NEWSWORTHY
Liberal Demoratic Party and Komeito flip-flop on Osaka merger
Just over a month after local elections in which Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) surprised even itself with resounding victories, the established parties' local chapters appear to be on the ropes. Earlier this month, Komeito, which had long partnered with Osaka Ishin to form ...
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki requests month of talks with Abe in bid to halt U.S. base transfer
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to engage in a one-month dialogue in his latest bid to halt the ongoing construction work to build a replacement facility for a key U.S. air base within the prefecture. Tamaki made the ...
With Okinawa having recently held a referendum on the relocation of a U.S. military base in the prefecture, we discuss the results.
More than 70% in Okinawa vote no to relocation of U.S. Futenma base to Henoko
More than 70 percent of voters in Okinawa on Sunday voted against a plan to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to Henoko — a coastal area in the northeastern part of the main island — in a closely watched prefecture-wide ...
Campaign kicks off for Okinawa referendum on U.S. base relocation plan
The voter turnout rate is crucial to how the results of the referendum will be perceived in Tokyo and Washington.
Osaka mayor and governor may quit to force early poll in bid to realize dream of metro government
The proposal to reorganize the government had already been put to a municipal referendum in 2015 but was rejected by voters.
Three Okinawa city assemblies vote against referendum-related budgets
The assemblies of three cities in Okinawa Prefecture on Thursday voted down their respective draft supplementary budgets including funds to cover costs for administrative work related to a planned prefectural referendum on a U.S. base relocation plan. The three cities are Ginowan, Okinawa and Uruma. ...
Constitutional referendum would unleash TV blitz never before seen in Japan
If Japan ever calls a referendum on whether to revise the postwar Constitution, it could spark a heated TV advertising war, akin to what the U.S. goes through for its presidential election campaigns. The national referendum law as it now stands in principle enables anyone ...
In country's first name-change referendum, Sasayama voters back renaming city as Tamba-Sasayama
The city of Sasayama in Hyogo Prefecture will be changing its name to Tamba-Sasayama as early as next May following what city officials described as the country's first referendum on changing a municipality's name. Sunday's referendum passed with a margin of 3,128, with 13,646 voting ...
Thousands take to streets in London and demand second Brexit vote be held
Tens of thousands of supporters of the European Union began marching through London on Saturday as part of what organizers say will be the biggest-ever demonstration to demand that the British government hold a public vote on the terms of Brexit. The protesters waved the ...
In referendum, voters in second Swiss canton overwhelmingly vote for ban on burqas
A second Swiss canton will introduce a regional burqa ban after voters in St. Gallen overwhelmingly voted Sunday to prohibit all face-covering garments in public spaces. Nearly 67 percent of voters in the northeastern Swiss canton voted in favor of the new law, according to ...
