What will Abe do to cement his legacy?
If you look at Japan's 2020 political calendar now, it will look like it is going to be a relatively quiet one. The one event looming large on the horizon is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. With the global spectacle taking center stage, it's ...
LDP and Komeito mark 20th anniversary of alliance as policy clash on Constitution awaits
In a partnership that stretches back two decades, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, have deepened their reliance on each other.
Japan's naval dispatch to Middle East a 'product of compromise' between Iran and U.S., experts say
Experts term the decision to send Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel to the Middle East for independent information-gathering a ‘product of compromise.’
Osaka panel greenlights metropolis plan, setting stage for second referendum
A joint panel set up by Osaka's prefectural and municipal governments has approved a so-called Osaka metropolis plan to reorganize the city into four special wards governed directly by the prefecture in 2025. Following Thursday's approval, the city of Osaka is planning to hold a ...
Komeito OKs draft plan to dispatch Self-Defense Forces to Middle East
Komeito, the Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner, approved Tuesday a draft plan to dispatch Self-Defense Forces personnel to the Middle East, setting the stage for Cabinet approval next week. The LDP had already endorsed the plan to send a helicopter-carrying destroyer and a P-3C ...
Ruling bloc approves tax reforms to boost tech investment in Japan
The annual tax revision focused on steps to encourage firms to spend their internal reserves of over ¥460 trillion ($4.23 trillion), lawmakers said.
New law strengthens independent checks on major firms in Japan
A new law strengthens independent checks on major listed firms by obliging them to have outsiders on their board of directors and make executive compensation more transparent.
Japan's next SDF mission to Mideast may include its biggest warships
The next Self-Defense Forces dispatch to the Middle East could get Cabinet approval by the end of the year.
Abe dinner with Komeito leader stokes speculation about snap election
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party's coalition partner Komeito, had a dinner meeting Thursday, stoking speculation that they may have discussed the possibility of a snap election for the House of Representatives. At a Komeito meeting Friday, Yamaguchi ...
Ruling bloc-backed candidate wins Kochi gubernatorial election
Former internal affairs ministry bureaucrat Seiji Hamada, a candidate supported by the ruling bloc, on Sunday defeated a rival backed by four opposition parties in the Kochi gubernatorial election to succeed the three-term incumbent. Hamada, 56, beat fellow newcomer Kenji Matsumoto, 35, a Japanese Communist ...
Ruling coalition considering income tax relief for unmarried single parents
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration and the ruling coalition are considering providing income tax relief to unmarried single parents who receive child care allowances, sources said Sunday. Currently, parents who became single because of divorce or the death of their spouse are eligible for income ...
The ruling coalition started full discussions Thursday on tax system reforms for fiscal 2020, including proposed incentives for corporate investment and support for unmarried single parents. The ruling bloc plans to compile its tax system reform package on Dec. 12. "Discussions should focus on ensuring a ...
