Tag - ldp

 
 

LDP

Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Mar 22, 2014
Energy debate challenges facade of wa
Torn between his nationalistic instinct to resurrect what he seems to regard as Japan's great bygone days of empire-building and the mundane demands of caring for the pressing needs of his nation, a remarkably caring soul might almost feel sorry for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his first months in...
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 20, 2014
Lack of interest in Osaka mayoral race threatens to damage Ishin brand
While Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto is all but certain to be returned to office in Sunday's election, a lack of interest among voters and the refusal by the major political parties to field candidates threatens to make the result meaningless.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 12, 2014
Abe rushing to revise ban on arms exports but Komeito remains wary
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration is in a hurry to lift Japan's self-imposed arms export ban, but political ally New Komeito is reluctant to play along.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 26, 2014
Komeito hits Cabinet defense ploy
Differences between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito are surfacing over collective self-defense, in which conservative Prime Minister Shinu00adzo Abe aims to reverse a long-held pacifist principle by Cabinet decision only.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2014
China, eyeing Japan, seeks WWII focus for Xi during Germany visit
China wants to make World War II a key part of a trip by President Xi Jinping to Germany next month, much to Berlin's discomfort, diplomatic sources said, as Beijing tries to use German atonement for its wartime past to embarrass Japan.
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Feb 15, 2014
Leave Article 9 alone: New Komeito's Osaka women
Political alliances often resemble shotgun weddings. But Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and smaller opposition forces such as Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) that are pushing to amend the Constitution are now wondering...
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Jan 28, 2014
Abe's deceptive rice reform
On Dec. 9 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared that his government has abolished the subsidy system for reductions in rice acreage, yet subsidies for growing rice as animal feed will greatly increase.
EDITORIALS
Jan 24, 2014
Opposition needs unified agenda
There are budding moves to reorganize Japan's fragmented political opposition to create a new force that can stand up to the giant ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 9, 2014
LDP drops past campaign pledge to 'never wage a war'
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party removes a pledge that Japan will 'never wage a war' from the final draft of its campaign platform for this year.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Jan 6, 2014
The empire strikes back: the top issues for non-Japanese in 2013
2013 saw the enfranchised elite consolidating their power further than has ever been seen in the postwar era, while Japan's disenfranchised peoples slipped ever lower down the totem pole, becoming targets of suspicion, fear and loathing.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 4, 2014
Slippery slope to Yasukuni, Nago oiled by lucre
As with the Yasukuni story, most of the commentary on Okinawa base relocation deal focused on its contentious nature, but also like the Yasukuni story, the main impetus behind the actions reported was economic.
EDITORIALS
Dec 28, 2013
Year of ups and downs for Japan
Japan in 2013 was besieged by problems in politics, business and society even while several key events helped to rekindle a sense of confidence in Japan.
JAPAN / YEAR IN REVIEW 2013
Dec 25, 2013
A look back at the year's top 10 Japan news stories
Japan Times editors selected the following domestic stories as the most important in 2013.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 23, 2013
Secrets, lies, gaffes, glory: 2013 in quotes
A mix of scandals, achievements, political missteps and commemorations highlighted 2013. Here's a rundown of the quotations that shaped the Year of the Snake.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 22, 2013
Record budget unveiled as debt burden mounts
The government and the ruling coalition agreed on a record budget for the next fiscal year, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe boosts spending on social security, defense and public works while trying to contain the growth of the world's biggest debt burden.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 20, 2013
Dictatorship of the majority
Japanese civic movements conspicuously picked up steam to oppose the state secrets bill just before its enactment into law, illustrating that many Japanese voters become critical of the Abe administration when it takes up issues other than the economy.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2013
Deceptive rice price reforms viewed as too late for industry
Toru Wakui has defied the government's “gentan” rice production controls since the 1970s, but the farm ministry's plans to abolish them haven't made him any happier.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 12, 2013
Ruling bloc approves tax reform plan for '14
To stave off some of the negative impacts of the expected consumption tax hike to 10 percent in October 2015, the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc says the levy should be reduced on certain daily necessities.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 3, 2013
Fast-tracked secrecy bill riles opposition
The ruling coalition forces through a vote to hold a mandatory public hearing on the state secrets bill without giving opposition lawmakers a chance to speak.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 2, 2013
Ishiba softens criticism of bill protesters
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba remains critical of public demonstrations despite retracting part of an earlier comment likening protesters to terrorists.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji