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Gabriele Ninivaggi
Digital minister Taro Kono (right) tries out a device that allows the use of My Number cards as health insurance cards at Chigasaki City Hall in Kanagawa Prefecture on Aug. 9.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 21, 2023
My Number and beyond: What's holding back Japan’s digitalization?
The transition from analog to digital in the public sector has been a long-standing challenge for the country, spanning at least the past two decades.
U.S. President Joe Biden walks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol as the three arrive for a joint news conference during a trilateral summit at Camp David, near Thurmont, Maryland, on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 19, 2023
Japan, South Korea and U.S. inaugurate a 'new era' of cooperation
The three countries' leaders also announced a plan to create a hotline for coordinating responses to regional challenges and threats.
U.S. President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol attend a photo op on the day of trilateral engagement during the Group of Seven summit at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima on May 21.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 16, 2023
Biden, Kishida and Yoon look to ‘institutionalize’ trilateral ties
The leaders will agree to hold three-way summits at least once a year, in addition to conducting more joint drills and boosting intelligence-sharing.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) sits next to digital minister Taro Kono while speaking at a government review meeting on the My Number national identification cards.
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 10, 2023
Why is modernizing Japan so darn tough?
Reporter Gabriele Ninivaggi joins us to break down how Japan’s digitalization hiccups risk exposing how backward things are.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) and Digital Minister Taro Kono observe digitized administrative procedures in the city of Fukuoka on July 27.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2023
My Number report highlights errors by insurers and local governments
Roughly 20% of surveyed local governments followed the wrong procedures when linking My Number with disability records.
The Advanced Liquid Processing System, used for treating accumulated contaminated water, is seen during a media tour of the wrecked Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, on July 21.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 7, 2023
Japan to start Fukushima water release as early as late August
The government will make a final decision on the matter following further internal deliberations and diplomatic discussions with its allies.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters in Tokyo on July 28.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 4, 2023
Kishida confirms plan to merge My Number and health insurance card
Kishida apologized for the anxiety caused by recent errors and announced a series of steps in the hope of restoring public trust.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in May.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 3, 2023
Japan's vision of nuke-free world in focus ahead of anniversaries
The tension between Tokyo's lofty goals and realpolitik necessities has made any move toward nuclear disarmament largely elusive.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits an area in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, which was damaged by heavy rain earlier this month, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 28, 2023
Kishida seeks reset as My Number woes hit approval ratings
The prime minister has embarked on a nationwide tour to listen to the concerns of local communities in an effort to expand his political reach and prop up his popular support.
Digital Minister Taro Kono discusses the My Number system inspection at a government meeting in Tokyo on June 30.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 26, 2023
My Number woes put digital minister Taro Kono under pressure
Another misstep could deal a further blow to the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and jeopardize the political standing of Kono.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jul 14, 2023
Energy diplomacy kicks into high gear as Kishida heads to Middle East
Despite the government's ambitious goal to reach net zero by 2050, Tokyo remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels and imports 90% of its oil supplies from the Middle East.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 12, 2023
My Number troubles are turning into a bigger headache for the government
Opinion polls have indicated latent public dissatisfaction with how the Kishida administration has been handling the matter.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 7, 2023
A year after his death, Abe's legacy still looms for both left and right
While conservatives lost a key leadership figure, liberals no longer have a clear person to organize opposition around.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 5, 2023
LDP-Komeito working group agrees on amendment of defense equipment export rules
The proposal would allow Japan to export lethal weapons falling under five categories: rescue, transport, surveillance, vigilance and minesweeping.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2023
Okinawa governor visits China in latest show of regional diplomacy
Denny Tamaki's initiatives seek to increase Okinawa's diplomatic leverage, with the prefecture situated on the front line of diplomatic and military tensions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 26, 2023
Kishida’s approval ratings plummet amid troubles with My Number
A poll conducted from Friday through the weekend by the Yomiuri Shimbun showed a 15 percentage point drop in the Cabinet’s approval rating compared with last month.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 24, 2023
Why Emperor Naruhito's visit to Indonesia matters symbolically and practically
The emperor's trip to Southeast Asia's most populous nation carried a deeper meaning amid a tense security situation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jun 21, 2023
Things just got a bit tougher for asylum-seekers in Japan
Japan passes a controversial new law that changes the rules for which people can apply for asylum in an effort to solve issues like overcrowding at detention centers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 21, 2023
Kishida comes away from parliamentary session with key goals achieved
Out of 60 bills it submitted, 58 became law, a 96.7% passage rate — a slight drop from the equivalent session last year, where all 61 bills received parliament's approval.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 16, 2023
Why Kishida hasn't decided to call a snap election — yet
The decision came as a surprise in the political center of Nagatacho, with many left wondering about the rationale behind his decision.

Longform

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