Tag Archives: Ishiba Shigeru

The 184th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Japan lobbying for special treatment on U.S. reciprocal tariffs, Japan winning the Australian general frigate project, summit previews with South Korea’s Lee and India’s Modi, the first Japan-ROK defense ministerial meeting with Seoul’s new defense chief, Ishiba’s message on the occasion of the peace memorial ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the LDP’s ongoing discussions over whether to hold a presidential election, the FY 2026 budget request guidelines, a new cybersecurity certification for information security providers, record national average minimum wage hikes, July’s Economy Watchers Survey, and more.

The 183rd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Japan’s reaction to Trump’s executive order on the reciprocal tariff rate, MOFA’s first major reorganization in nineteen years, the inauguration of the new JSDF Joint Staff of the Chief of Staff, the extraordinary Diet session, increasing pressure on Ishiba to step down, Ishiba reportedly forgoing issuance of a statement marking the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, the BOJ’s decision to maintain policy interest rates, the establishment of the GOJ’s AI Policy Promotion Office, final arrangements to raise the average national minimum wage, the GOJ’s Monthly Economic Report for July, and more.

The 182nd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the tariff agreement between Japan and the United States, the Japan-EU Summit, Foreign Minister Iwaya’s first phone call with the new ROK foreign minister, Defense Minister Nakatani’s diplomatic travel plans next month, pressure on Prime Minister Ishiba to step down, the potential re-submission of legislation to scrap the provisional gas tax rate, METI’s plan to expand the scope of support for next-gen solar battery development, MEXT’s plans to raise the maximum cap at universities to attract foreign students, capital investment amounts according to a Nikkei survey, and more.

The 181st edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the ongoing Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations, the Defense of Japan 2025, the Japan-U.S.-ROK trilateral vice ministerial meeting, leadership changes at the MOD and JSDF, Ishiba’s third major election defeat, the new government office tasked with tightening regulations on foreigners, the end to the Seven & i Holdings takeover saga, the G20 FMCBG meeting, record high tourism numbers in June, and more.

The 180th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the 25 percent tariff announcement by Trump, China’s decision to resume beef imports for the first time since 2001, Iwata’s attendance at the ASEAN-related foreign ministerial meetings, Bessent’s impending visit to Japan, the first trilateral defense chief of staff meeting in South Korea in fifteen years, mid-campaign polling from the Upper House election, Upper House Budget Committee Chair Tsuruho’s gaffe, undersea cables and economic security, the BOJ’s Regional Economic Report, June’s Economy Watchers Survey, and more.

The 179th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the QUAD foreign ministers’ meeting, Trump’s remarks floating a 30-35 percent tariff on Japan, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s cancelled trip to Japan, the launch of the new “National Cyber Coordination Office,” the start of the Upper House election campaign cycle, the GOJ’s response to Trump’s claims about rice imports, the average income of Diet members in 2024, METI’s ask for a golden share in Rapidus, Japan’s fentanyl trade restrictions, the Bank of Japan’s TANKAN, and more.

The 178th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Prime Minister Ishiba skipping the NATO Summit, Japan’s response to the U.S. air strikes on Iran, Foreign Minister Iwaya’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japan designating its “official security assistance” recipients, the results of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, a preview of the Upper House election, the Ishiba Administration’s rice policies, the memorial ceremony marking the 80th anniversary since the Battle of Okinawa, METI’s cybersecurity guidelines for semiconductor facilities, this year’s White Paper on International Economy and Trade, the balance of reserves of the employment adjustment subsidy, and more.

The 177th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Ishiba-Trump Summit on the sidelines of the G7 Canada Summit, Ishiba’s participation in the G7 Summit, Japan-ROK diplomatic engagements, the GOJ decision to create a new cyber policy coordination office, the conclusion of this year’s ordinary Diet session, the announcement of accelerating rice imports, the retirement of former Komeito leader Yamaguchi Natsuo, the BOJ’s decision to continue cutbacks in JGB purchases at a slower pace, Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel, news of an upcoming shipbuilding policy package, the international credit balance of Japanese banks, the trade balance in May, and more.

The 176th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the sixth round of Japan-U.S. tariff talks, Prime Minister Ishiba’s first phone call with South Korean President Lee, the creation of the Defense Science and Technology Board, the ruling LDP’s cash handout proposal, the last leaders’ debate of this Diet session, Koizumi’s continued efforts to suppress rice prices, the start of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election campaign period, the Honebuto 2025, key GOJ policy documents, Nippon Steel’s deal with the U.S. Government, the June Monthly Economic Report, and more.

The 175th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the fifth round of Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations, the new defense initiative announced at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the GOJ’s response to new ROK President Lee Jae-myung, reports on the next QUAD foreign ministers’ meeting, the MOD’s new guidelines on safe AI use in developing defense equipment, the GOJ’s inaugural session on rice policy, the ruling parties’ and Ishin’s agreement on social security policy, the GOJ’s numerous policy documents in the run-up to the Honebuto release, the JFTC’s first report on the domestic generative AI market, METI’s assessment of the industrial structure in 2040, real wage statistics in April, and more.