National / Politics Jul 18, 2017
Renho discloses family registry as critics call move setback for minorities
by Tomohiro Osaki
Leader of largest opposition party takes unusual step in bid to prove she has resolved her dual nationality status
National / Politics Jul 13, 2017
Renho to disclose family registry in bid to quell furor over dual nationality
by Tomohiro Osaki
Born to a Taiwanese father, the Democratic Party leader says she will show documents to dispel questions of foreign citizenship in a move seen by critics as caving to xenophobia.
National / Politics Jul 5, 2017
Tokyo vote prompts crisis of confidence for Renho's Democratic Party
by Reiji Yoshida
Sunday's Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election dealt a hard blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with his Liberal Democratic Party suffering a historic defeat and securing only 23 seats — the lowest-ever figure for the LDP. But another big loser in the election may face problems ...
National / Media | MEDIA MIX May 20, 2017
Will there be a price to free education?
by Philip Brasor
During a Lower House budget committee debate on May 8, Akira Nagatsuma of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) asked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to clarify remarks he had recently made about revising the Constitution. On May 3, which happened to be Constitution Day, ...
National / Politics May 20, 2017
Renho takes Abe to task over policies on ‘womenomics,’ Constitution
by Isabel Reynolds and Yuki Hagiwara
Renho, leader of the struggling Democratic Party, says Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policies are failing Japan’s women and the pacifist charter.
National / Politics May 9, 2017
Abe says defining SDF in revised Constitution is 'the responsibility of our generation'
by Tomohiro Osaki
The remarks were among only a handful he would make on his desire to amend the charter during a face-off with Democratic Party leader Renho.
National / Politics May 4, 2017
Democratic Party struggles for relevance in face of LDP-Komeito juggernaut
by Tomohiro Osaki
It would be an understatement to say the Democratic Party, Japan's biggest opposition party, is struggling. The DP has recently seen an exodus of 13 official candidates in the run-up to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election. In a further blow, one influential member has quit ...
Editorials Apr 26, 2017
The DP leadership needs to take the revolt and defection of its members seriously and rebuild the party before it's too late.
Editorials Mar 16, 2017
The Democratic Party's first convention since Renho took over as its chief highlighted the difficulties confronting the top opposition party.
National / Politics Mar 12, 2017
At party convention, DP shies away from plan to phase out atomic power by 2030
by Tomohiro Osaki
The Democratic Party postpones adopting a bold target of slashing the nation’s reliance on nuclear power to zero by 2030.
National / Politics Jan 26, 2017
Abe's kanji gaffe makes Twitter's trend tally
by Tomohiro Osaki
Reading kanji characters can be treacherous, and it seems even Prime Minister Shinzo Abe isn't immune to the pitfalls. Abe has become the butt of online ridicule after misreading a kanji while delivering a speech from a script at an Upper House plenary session earlier ...
National / Politics Jan 1, 2017
Abe has no reason to rock the boat by calling early-2017 snap election
by Tomohiro Osaki
After weeks of speculation that 2017 may start with a snap election in late January, the prime minister said on NHK that it will not happen.