The 67th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Japan-U.S. Critical Minerals Agreement, the Summit for Democracy, Foreign Minister Hayashi’s trip to China, the defense hotline with China, the FY 2023 budget, the draft policies for addressing the declining birth rate, the unified local elections, the prime minister’s directives for tourism, infrastructure, and new capitalism policies, new semiconductor equipment export restrictions, the U.K.’s accession to the TPP-11, the IMF’s report on Japan, and more.
Tag Archives: Kishida Fumio
The Weekly Observer: March 20-24
The 66th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Kishida-Zelenskyy summit meeting, the Kishida-Modi summit meeting, Kishida’s new FOIP plan, North Korea’s missile launches, South Korea withdrawing its WTO complaint, the appointment of a new JSDF Chief of Staff, the GOJ’s inflation-relief package, the unified local elections, the GOJ’s policies addressing the declining birth rate, the Immigration Services Agency’s guidance on who could be categorized as a “refugee,” Toshiba’s buyout deal, the BOJ’s dollar lending program, the Monthly Economic Report, and more.
The Weekly Observer: March 13-17
The 65th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Kishida-Yoon summit, the Japan-Germany IGC, the Japan-U.K.-Italy defense ministers’ meeting, the PM’s plans to unveil a new Indo-Pacific plan in India, the latest North Korean missile launch, the twelfth anniversary of 3.11, the PM’s vision for addressing the declining birth rate, the ruling coalition’s recommendations for addressing the rising costs of living, the government-labor-management meeting, the MOF-FSA-BOJ extraordinary meeting in light of global financial developments, preliminary wage hike stats, and more.
The Weekly Observer: March 6-10
The 64th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the South Korean government’s plan to resolve the wartime labor issue, the G7+ foreign ministers’ meeting on supporting Ukraine’s energy sector, the Japan-U.K.-Italy trilateral defense ministers’ meeting next week, the internal documents scandal involving Takaichi Sanae, the government-management-labor meeting next week, the confirmation of the next BOJ governor and vice governors, Governor Kuroda’s last monetary policy meeting, a record-high real wage decrease, and more.
The Weekly Observer: February 20-24
The 63rd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the G7 Leaders’ video conference on Ukraine, Foreign Minister Hayashi’s speech at the emergency UN session, North Korea’s missile launches, Japan-PRC diplomatic and security talks, the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors’ meeting, UN Security Council meetings on Ukraine and North Korea, Japan-U.S.-ROK and Japan-U.S. exercises in response to North Korea’s missile launches, the April by-elections, the LDP-Komeito-DPFP working level talks, the BOJ Governor nominee’s nomination hearing, the January CPI, 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: March 28-April 1
The 30th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on Omicron variant taking over Japan, a new vaccine minister, the TICAD ministerial meeting, PM Kishida and U.S. Ambassador Emanuel’s visit to Hiroshima, the 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook’s contents, the scheduled “2+2” meeting with the Philippines and India, new MOD units, the proposed economic stimulus package, legislation passed this week, HoC election updates, the ruling coalition-DPP discussion on responses to rising oil prices, the BOJ Tankan survey, new systems in place in the new FY, the BOJ’s maneuverings to manage the long-term interest rate, Bain Capital’s bid to privatize Toshiba, and more.
The Weekly Observer: March 21-25
The 29th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on Japan a week after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, a possible fourth vaccination, the G7 summit, the Japan-U.S. alliance, North Korea’s latest ICBM launch, former PM Abe’s meeting with President Tsai, the Japan-Cambodia summit, the legislation establishing security clearance, the FY 2022 budget, electoral cooperation between the opposition parties and the DPP, the extended oil supplier subsidy, the prime minister’s vision for a sustainable and resilient economy, the Monthly Economic Report, the new bill rate to promote renewable energy use, the GOJ’s first-ever power supply warning, SMBC Nikko’s market manipulation incident, and more.
The Weekly Observer: March 14-18
The 28th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the GOJ’s decision to lift all pre-emergency measures, Japan’s booster shots, the Japan-India summit, the Japan-Australia-India trilateral supply chain resilience initiative, Japan-U.S. joint exercises, North Korea’s missile test, Chinese incursions into Japanese waters, MOD’s new cyber and space units, the 89th LDP Convention, the FY 2022 budget vote, ruling and opposition parties preparing for the HoC election, progress on unfreezing the trigger clause on the gas tax, the BOJ’s monetary easing policy, latest on the Kawai bribery scandal, the earthquake, the pensioners’ cash handout, and more.
The Weekly Observer: March 7-11
The 27th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the new guidelines for lifting the COVID-19 pre-emergency measures, the GOJ’s push for a fourth vaccination, the latest plan to admit up to 100,000 foreign students in May, PM Kishida’s phone talks with ROK President Yoon, special envoy Abe’s trip to Malaysia, the PM’s statement regarding nuclear sharing with the U.S., Russia’s naval pressure near Japanese waters and North Korea’s latest missile test, the DPP’s counter-bill to the economic security legislation, LDP-Komeito endorsements in the HoC election, Komeito supporting unfreezing the trigger clause, a plethora of economic stats, super cities, 11 years since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, gender equality in Japan, and more.
Rintaro Nishimura 