Issues | LAW OF THE LAND Jun 14, 2017
Conspiracy theory becomes frightening reality for Japan
by Colin P.A. Jones
So-called conspiracy legislation massively expands the state's coercive powers, with few checks in place to prevent abuse.
National Jun 13, 2017
Expert disputes Japan government claim that conspiracy bill needed to ratify U.N. treaty
Professor who drafted legislative guide for organized crime treaty says its focus is acts motivated by material gain, not terrorism.
Commentary | COUNTERPOINT Jun 10, 2017
Arrogant Abe disrespects U.N. and the press
by Jeff Kingston
What is with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's arrogant disrespect for the United Nations?
National / Politics Jun 6, 2017
DP plays political hardball in bid to slow passage of conspiracy bill
by Reiji Yoshida
In a last-ditch effort to block the enactment of a contentious bill to criminalize conspiracies, the Democratic Party submitted Tuesday a motion to the Upper House calling for the removal of Kozo Akino, the chairperson of the chamber's Judicial Committee. The move immediately froze the ...
National Jun 1, 2017
Japan close to ushering in new wave of mass surveillance, Snowden warns
Edward Snowden, who exposed the existence of highly invasive U.S. surveillance programs in 2013, warned this week that Japan might be moving closer to achieving sweeping surveillance of ordinary citizens with a bill that gives the police highly invasive surveillance powers in the name ...
National | FOCUS May 31, 2017
Abe government clashes with U.N. rapporteurs critical of Japan
by Tomohiro Osaki
Weeks after a U.N. special rapporteur released a surprise open letter slamming a state-backed conspiracy bill that critics warn could erode privacy and free speech rights, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has shown no sign of letting up on its targeting of ...
National / Politics May 29, 2017
Upper House begins deliberations on conspiracy bill
Debate on a bill to penalize the planning of serious crimes kicked off in the Upper House on Monday after passing the powerful Lower House last week amid public protests sparked by fears the legislation could lead to serious abuses of power. The ruling parties, ...
National / Crime & Legal May 25, 2017
Conspiracy bill will set Japan up for replay of Yokohama Incident, journalists warn
With the Diet poised to outlaw the planning of crimes, a former TV director and a film journalist are speaking out against the contentious conspiracy bill, urging the public to remember the lessons of the Yokohama Incident — a fatal case of political repression ...
National / Politics May 24, 2017
Dozens of local governments across Japan voice concerns over conspiracy bill
by Eric Johnston
As a contentious and now internationally controversial bill to criminalize conspiracies faces stiffening opposition in the Diet, dozens of local governments nationwide are voicing concerns, warning against possible human rights violations and the rise of a surveillance state. Since March, nearly 50 local governments from ...
National / Politics May 23, 2017
Lawmakers ram conspiracy bill through Lower House as U.N. expert slams Tokyo
by Tomohiro Osaki
As the bill moved forward, a heated war of words broke out between Tokyo and a United Nations expert on privacy.
National / Politics May 19, 2017
Legal experts decry state's false rationale for conspiracy bill
by Daisuke Kikuchi
With the state-sponsored conspiracy bill widely expected to be rammed through the House of Representatives next week, experts are blasting the government for attempting to justify its passage by bringing up a U.N. treaty that Japan hasn't ratified yet. The government has argued that its ...
National / Politics May 19, 2017
Ruling bloc shoves conspiracy bill through Lower House judiciary panel
by Tomohiro Osaki
A contentious conspiracy bill criticized for its Orwellian implications begins a weakly opposed journey through the Lower House, driven by the LDP-Komeito ruling bloc.