National / Politics Mar 22, 2019
Tsuyoshi Hoshino, the Heisei Era's last maestro of Japan's Diet formalities
by Tomohiro Osaki
When at home, Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Tsuyoshi Hoshino wouldn't dare let the hours pass without a humidifier on. The whole time the device is humming, he is also wearing a neck gaiter. Whenever he goes out, he makes sure his bag contains a ...
National / Politics Mar 21, 2019
Tomomi Inada's uphill battle to 'promote understanding' of LGBT issues in Japan
by Isabel Reynolds and Emi Nobuhiro
Tomomi Inada isn't trying to get Japan to legalize same-sex marriage or ban discrimination against gay citizens. The conservative lawmaker just wants to "promote understanding" of LGBT issues. Even that seems too much. The former defense minister said she's unsure she'll be able to introduce new ...
National / Politics | FOCUS Mar 4, 2019
Tensions within Japan's LDP rise over backing of ex-DPJ heavyweight Goshi Hosono in Shizuoka poll
The two factions at the heart of the battle have a long history of conflict.
National / Politics Feb 12, 2019
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Edano urges party to gird for Lower House poll
Yukio Edano, leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told senior officials of the party's local chapters on Monday to speed up the selection of candidates for a possible House of Representatives election this year. "If the Lower House is dissolved, we're determined ...
National / Politics Feb 9, 2019
LDP heavyweight Akira Amari may call on Abe to hold double election this summer
Ruling party heavyweight Akira Amari has indicated that he may call on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to decide to hold simultaneous elections of both chambers of the Diet this summer, depending on tactics of opposition parties. "At the moment, the prime minister is not considering ...
National / Politics Dec 4, 2018
Lower House OKs bill banning ticket scalping ahead of Tokyo Olympics
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill to penalize the resale of tickets for sports and concert events at higher prices, including via the internet. At a Lower House plenary session, the ban on the practice of scalping was approved by a unanimous ...
National Nov 11, 2018
Former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Sonoda dies of pneumonia at 76
Hiroyuki Sonoda, a Lower House lawmaker who once served as deputy chief Cabinet secretary and acting policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, dies of pneumonia aged 76.
National / Politics Nov 3, 2018
LDP's Seiko Noda goes against custom, addressing lawmakers with honorific suffix san, not kun
Former internal affairs minister Seiko Noda, the first female chair of the Lower House Budget Committee, is making headlines for her unconventional style in steering deliberations — calling lawmakers by their names with the honorific suffix san, rather than kun, which is usually used ...
National Oct 31, 2018
by Miki Ishibashi
With the number of women running for U.S. Congress hitting a record high in the Nov. 6 midterm elections, the growing participation of women in American politics may prompt a change in the male-dominated political and business circles in Japan, according to U.S. and ...
National / Politics Apr 2, 2018
Assets held by members of Japan's House of Representatives sink to record-low ¥29 million
House of Representatives lawmakers held a record-low average of ¥29.17 million ($274,000) in assets, according to a tally based on data they released Monday after the 2017 snap election. The data cover financial assets, land and property held by members of the Lower House who ...