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DIET

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.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba takes part in a debate with leaders of seven other political parties at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 4, 2025
Sizing up the forthcoming Upper House election
Given all that is taking place, this is shaping up to be one of the most unusual Upper House elections in decades.
Supporters of candidates put up campaign posters on a bulletin board in Tokyo on Thursday, as the official campaigning for the July 20 Upper House election begins. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 4, 2025
The dilemma facing Japan’s rising (and falling) populist parties
A working relationship with ruling parties is key to achieving their policy goals, but at the risk of losing their populist brand and voters.
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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
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.
A banner announcing the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election is displayed at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 23, 2025
Koike-backed party gains seats as LDP dealt setback in Tokyo assembly poll
Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First), supported by Koike as a special adviser, remained the biggest party, taking 31 seats, up from 26.
An opposition-sponsored gasoline tax cut bill is discussed in the Upper House finance committee on Saturday morning, a day before the ordinary session of parliament ends Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 21, 2025
Parliament session wraps up as Upper House skips vote on gas tax bill
On Saturday, the Upper House Committee on Financial Affairs met to discuss the bill, but the meeting ended without a vote.
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.
Upper House lawmaker Hirofumi Yanagase in his office on June 9. Last month in parliament, he urged the criteria for naturalization to be revised.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 20, 2025
Calls to make naturalization more difficult emerge in parliament talks
Naturalization requires applicants to have lived in Japan for at least five consecutive years, or half of the duration required for permanent residency.
Yoshihiko Noda, head of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said there should not be a political vacuum amid ongoing tariff negotiations between the Japanese and U.S. governments.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 19, 2025
Main opposition CDP decides against no-confidence motion for Ishiba
CDP chief Yoshihiko Noda said that there should not be a political vacuum amid ongoing tariff negotiations between the Japanese and U.S. governments.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko visit the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum in Itoman on June 4.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 19, 2025
Parties are still arguing about the rules on imperial succession
Allowing female members to remain royalty after marriage, starting a maternal lineage, adoptions — there are a slew of ideas but a shortage of answers.
Tatsunori Ibayashi, a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who was removed from his post as Lower House finance committee chair, reacts after a motion of dismissal against him cleared the chamber on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 18, 2025
In a first, Lower House opposition parties unite to dismiss finance committee chair
Yukihiko Akutsu, a Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker, was chosen hours later to replace the chair in an election in the Lower House.
A video from the National Police Agency aimed at educating people about the illegality of online casinos is shown at a movie theater in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 18, 2025
Japan revises law to ban online casino ads as it cracks down on offshore gambling
The revised law makes gambling on overseas sites explicitly illegal, allowing internet service providers and social media platforms to remove content more proactively.
Reiwa Shinsengumi deputy leader Yasuhiko Funago during a news conference at the Diet building on Tuesday
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 18, 2025
Reiwa Shinsengumi lawmaker with ALS to retire
Yasuhiko Funago, 67, said that it would be difficult for him to serve another six-year term considering his age and physical strength.
Lawmakers from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Democratic Party for the People submit a motion to dismiss the chairman of the House of Representatives' Financial Affairs Committee, on Tuesday at parliament.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 17, 2025
Opposition parties submit motion to dismiss Lower House panel chief
The motion to dismiss comes amid the panel chairman's refusal to hold deliberations on a bill to abolish the provisional gasoline tax rate.

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