Tag - diet

 
 

DIET

Constitutional Democratic Party member and former Prime Minister Naoto Kan delivers a speech during a rally in Tokyo in October 2017.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 21, 2023
Ex-Prime Minister Naoto Kan won't run in next general election
The 14-term House of Representatives lawmaker said he is seeking to bring about a generational shift in politics.
Newly elected Lower House Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 20, 2023
Former finance minister elected as Lower House speaker
The 79-year-old Fukushiro Nukaga, a 13-term Diet member and former finance minister, was chosen, replacing Hiroyuki Hosoda.
For Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, tackling the impact of rising prices has become a key priority.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 19, 2023
Upcoming parliament session puts Kishida's stimulus package in spotlight
Tackling inflation has become a key priority for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as economic trends have played a part in his low approval ratings.
The Supreme Court Grand Bench on Wednesday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 18, 2023
Top court rules 2022 election vote disparity constitutional
The decision followed 16 rulings from lower courts, with one saying the gap was unconstitutional and eight calling it in a "state of unconstitutionality."
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Oct 18, 2023
Kishida to vow to consider returning tax funds amid rising prices
Japan's tax revenue reached ¥71.14 trillion for the 2022 fiscal year, hitting a record high for the third consecutive year.
Voters listen to a speech by a candidate in the Tokushima-Kochi Upper House district in the city of Kochi on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 18, 2023
Upcoming by-elections first test of Kishida’s new Cabinet
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida faces his first electoral test after making Cabinet and Liberal Democratic Party leadership changes last month.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara speaks during a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington on Oct. 4.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 16, 2023
Defense chief retracts comments implying LDP vote would be good for SDF
Article 61 of the Self-Defense Forces Law explicitly forbids SDF personnel from engaging in political activity, with the exception of voting.
A gender-equality supporter protests against discrimination at an event held in Tokyo for International Women's Day in March 2021
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 13, 2023
Japan’s gender gap has never been wider. Can Kishida close it?
The government emphasizes the need to improve gender equality, but correcting Japan's dismal record requires a nuanced approach.
Fukushiro Nukaga
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 13, 2023
LDP to recommend former finance minister as Lower House speaker
Fukushiro Nukaga, 79, is expected to take over for Hiroyuki Hosoda when parliament resumes next week.
Voters gather as a candidate in the Nagasaki No. 4 Lower House by-election kicks off his campaign in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 10, 2023
Campaigning starts for Lower House by-election in southwest Japan
Two by-elections set for Oct. 22 will be the first since Kishida revamped his Cabinet last month in an attempt to refresh his government's image.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is unlikely to call a snap election by the end of the year, sources say.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 7, 2023
Kishida unlikely to call snap election this year, sources say
Instead, the prime minister is expected to focus on the passage of a supplementary budget aimed at curbing the effects of price hikes.
Voters listen to a speech by a candidate in the Tokushima-Kochi Upper House district as campaigning kicked off on Thursday for a by-election.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2023
Campaigning begins for Upper House by-election in western Japan
The Upper House race in the Tokushima-Kochi district kicked off before campaigning for a House of Representatives by-election starts next Tuesday.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a news conference after his Cabinet reshuffle in Tokyo on Sept. 13.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 2, 2023
Late fall emerges as possible timing for snap election in Japan
A decision on a snap poll could be determined by debate over an economic stimulus package and a supplementary budget bill to pay for it.
Yukio Edano, former leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, speaks in Miyazaki Prefecture last month.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 1, 2023
Yukio Edano moves to return as CDP leader
Yukio Edano, former leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, is believed to have begun his bid to return as party leader.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2023
Kishida not considering snap poll as parliament prepares to return
Parliament will convene for an extraordinary session on Oct. 20, with stimulus measures at the top of Kishida's agenda.
Masatoshi Akimoto asks questions at a Lower House budget committee session in February 2022.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2023
Ex-LDP member's indictment puts spotlight on green energy goals
A Lower House member and the former president of a major offshore wind-power company were each charged with bribery by Tokyo prosecutors.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 20.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2023
Lack of political timetable fuels Japan snap election speculation
The ruling and opposition parties are watching for the possibility of a Lower House breakup at the start of an extraordinary Diet session this autumn.
Fumitake Fujita, secretary-general of Nippon Ishin no Kai, speaks during a news conference at the Diet building in Tokyo on Wednesday. Fujita said the party instructed its lawmakers to check whether their secretaries held other jobs.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 22, 2023
Lawmakers' secretaries doubling as assembly members stir controversy
State-paid secretaries are allowed to hold other jobs if lawmakers judge that that will not affect the performance of their duties as secretaries.
Yoshikazu Higashitani, known as GaaSyy, at Narita Airport in June
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 19, 2023
In first court hearing, ex-lawmaker GaaSyy apologizes for defamation
Yoshikazu Higashitani admitted in court Tuesday to making defamatory remarks toward celebrities in videos he posted on social media.
Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, holds a news conference in the parliament last week.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 19, 2023
CDP and DPP face growing rift three years after merger failure
While the DPP has taken a cooperative line with the LDP-Komeito ruling coalition, the CDP has taken a confrontational stance toward the LDP.

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces