Defense Minister Taro Kono says Japan not yet ready to point fingers over Saudi attack
New Defense Minister Taro Kono held back on Wednesday from saying that Iran was involved in last week's attack on Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil plants, highlighting how Japan's position on rising tensions in the Middle East differs from that of the United States. "Although the ...
Abe shows his command over LDP in reshuffle
Abe demonstrated that he is clearly in the driver's seat, posturing his allies for advancement in the LDP ranks, keeping bandwagoners contained and edging out rivals altogether.
Observers sift through Abe's reshuffle picks for his potential successors
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet for the seventh time Wednesday, trying again to boost popularity among voters by tapping fresh faces and further cement his power base by doling out prestigious Cabinet posts to ruling lawmakers — business as usual. But this time, ...
Cabinet reshuffles provide a window into Japan's policy priorities
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is planning to reshuffle his Cabinet on Wednesday. When this action, combined with the reshuffle of Liberal Democratic Party executives, takes place, there is always huge media coverage on who will be appointed to what post and what it means ...
Taro Kono likely to get defense portfolio while Komeito's Kazuyoshi Akaba may become land minister
Foreign Minister Taro Kono is being considered for the role of defense minister in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet reshuffle set for Wednesday, while a veteran ruling party lawmaker is set to replace the current land minister from junior coalition partner Komeito, political sources ...
It's official: Government to put Japanese family names first when using Roman alphabet
In a break from the long tradition of adopting the Western name order in Roman script, the government Friday decided to put surnames first when writing Japanese names in official documents. "In a globalized world, it has become increasingly important to be aware of the ...
Abe to reshuffle Cabinet and LDP executives Sept. 11, with Motegi tipped for foreign minister
Some within the administration expect Abe to reward Motegi for his work as the country’s top negotiator in bilateral trade talks with the United States.
Taro Kono says he hopes to reduce Middle East tension in meeting with Iran counterpart
Foreign Minister Taro Kono hopes to make diplomatic efforts to reduce tension in the Middle East, he said on Tuesday, as he began a meeting with Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. "We are worried about tension in the Middle East and we hope to make ...
Top diplomats from Iran and Japan to meet Tuesday amid Gulf tensions
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif plans to travel to Japan to meet with his counterpart Taro Kono on Tuesday amid heightened tensions in and around the Persian Gulf, Japanese government sources said Monday. Zarif and Kono will hold their first talks since the United ...
Despite subtle overtures, Japan-South Korea dispute likely to drag on
Recent signs that Japan and South Korea are making subtle overtures to each other have raised hopes that they are moving toward de-escalating their diplomatic feud. But while their foreign ministers agreed Wednesday to continue dialogue, it remains unclear what a compromise that would satisfy ...
China's Wang Yi urges Japan and South Korea to solve dispute during trilateral talks
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi asked Japan and South Korea to seek a solution to their differences “through dialogue” amid concern that worsening relations may threaten regional economic stability.
Japan, China and South Korea to hold meeting of foreign ministers near Beijing on Wednesday
The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea will meet next week on the outskirts of Beijing to discuss North Korea and other regional issues, officials said Friday. Foreign Minister Taro Kono will leave for Beijing on Tuesday to join his Chinese and South ...
