The 21st edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the House of Representatives election, Rahm Emanuel’s nomination hearing for the ambassadorship to Japan, an annual poll on Japan-China relations, North Korea and China’s military advancements, the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the Kishida Cabinet’s response to rising oil prices, Japan’s latest climate change response plan, the G7 Trade Ministers’ Meeting, September trade statistics, an ex-justice minister’s prison sentence, and more.
Tag Archives: Nobuo Kishi
The Weekly Observer: October 11-15
The 20th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the impending House of Representatives election, Prime Minister Kishida’s Diet battles, the LDP and CDP’s campaign manifestos, Kishida’s other policy actions, the Cabinet’s first diplomatic phone calls, TSMC’s first chip plant in Japan, Nippon Steel’s lawsuit against Toyota and Baoshan, and more.
The Weekly Observer: September 6-10
The 19th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the extended COVID-19 state of emergency, updates on quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers, Suga’s scheduled visit to the U.S. for the Quad summit, Japan’s Afghanistan response, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s port call to Japan, the FY 2022 budget request, economic indicators of the week, Prime Minister Suga’s reflection of the past year, updates to the LDP presidential candidate profiles, the opposition policy agreement between four parties, an ex-official’s prison sentence over the casino bribery scandal, and more.
The Weekly Observer: August 30-September 3
The 18th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the improving COVID-19 case numbers, updates on the vaccination drive, John Kerry’s trip to Japan, the SDF’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Japan Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue, opposition demands for an extraordinary Diet session, the FY 2022 budget request, Prime Minister Suga’s decision to nor run for reelection, a timeline of developments regarding the LDP presidential and House of Representatives elections, a profile on the potential candidates replacing Suga, opposition plans to retake the Lower House, Kishida’s coronavirus policies, the inauguration of Suga’s Digital Agency, 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.
The Weekly Observer: July 26-30
Fourteenth edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the newly expanded COVID-19 state of emergency, expert predictions on the spread of the virus, AstraZeneca approval for those above forty, Japan-U.S. high-level meetings, the inaugural strategic dialogue between Japanese, American and Taiwanese lawmakers, Japanese reactions to the Russian prime minister’s visit to the Northern Territories, the IMF’s economic outlook for Japan, preparation for Lower House and LDP Presidential elections, the decision by a prosecution committee to reinvestigate ex-prime minister Abe’s cherry blossom scandal, the government’s decision to not appeal the Hiroshima “Black Rain” ruling, and more.
The Weekly Observer: July 19-23
Thirteenth edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the spread of the “delta” variant, government efforts to resolve vaccine shortages, the Japan-U.S.-ROK deputy-level meeting, Japan-ROK relations, the opposition demands for out-of-session examinations, draft of the 2030 energy mix, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, preparation for Lower House and LDP Presidential election, and more.
The Weekly Observer: July 12-16
Twelfth edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the spike in cases following the 4th COVID-19 state of emergency, vaccine shortages, the 2021 defense white paper, Bank of Japan’s monetary policy, the lead up to the Olympic games next week and the fallout from the government’s retraction of policies toward eateries and alcohol distributors, intra-party scuffles in the upcoming Lower House election and more.
The Weekly Observer: July 5-9
Eleventh edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the declaration of a 4th COVID-19 state of emergency, vaccine shortages, Aso’s statement regarding collective self-defense in a Taiwan contingency, several legal rulings for guilty lawmakers, the economic impact of the state of emergency, the decision to hold Olympic games in the Greater Tokyo area without spectators and the fallout from the Tokyo Assembly election on Sunday, and more.
Rintaro Nishimura 