National / Politics Sep 30, 2020
Karen Makishima becomes first woman to lead LDP's youth unit
Past prime ministers such as Noboru Takeshita, Taro Aso and Shinzo Abe previously held the Youth Division top post.
National / Politics Sep 6, 2020
LDP exec eyes snap election as soon as Abe's successor picked
The Lower House may be dissolved for a general election as soon as a replacement for incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is picked later this month, a leading Liberal Democratic Party figure said Sunday. "It is possible it will be timed to seek voter response ...
National / Politics Aug 24, 2020
Kozo Watanabe, former Japanese Lower House vice speaker, dies at 88
Kozo Watanabe, former vice speaker of the House of Representatives, has died at the age of 88, people close to him said Monday. Watanabe, who was elected 14 times to the Lower House, had retired from politics after deciding not to run in the 2012 ...
National / Politics Aug 11, 2020
Japan election in October 'difficult,' says LDP strategy chief
“It is difficult to dissolve the chamber unless anxieties among the public (about the pandemic) start to dissipate," said Hakubun Shimomura.
National / Politics Aug 2, 2020
Autumn snap election speculation recedes amid Japan's coronavirus resurgence
by Eric Johnston
An election win this fall could help Abe pick a successor or extend his term past 2021, but it would also prove highly unpopular in the middle of a pandemic.
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 ...