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November 06, 2025
 

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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
Opposition party policy chiefs discuss a gas bill in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 25, 2025
Move to abolish gasoline tax is LDP-Komeito coalition’s first post-election test
The minority government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is under pressure to quickly decide on how to respond to the opposition push.
Supporters of the Sanseito party leader react during the party’s rally in Tokyo on Monday, a day after the Upper House election.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 23, 2025
DPP backers abandoned party for Sanseito in Upper House poll, analysis shows
An analysis of voter trends in both parties in the months leading up to the election has indicated a significant shift to Sanseito by those who once voted for the DPP.
Kunashiri, one of the four islands seized by Russia in the last days of World War II, is visible from the Shiretoko Peninsula in northeastern Hokkaido.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jul 22, 2025
Ex-residents of Russian-controlled islands off Hokkaido want grave-site visits resumed
Now in their advanced years, the former residents want the visits to be restored for them to honor their ancestors whose grave sites are located on the four islands.
Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), speaks to the media in Tokyo on Sunday hours after voting closed for the Upper House election.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 21, 2025
CDP shows ‘modest’ outcome as Noda struggles to unite the opposition camp
There is speculation the opposition party might form a coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party and its partner Komeito to form a stable, centrist-oriented government.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda said it is obvious that Japanese society could not function without the help of foreign workers in manufacturing, health care, construction and public transportation.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2025
CDP leader criticizes ‘Japanese First’ policy and calls for inclusive society
Foreign residents are critical to maintaining Japan’s economy, said Yoshihiko Noda, as he issued a call on the campaign trail for a multicultural society that respects minorities.
Muneo Suzuki speaks in Sapporo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 16, 2025
Prodigal Hokkaido son returns to campaign trail for last run in Upper House election
Muneo Suzuki's personality and past actions make him a divisive political figure, but he's teaming up with the Liberal Democratic Party for one final run.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who serves as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, delivers a campaign speech in Yokohama on July 6.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 16, 2025
Ishiba faces bad poll numbers with Upper House vote only days away
Losing a majority in the Upper House would pile pressure on Ishiba to resign and kickstart efforts by the ruling coalition to find an opposition party to join it.
People listen as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (not pictured) speaks on Sunday in Kikuchi, Kumamoto Prefecture.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 14, 2025
Ruling parties could lose majority in Upper House election, poll suggests
A Mainichi Shimbun poll shows the ruling coalition might end up falling short of the 50 seats they need to maintain their majority in the Upper House of parliament.
Democratic Party For the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki delivers a campaign speech in Tokyo on July 3, ahead of the July 20 Upper House elections
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 10, 2025
DPP appears to be losing its luster as Upper House vote approaches
The small opposition party is in a tight spot amid speculation that it may be losing conservative supporters to right-wing parties like Sanseito.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a campaign speech next to a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the Upper House (top center left) in Yokohama on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 7, 2025
Foreign nationals' presence in Japan emerges as key issue in Upper House poll
In their campaign promises, parties are offering different solutions to problems caused by the record number here to visit, work and invest in real estate.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at a conference in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 30, 2025
Party leaders skeptical of three-party ruling coalition after Upper House vote
If the ruling coalition wins fewer than 50 seats, it will either need to work with at least one opposition party for each piece of legislation or invite one to join.
Rice paddies in the city of Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Rice is a major crop for Hokkaido, with the region having produced 562,400 tons of it last year.
BUSINESS / Economy / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jun 30, 2025
U.S. import pressure raises concerns for Hokkaido agriculture
The U.S. is nudging Japan to import more rice, soybeans, and maize — vital crops that support Hokkaido's economy.
Voters in the Upper House election in July 2022
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 26, 2025
Upper House election date falling on a three-day weekend sparks debate
The July 20 election falls on a Sunday that is also the second day of a three-day holiday weekend, when many people are likely to plan for trips and outings.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at a ceremony in the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on Monday.
JAPAN / History
Jun 23, 2025
Okinawa marks 80th anniversary of end of ferocious ground battle
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke of the horrific ground war involving Okinawan residents, noting that 200,000 lives were lost, or about one in four Okinawans.
The Upper House during a plenary session in Tokyo on Wednesday
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 20, 2025
Ishiba handles minority government well over the six-month session
With parliamentary business concluding, all eyes are on next month’s Upper House election.
People gather for a campaign speech in Tokyo's Suginami Ward on June 1.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 13, 2025
Parties to test political waters in Tokyo election ahead of Upper House vote
The election is seen as an early indicator of how voters nationwide might cast their ballots in next month’s Upper House poll.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a Liberal Democratic Party executive meeting in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 10, 2025
As election looms, Ishiba pledges ¥1 quadrillion GDP by 2040
Ahead of the Upper House election, the prime minister has unveiled the ambitious target, along with raising the average income by at least half.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at an Upper House session in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 9, 2025
No-confidence motion against Ishiba Cabinet could lead to double election
A double election could result in more political stability if either bloc manages to capture both chambers, or continued instability if neither holds a majority.
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to the media as he inspects a warehouse storing stockpiled rice in Kanagawa Prefecture on May 30.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 6, 2025
From ridicule to redemption: Rice crisis returns Koizumi to the spotlight
The lawmaker, sometimes said to be long on image and short on substance, has won praise for bringing down the price of rice.
The white-tailed eagle's wintering grounds include Hokkaido, northern Honshu, the Russian coast, the southern Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
May 26, 2025
Eagle nest discovery sparks opposition to megasolar project
Groups want to put a stop to the project near eastern Hokkaido's Kushiro Wetlands National Park.
The second life of Japan's net cafes
Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
More Japanese universities pushing toward teaching in English
Waseda University in Tokyo
Takaichi leads first ministerial meeting on policies regarding foreign residents
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a ministerial meeting on policies regarding foreign nationals and immigration on Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Office.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slumps 4%, led by losses in tech sector
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei stock average index briefly tumbled more than 2,000 points on Wednesday morning following a downbeat session on Wall Street fueled by fears of a bubble in the artificial intelligence sector.
A narrow Pacific waterway at heart of U.S. plans to choke China’s vast navy
Philippine and Australian troops fire an M777 howitzer during live fire exercises as part of joint military drills in Laur, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines, in August.
Takaichi’s balancing act: Supporting Taiwan and stabilizing China ties
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shakes hands with Lin Hsin-i, Taiwan’s presidential adviser, on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday in this image posted to Takaichi's official X account.
From 1973 to 2025: A Japanese American skater’s long ride to recognition
Judi Oyama at Winchester Skatepark in San Jose, California, in January 1979. The Skateboarding Hall of Fame inductee and Guinness World Record holder still skates and hopes to inspire older women.
More Japanese universities pushing toward teaching in English
Waseda University in Tokyo
Young Indonesians in Japan find their political voice
Indonesian students at Hiroshima University hold posters of the 17+8 Demands, demanding transparency and action from their homeland’s government.
The unstoppable rise of konbini tourism
Guests typically follow Ryo Ito’s lead as he weaves through the narrow, colorful aisles of convenience stores.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes
By Alex K.T. Martin

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