Taro Yamamoto blurs the popular line on climate change
Climate change is not much of a social issue in Japan. Even in the wake of three recent weather-related disasters, there has been little discussion across the political spectrum that climate change contributed to them. In Europe and the United States, left-leaning groups demand ...
Abe rival Taro Yamamoto says Japan's sales tax hike is 'crazy' and should be abolished
Just as Japan braces itself for a hike in the sales tax to 10 percent on Oct. 1, one of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's would-be rivals is calling for it to be abolished altogether. Taro Yamamoto, a former actor who is now the leader of ...
Reiwa Shinsengumi chief says fledgling party ready to cooperate with other opposition forces
New political party Reiwa Shinsengumi is ready to cooperate with other parties under certain conditions for the House of Representatives election, leader Taro Yamamoto said in a recent interview. "We're willing to join forces with other opposition parties in the Lower House election if an ...
Is populism finally coming to Japan?
The success of leftist party Reiwa Shinsengumi marks a turning point in Japanese politics.
Actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto aims for real-life starring role as future Japan PM
Actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto is angling for a new real-life role in which he leads his novice party and allies to victory, ousts long-ruling conservatives and takes over as prime minister within the next few years. Whether or not he can achieve that ambitious target, Yamamoto ...
Reiwa Shinsengumi makes splash in Japanese election debut, giving voice to people with disabilities
A new anti-establishment group led by actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto made a surprisingly strong showing in the Upper House election Sunday, reflecting a sense of stagnation and growing public frustration with vested interests in the country. Reiwa Shinsengumi candidates Yasuhiko Funago, 61, who has Lou Gehrig's ...
Two Reiwa Shinsengumi candidates with disabilities win Upper House seats
Two candidates with severe disabilities belonging to the opposition group Reiwa Shinsengumi won seats in the Upper House election on Sunday, scoring an important victory for disabled people in a country where they have long been encouraged to stay in the shadows. In addition, the ...
Citizen campaigns seek to increase voter turnout in Upper House election
Thanks to Japan's fairness guidelines, NHK offers free air time to all political parties participating in national and regional elections, a service that earlier this month resulted in the leader of the Party to Protect Citizens From NHK, which advocates the elimination of NHK's ...
Upper House candidates in Tokyo vie to fill void after exit of popular lawmaker
Candidates are frantically vying for support from unaffiliated voters in Tokyo ahead of Sunday's House of Councilors election in a bid to take advantage of an opportunity created by the exit of popular lawmaker Taro Yamamoto. In the constituency, where 20 candidates are competing for ...
Emperor's apparent liberal leanings jar with Japan's right wing
Whereas liberals tend to be fond of the Emperor because he appeals to their own progressive leanings, genuine right-wingers have no use for the kind of open-mindedness the Emperor occasionally demonstrates.
Yamamoto gets Imperial ban for letter; Inoki faces discipline
The Upper House Steering Committee will no longer allow Taro Yamamoto, the anti-nuclear lawmaker who made a public stir by handing a letter to Emperor Akihito, to participate in any event hosted by the Imperial family.
