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 ...
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 ...
Japan's record fiscal 2020 budget clears Lower House
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.
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.
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 ...
Nippon Ishin lawmaker Mikio Shimoji admits taking money in casino scandal
The Lower House member says he may resign from his political party.
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 ...
Total of 656 candidates preparing to run in next Lower House election: survey
A total of 656 candidates are preparing to run in the next election for the House of Representatives, amid speculation that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may dissolve the chamber for a snap election early next year, a survey by Jiji Press released Sunday showed. The ...
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.
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 ...
Getting a large, cross-party group of lawmakers to act in unison may sound like a challenge, but during a Lower House earthquake drill on Tuesday, Diet members moved en mass, reaching under their seats to retrieve white, foldable helmets. Toshihiro Nikai (center right), secretary-general of ...
After Typhoon Hagibis, dissolution of Lower House by year-end for snap election now seen as unlikely
After Typhoon Hagibis caused extensive damage in Japan earlier this month, it is now increasingly unlikely that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will dissolve the House of Representatives — the powerful Lower House of the Diet — by the end of the year for a ...
