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.
Tag Archives: China
The Weekly Observer: June 29-July 3
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 Weekly Observer: June 22-26
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 Weekly Observer: June 15-19
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 Weekly Observer: June 8-12
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 Weekly Observer: June 1-5
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 Weekly Observer: May 25-29
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.
The Weekly Observer: April 4-8
The 31st edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the possible “seventh wave” of COVID-19 cases, GOJ plans to encourage booster shots among the youth, the NATO/G7 foreign ministers’ meetings, Speaker Pelosi’s postponed trip to Japan, engagements before the Japan-Philippines “2+2” meeting, LDP plans to restructure the 3 security and defense documents, the Kishida Cabinet’s first six months, the emergency stimulus package, the bill promoting economic security, opposition disunity ahead of the House of Councillors election, macro and microeconomic statistics, GOJ commitments to COVAX, the Japan Business Federation’s digitization proposal, the restructured Tokyo Stock Exchange, JCP Chairman Shii’s quote on the JSDF’s role in a crisis, and more.
The Weekly Observer: February 28-March 4
The 26th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the re-extended COVID-19 pre-emergency measures, the GOJ’s push for booster vaccination, the GOJ raising the daily entry cap to 7,000, U.S. reactions to GOJ measures against Russia, Japan-Ukraine summit, former PM Abe’s statement regarding nuclear sharing with the U.S., North Korea’s latest missile test, Diet resolutions condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, new GOJ measures to suppress rising oil and gas prices, ruling coalition and DPP talks on unfreezing the trigger clause, February’s Consumer Confidence Survey, LDP-DPP talks on reforming the Lower House electoral system, Japanese companies halting production in Russia, Sony-Honda partnership to develop EVs, and more.
The Weekly Observer: February 21-25
The 25th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the latest COVID-19 situation, Shionogi’s oral drug approval, Japan-U.S. meetings on Ukraine, the GOJ’s formal protest over a diplomat’s arrest in China, Japan and “enemy base strike capabilities”, the FY 2022 budget and the DPP, electoral strategy ahead of the summer election, the GOJ raising subsidy amounts for oil suppliers, the Emperor’s 62nd birthday address, the GOJ’s university fund, and more.