A special law the government is working on may specify the timing of the abdication to ensure that the law can only apply to Emperor Akihito.
A meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian counterpart Narendra Modi is set to be held in Tokyo in mid-November, with a civil nuclear cooperation pact likely to be signed, according to a source close to bilateral ties. The pact would pave the ...
The government and the ruling bloc started talks Friday on a proposed insurance program to cover possible falls in farmers’ income stemming from free trade deals. The insurance scheme is intended in particular to help cushion any impact on farmers when the Trans-Pacific Partnership ...
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration may use bipartisan bills to enable 82-year-old Emperor Akihito to retire, rather than legislation sponsored by the government, lawmakers in the administration said. The idea is being floated among members of the administration on the premise that support for ...
Speculation gained momentum after Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Komeito, urged his peers to brace for a possible new year poll.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered his condolences on the death of former Israeli Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres, calling the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize winner a “great leader.” Abe expressed his respect for the Israeli leader’s efforts to forge peace in the Middle ...
High-speed rail and the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement were among key topics discussed during a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Tokyo on Wednesday. The pair spoke about the possible introduction of Japan’s high-speed railway ...
Influential former Diet member Muneo Suzuki, an unofficial adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Russian affairs, argued Wednesday that Japan should take “a realistic approach” on the reversion of four disputed islands off Hokkaido, first asking for some of the islets rather than ...
In her first parliamentary face-off with the prime minister, Renho unleashes a broadside against Abe’s eponymous program.
Standing ovations during speeches are standard in many Western parliaments. But controversy has erupted after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, delivering a key policy speech Tuesday, set off an ovation for the police and the Self-Defense Forces. Modesty and humility are valued in Japan, and ...
The replacement of the head of the Imperial Household Agency on Monday is believed to have reflected the displeasure of the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over Emperor Akihito’s address last month regarding his desire to eventually abdicate, according to comments from a ...
A government panel on labor reforms such as a narrowing of the pay gap between regular and nonregular workers held its first meeting Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office. The panel will also discuss how to cut working hours and help older people return ...
