25 years after Tokyo subway attack, Aum is a shadow of its former self
Doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo's sarin gas attack on Tokyo subway trains shocked Japan and the world, raising concerns over nonstate organizations obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
Wednesday Finance Ministry to release preliminary customs-cleared trade statistics for February. Japan posted a trade deficit for three straight months through January due to the global economic slowdown. The February result could show a further slowing of exports amid the new coronavirus outbreak. Japan ...
What will Abe's amended law for a national emergency mean in practice?
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government aims to pass by week's end controversial revisions to a 2012 law governing national actions to be taken in the event of new types of influenza. The changes, which the administration aims to pass with as much opposition approval as ...
Women in Japanese politics: Why so few after so very long?
To mark International Women's Day on March 8, there will be worldwide marches, parades, protests and public awareness activities on the contributions of women and the barriers and discrimination they still face. One issue of focus is the state of women in politics and government ...
A Tokyo prosecutor's delayed retirement spurs more allegations of Abe cronyism
Over the past month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government once again found themselves the target of allegations of political favoritism. This time it was for bending, if not breaking, the rule governing the mandatory retirement age of national public servants in order to ...
Monday Upper House Budget Committee to start question-and-answer sessions over budget draft for fiscal 2020. Opposition parties are expected to grill Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the government's initial handling of the new coronavirus outbreak that has been expanding in Japan. Finance Ministry to ...
Monday IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi to arrive for visit through Friday. Will hold meetings with Japanese officials and inspect crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Japan Sumo Association to release latest rikishi rankings for Spring Grand Sumo Tournament starting March 8. Tuesday Agriculture, Forestry ...
The Japanese Communist Party's quest to unify a shattered opposition
Last month, for the first time in 16 years, the Japanese Communist Party met to revise its basic political program. Part of the reason was that the party hopes a change of rhetoric, at least, will make it easier to form an opposition coalition ...
Osaka referendum: Merger gets second chance, but are voters on board?
Five years after voters in the city of Osaka narrowly voted down a referendum on consolidating its 24 wards into five with more autonomy and eliminating the municipal assembly and mayor, another referendum is set for later this year. The merger is the chief political ...
Monday Cabinet Office to release preliminary gross domestic product data for October-December. Otsu District Court to hand down ruling over fatal accident in which car rammed into toddlers and killed two of them in Shiga Prefecture in May. Prosecutors to demand punishment for Satoshi ...
Monday Cabinet Office to release results of monthly "economy watchers" survey for January. Finance Ministry to release preliminary balance of payments statistics for December, whole of 2019. Tuesday National Foundation Day. Wednesday SoftBank Group Corp. to announce April-December financial results. Labor unions at major manufacturers to ...
The Kawai scandal and the race to succeed Shinzo Abe
Hiroshima-based Liberal Democratic Party Diet member Anri Kawai admitted in January to receiving ¥150 million from LDP headquarters prior to the July 2019 Upper House election. Kawai, a novice in national politics, is also the wife of disgraced former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai, who ...
