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.
Tag Archives: China
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.
The Weekly Observer: February 14-18
The 24th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the GOJ’s decision to extend pre-emergency measures in 17 prefectures, the GOJ’s vaccine distribution plan, the decision to raise the daily cap on entry to Japan, the latest on Japan’s response to the situation in Ukraine, the Japan-U.S.-ROK trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting, the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting over the weekend, Japan and “enemy base strike capabilities”, the FY 2022 budget vote, economic statistics, the yen’s weakening external purchasing power, rising oil prices, METI’s human rights guidelines, and more.
The Weekly Observer: February 7-11
The 23rd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the GOJ’s decision to extend pre-emergency measures, the Pfizer pill approval, the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, U.S. tariff removal on Japanese aluminum, Japan-U.S. joint exercises, the Ukraine situation and energy policy, Taiwan’s removal of the Fukushima food ban, the Japan-U.S.-ROK Defense Ministers’ Meeting, the BOJ’s temporary bond buying program, the three-step implementation of the economic security bill, GOJ measures to keep oil prices in control, the LDP proposal to strengthen measures against human rights violations, the scandal that threatens to derail the economic security bill, and more.
The Weekly Observer: January 31-February 4
The 22nd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the COVID-19 situation, Rahm Emanuel’s meeting with the prime minister and foreign minister, a host of bilateral and trilateral meetings with the U.S. and South Korea, Japan’s possible role in the Ukraine situation, Japan’s response to North Korea’s frequent missile tests, the Diet resolution on human rights, the economic security bill draft, tensions among ruling and opposition parties ahead of the summer election, former Tokyo governor Ishihara’s death, five ex-PMs’ controversial anti-nuclear letter to the EU, Japan-ROK tensions over a UNESCO heritage site recommendation, and more.
The Weekly Observer: August 9-13
Sixteenth edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the ever-increasing COVID-19 case tally, considerations for a COVID-19 state of emergency extension, latest on the vaccination drive, NSS Akiba’s first trip to the U.S., defense minister’s controversial visit to Yasukuni, Suga and Kishi’s interviews with foreign media, the prime minister’s Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony speech, the July Economy Watchers Survey, the aftermath of the Olympics, new developments in the build up to the LDP presidential race, the Yokohama City mayoral election, and more.
The Weekly Observer: August 2-6
Fifteenth edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the tightened COVID-19 countermeasures, policy to secure hospital beds amid a surge in coronavirus cases, latest on the vaccination drive, ASEAN-related foreign ministers’ meetings, the foreign ministry in action with South Korea and Russia, the defense ministry’s missile defense plans, the prime minister’s Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony speech, consumption expenditure in June, the LDP presidential race schedule and new candidates, a new money scandal in politics and more.
Rintaro Nishimura 