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.

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.