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July 06, 2025
 

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A house in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, after it collapsed due to the Noto earthquake, in January 2024.
JAPAN / Politics
Debates on disaster management lacking steam ahead of Upper House vote
References to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's project to establish a disaster management agency are scarce among political parties.
JAPAN / Politics
Japanese parties' election campaigning swings into gear
In speeches on the second day of the official campaign period for the Upper House election, party leaders focused on issues such as inflation and rice shortages.
JAPAN / Politics
Overseas voting for Upper House election begins
This marks the first time that Japanese living in Taiwan could vote at polling stations on the self-governed island.
People listen to an election campaign speech in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 4, 2025
Maximum vote-value gap rises to 3.126 times for Upper House election
The figure was up from 3.03 times in the previous Upper House election in 2022.
Voters listen to a stump speech in Tokyo on Thursday as campaigning for the July 20 Upper House election kicked off.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 4, 2025
Women make up less than 30% of candidates in upcoming Upper House election
Japan's law for promoting gender equality in politics calls on political parties to make the number of male and female candidates as equal as possible.
Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima speaks during an interview on Jun. 27 at the Diet building.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 3, 2025
SDP campaign to focus on inflation and opposing military expansion, leader says
The SDP exists to prevent people from starving and the country from going into war, said party leader Mizuho Fukushima.
People listen to an election campaign speech in Miyazaki Prefecture on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 3, 2025
Ishiba government’s survival may be at stake in July Upper House election
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Election campaigning for the pivotal vote officially kicked off Thursday, with all eyes on how the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition will perform.
Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, speaks during an interview on Tuesday at the parliament building.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2025
DPP pledges to increase take-home pay ahead of Upper House election
The opposition party is looking to raise its seat count in the chamber to 21, which would enable it to independently submit bills needing budgetary measures.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (left) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet at the U.S. State Department in Washington on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2025
Rubio urges Japan to beef up defenses, but leaves out spending target
By Jesse Johnson
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that no specific spending figure was broached in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (left), Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong (second from left), Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (second from right) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand together at the start of a meeting of "the Quad" at the U.S. State Department in Washington on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2025
‘Quad’ nations announce critical minerals initiative amid China concerns
By Jesse Johnson
A joint statement was carefully crafted not to directly mention China, but the four Indo-Pacific countries made clear a goal of reducing dependence on Beijing.
Sanseito supporters applaud Saya, Sanseito candidate for the Upper House election from Tokyo, and Manabu Matsuda, a candidate from proportional representation, at a public rally at Tsukiji Market on June 28.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 1, 2025
Sanseito touts 'Japanese First' rhetoric to gain support
By Himari Semans
Some observers say conservative voters who left the Democratic Party for the People are turning to the fledgling opposition party by default.
German Ambassador to Japan Petra Sigmund says that Tokyo and Berlin "face similar security challenges," and that they must "invest in defense, deterrence and diplomacy alike."
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 1, 2025
‘No time to lose’: Germany aims to boost defense-industrial ties with Japan
By Gabriel Dominguez
Berlin’s ambassador to Tokyo says her country is looking to quickly ramp up cooperation amid a growing Russian threat.
The average income of the prefectural governors rose by over 4 million yen from the previous year owing to an increase in revenue from real estate rentals, as well as stock disposals and increased bonuses.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 1, 2025
Japanese prefectural governors earned average of ¥24.13 million in 2024
Okayama Gov. Ryuta Ibaragi recorded the highest total income, at ¥122.22 million.
Among Cabinet members, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato was the top earner, at ¥225.93 million.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 30, 2025
Lawmakers' average income flat at ¥25.13 million
Four lawmakers earned over ¥100 million, and all of them were LDP members.
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
By Eric Johnston
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.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday. Inflation in Tokyo slowed in June for the first time in four months as a result of government steps to reduce utility and gasoline prices.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2025
Measures to ease inflation must be speedy, says Prime Minister Ishiba
Ishiba has opposed lowering the sales tax ahead of an Upper House election where voters will vote on the performance of his minority government.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addresses a news conference in Tokyo last Monday. Ishiba said that he will do his utmost to ensure the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito secures an overall majority in the upper house of parliament when voters head to the polls in July.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2025
Ishiba cautious about expanding ruling coalition
At a conference hosted by a private policy proposal group, Ishiba also expressed support for the idea of establishing a nonpartisan consultative body on social security reform.
A mock-up of Japan's upgraded Mogami-class frigate is displayed during the DSEI exhibition at Makuhari Messe in the city of Chiba on May 21.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2025
Top Japanese official visits Australia as bid to build new frigate heats up
By Jesse Johnson
The trip by Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, was seen as another move by Tokyo to secure the multibillion dollar contract.
A resident carries his belongings from his damaged house in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 2, 2024 — the day after a major earthquake devastated parts of the area.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2025
Japan eyes body for local government disaster waste management
The institution will help local governments quickly collect and dispose of large amounts of disaster waste, a type of work in which many local governments have no experience.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 28, 2025
LDP to discuss governance plans after Upper House election, Moriyama says
During this year's ordinary parliament session, the ruling coalition secured the passage of some bills through partial alliances with opposition parties.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda speaks during an interview at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 27, 2025
Ahead of election, CDP chief vows 'responsible' tax cut
"Measures to cope with rising prices will be the biggest focus (of the July 20 House of Councilors election)," Yoshihiko Noda said.
A voter takes a photograph of a candidate running for a Tokyo assembly seat, in Tokyo on June 21.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 27, 2025
Lawmaker hints at new social media regulations as misinformation taints elections
By Himari Semans
Under a new law, social media sites can remove posts defaming political candidates if creators don't respond within two days, but lawmakers say that's too long.
Junko Mihara, minister for children-related policies, said at the start of the meeting that "the government will work as one to advance efforts" to tackle sex crimes against children.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 26, 2025
Japan holds first preparatory panel meeting on sex crime background checks
Junko Mihara, minister for children-related policies, said that "the government will work as one to advance efforts" to tackle sex crimes against children.

Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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