National / Politics Jul 2, 2020
LDP heavyweight Shigeru Ishiba against dissolving Lower House early
Speculation about a possible general election this coming fall has been rife among political circles.
National / Politics | FOCUS Jun 24, 2020
Senior LDP figures hint at Lower House breakup and election within 2020
Some speculate that such comments are intended to keep LDP members united, at a time when the administration faces strong headwinds over a spate of problems.
National Apr 15, 2020
CDP lawmaker expelled from party over hostess bar visit amid emergency
A Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker was expelled from the main opposition party Wednesday after admitting he visited a Tokyo hostess bar despite the capital being under a state of emergency to curb the spread of the coronavirus, a senior official said. House of ...
National Apr 14, 2020
Senior Japanese ruling party and opposition officials agreed Tuesday to reduce lawmakers' salaries by 20 percent for a year as part of efforts to overcome the novel coronavirus crisis. The accord was reached at a meeting between Hiroshi Moriyama, Diet affairs chief of the governing ...
National / Politics Apr 13, 2020
Moves to introduce remote work for Diet members amid the coronavirus outbreak are failing to gain momentum due to constitutional constraints and technical reasons. Diet sessions fall into the three risky situations — enclosed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings — that the government is ...
National / Politics Mar 31, 2020
Speculation rife in Japan of a post-pandemic, pre-Olympic poll
Now that the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed to next year, speculation is growing that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will call a snap election before his tenure runs out in fall 2021. Sources familiar with Abe's thinking said he intends to closely watch how the ...
National / Politics Mar 18, 2020
Opposition unites behind single candidate in Shizuoka by-election
Major opposition parties have decided to support a single candidate in a House of Representatives by-election set to be held in Shizuoka Prefecture on April 26. The by-election in the prefecture's No. 4 constituency is now likely to be a de facto one-on-one race between ...
Business Feb 28, 2020
Japan's record fiscal 2020 budget clears Lower House
by Satoshi Sugiyama
The ¥102.66 trillion fiscal 2020 budget denies extra funding for COVID-19 but addresses soaring welfare costs and promotes free education and cashless purchases to offset last year’s tax hike.
National / Politics Jan 20, 2020
Japan opposition submits bill to scrap casino laws amid bribery scandal
Opposition parties are set to grill the government over the controversial handling of public documents pertaining to a state-funded cherry blossom-viewing party as well.
National / Politics | FOCUS Jan 7, 2020
Whether Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will call a snap election is expected to be the biggest issue in Japanese politics in 2020. Many politicians speculate that Abe may dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election in autumn after this year's Tokyo Olympics and ...
National / Crime & Legal Jan 6, 2020
Nippon Ishin lawmaker Mikio Shimoji admits taking money in casino scandal
The Lower House member says he may resign from his political party.
National Jan 4, 2020
Five other Japanese lawmakers may be involved in casino bribery scandal
An adviser to a Chinese gambling operator that is under investigation for allegedly bribing lawmaker Tsukasa Akimoto, formerly a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, over a casino resort project, has told investigators that the company also gave cash to another five lawmakers, a ...