Author Archives: Rintaro Nishimura

The 232nd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Takaichi’ s absence from the NATO Summit, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kunimitsu’ s visit to Ukraine, China launching ballistic missiles from strategic nuclear submarines, the Lower House passing proposed amendments to the Imperial Household Law, the Diet sorting out the standoff between ruling and opposition parties, progress on legislation as the Diet normalizes proceedings, the draft update of the AI Basic Plan and interim vertical AI strategy, the draft of the Integrated Innovation Strategy 2026, local tax revenue hitting a record high last year, and more.

The 231st edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Takaichi-Modi Summit meeting, progress on the U.S. Pax Silica Summit, the reassurance that the GCAP will go ahead as scheduled, the GOJ’ s proposed drafts for the Honebuto and Growth Strategy, the chaotic state of Diet affairs ahead of the end of this year ’ s special session, the adopted proposals to amend the Imperial Household Law, the draft regulatory reform report, state funding for a domestic AI foundation model, the yield on newly issued ten-year government bonds reaching a thirty-year high, the BOJ’ s latest TANKAN report, and more.

The 230th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the LDP and Ishin’ s policy recommendations toward revising the three strategic national security documents, the arrest of two Japanese nationals in China for violating export control measures, the GOJ’ s position on deploying the JSDF to the Strait of Hormuz, the GOJ’ s public-private investment plan for the strategic growth sectors, the Takaichi-Yoshimura summit to negotiate a priority bill, mounting opposition to the GOJ’ s consumption tax cut proposal, the outline of the proposed amendments to the Imperial Household Law, the Nikkei Stock Average reaching record highs, the GOJ gaining access to new frontier AI models, the GOJ’ s plans to craft a new energy security plan, household financial assets as of the end of March, and more.

The 229th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Takaichi’ s first G7 Summit, Takaichi’ s visit to the United Kingdom and Italy, business delegation visits to China, the LDP and Ishin’ s policy recommendations on the strategic national security documents, the LDP’ s one percent consumption tax cut proposal, key legislative updates in the current Diet session, the public-private investment plan related to the seventeen strategic growth sectors, the BOJ raising the policy interest rate, the GOJ’ s response to the suspension of access to Anthropic’ s frontier AI models, semiconductor manufacturing partnerships with the United Kingdom and Italy, the Nikkei Stock Average hitting a new high, the trade balance in May, and more.

The 228th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Japan-Malaysia summit, the postponement of a business delegation visit to China, the second meeting of the GOJ expert panel reviewing the strategic security documents, the legislature’ s position on Imperial Household succession, the series of LDP policy recommendations to the GOJ, key legislation updates, Komeito’ s rumored merger with the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Intellectual Property Promotion Plan 2026, Kioxia overtaking Toyota as the company with the highest market capitalization, the Economy Watchers Survey for May, and more.

The 227th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Koizumi’ s speech at the Shangri-la Dialogue, Takaichi’ s scheduled Europe and India visit, the Japan-Indonesia defense ministerial meeting, the enactment of the FY 2026 supplementary budget, the continued discussions around the consumption tax cut, the legislature’ s position on stable Imperial Household succession, the GOJ securing access to Anthropic’ s Claude Mythos frontier AI model, Japan’ s participation in the U.S. Genesis Mission, Japan’ s response to the possibility of additional U.S. tariffs, the “quiet contingency” in the form of depopulation, and more.

The 226th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Quad foreign ministerial meeting, the LDP’ s recommendations for the security documents revision, the Japan-Philippines summit meeting, media reports on delayed Tomahawk missile delivery to Japan, the ongoing debate on the FY 2026 supplementary budget, the ongoing discussions on the consumption tax cut, progress on key legislation, the status of the legislature’ s position on stable Imperial Household succession, OpenAI granting access to its frontier AI model, the Nikkei index hitting new highs, the Monthly Economic Report in May, and more.