the Upper House election thanks to a recent revision of the Public Offices Election Law that permits adults assisted by a guardian to vote. After visiting a polling station near ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 13, 2013
Reactor restarts haunt Fukushima race
Masako Mori is concerned about her party’s pledge to restart nuclear reactors in Japan. Mori is facing a bruising battle as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s candidate for the Fukushima prefectural district in the July 21 House of Councilors election. The prefecture is home ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 13, 2013
Ishihara says abductee Yokota must be 'mistress' to high-ranking North official
Shintaro Ishihara, co-head of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), made a gaffe Friday regarding the status of one of the Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago, calling her a “mistress.” Referring to Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korean ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 13, 2013
Vote-stripped homeless left in election limbo
Despite having Japanese citizenship, homeless people cannot exercise voting rights guaranteed by the Constitution because they can’t register their temporary accommodations as official places of residence. There are no signs the situation will be taken up by candidates in the July 21 House of ...