Masahiko Komura, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's vice president, said Wednesday that Japan will not comply with the Islamic State's ransom demand, after the militant group threatened to kill two Japanese it is holding hostage. "Withdrawal of the humanitarian support is out of the question," ...
Natsuo Yamaguchi, the just re-elected chief of New Komeito, and other party leaders should realize that if the party fails to ensure that Japan stays on the pacifist road with respect to the passage of new legislation, it will lose its raison d'etre.
New Komeito chief Yamaguchi secures fourth two-year term until 2016
At its convention in Tokyo on Sunday, the New Komeito party, the junior partner in Japan's ruling coalition, approved a fourth two-year term — until September 2016 — for its leader, Natsuo Yamaguchi. Other party executives, including Secretary-General Yoshihisa Inoue and Kazuo Kitagawa, New Komeito's ...
Japan on verge of legalizing war as Komeito bends
Japan is set Tuesday to legalize waging war even when not under direct attack. It is a drastic departure from its postwar position that the war-renouncing Constitution prohibits exercising the right to collective self-defense. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet is set to approve a reinterpretation ...
Ishin-Komeito ties fray in Osaka
Relations between Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) and New Komeito continue to deteriorate, with party heads Toru Hashimoto and Ichiro Matsui preparing to challenge two Osaka-based New Komeito leaders in the next Lower House election. At an all-party meeting Saturday, Hashimoto and Matsui ...
Abe offers concession on collective defense
The Abe administration gave some ground Tuesday to New Komeito in the ninth round of the coalition defense talks, offering tougher conditions before Japan would be allowed to exercise the long-prohibited right to collective self-defense. Debate between the ruling coalition partners has focused on three ...
Mine-clearing in combat zones pushed for SDF
An LDP politician argues Japan can join collective-security operations after Prime Minister Abe fudges his stance on mine-sweeping, which is deemed use of force by international law.
Abe team presents draft statement on collective self-defense
The Abe administration has tabled a draft statement that could allow Japan to effectively exercise the right to collective self-defense, but the ruling coalition remains divided.
LDP seeks defense deal by Friday
Unless the ruling coalition strikes a deal this week, Cabinet will be unable to approve the use of collective self-defense during the current Diet session, a senior Liberal Democratic Party minister says.
Tensions mount over security talks
A showdown looms as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pressures the ruling coalition to agree to overhaul Japan’s pacifist security stance, possibly as early as Friday.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tendency to stumble in building allied support whenever he makes an aggressive move appears most conspicious of late with his efforts to have Japan exercise its right to collective self-defense and to reform farm policy.
