Tag Archives: Politics

The 223rd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Takaichi’s visit to Vietnam and Australia, Koizumi’s visit to Indonesia and the Philippines, Motegi’s visit to Africa, the first Japan-ROK “2+2” at the vice ministerial level, Constitutional Memorial Day, the creation of a new LDP group supporting Takaichi, the Japan-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue and G7 trade ministerial meeting, Katayama’s visit to Uzbekistan for multilateral finance ministerial meetings, the existence of a “stealth tax hike,” and more.

The 222nd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Takaichi Cabinet’s diplomatic travel plans for the Golden Week holidays, Takaichi revealing that the GOJ has secured naphtha supply into 2027, Foreign Minister Motegi’s first diplomatic engagements in Africa, Defense Minister Koizumi’s planned visit to South Korea in June, Takaichi insisting there will be no supplementary budget to combat surging energy prices, the GOJ/BOJ intervention in the foreign exchange market, the BOJ maintaining interest rates despite opposition from three policy board members, Makino Milling’s decision to end buyout talks with MBK Partners, the GOJ Japan Growth Strategy Council’s new talent development vision, labor statistics in FY 2025, and more.

The 221st edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the GOJ’s expansion of defense equipment exports, the GOJ’s policies to address supply chain bottlenecks related to the Middle East, the first business delegation coordinating a visit to China, the first change in JSDF officer titles since its founding, the Japan Growth Strategy Council’s discussions on cross-cutting issues, the intelligence reform bill passed in the Lower House, the first six months of the Takaichi Cabinet, Takaichi’s decision to not visit the Yasukuni Shrine, the GOJ effectively blocking Makino Milling’s buyout, the LDP’s proposed AI White Paper update, the yen depreciating to threshold levels, the Monthly Economic Report for April, and more.

The 220th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the GOJ’s new “POWERR Asia Initiative,” the Japan-Australia frigate deal, the Japan-Poland summit meeting, the first navigation of the Taiwan Strait by a Japanese naval vessel in ten months, the LDP’s first annual party convention since Takaichi took office, progress on key legislation in the Diet, the first all-party dialogue on stable Imperial Household succession in around a year, the GOJ’s draft public-private growth investment roadmap, Finance Minister Katayama’s attendance at multilateral meetings in Washington, the JFTC’s second report on the domestic generative AI market, a civilian member’s recommendation to the GOJ on fiscal policy management, the MOF’s estimation of JGB interest payments in FY 2035, and more.

The 219th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Prime Minister Takaichi’s phone call with the Iranian president, the 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook, Defense Minister Koizumi’s scheduled visits to Indonesia and the Philippines, the FY 2026 annual budget, the ongoing discussions related to the National Conference on Social Security, progress on key legislation in the Diet, proposed changes to Japan’s fiscal policy management by a civilian policy council member, METI’s subsidies to support Rapidus’s identification of clients, stricter screening of foreign residency status, real wages remaining positive despite the Middle East situation, and more.

The 218th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the GOJ’s plans to secure supply chains amid the situation in the Middle East, the Japan-France Summit meeting, the Japan-Indonesia Summit meeting, Canada’s potential involvement in GCAP as an observer, the first provisional budget in eleven years, key legislation tracker for this year, the LDP-Ishin framework agreement on the second capital initiative, Microsoft’s new investment in Japan, the yen depreciating to ¥160 to the dollar, the Bank of Japan’s TANKAN for March, and more.

The 217th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the release of national oil reserves, the G7 foreign ministerial meeting in France, the arrest of a JGSDF officer on the premises of the Chinese Embassy in Japan, the Japan-Germany defense ministerial meeting, adoption of the first provisional budget in eleven years, funding appropriated to combat rising gasoline prices, the Seventh Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan, the introduction of a stricter naturalization process, the GOJ’s Monthly Economic Report for March, and more.

The 216th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the Takaichi-Trump Summit in Washington, Japan’s dilemma over sending troops to the Middle East, the Japan-Singapore Summit, Koizumi’s phone calls with key partners, the LDP-Ishin Summit, the adoption of a bill to create Japan’s own CFIUS, the Bank of Japan’s decision to maintain policy interest rates, the February trade balance, and more.

The 215th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the release of national oil reserves, the schedule for the upcoming summit meetings with French and Indonesian leaders, the latest Koizumi-Hegseth phone call, the GOJ’s draft roadmap for public-private growth investments, the Lower House passing the FY 2026 annual budget, key legislation up for debate in the Diet, the fifteenth year since the Great East Japan earthquake, proposed changes to the AI Guidelines for Business, G7 energy and finance ministerials around surging energy prices, the Economy Watchers Survey for February, and more.

The 214th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on the GOJ’s evacuation efforts in the Middle East, the Japan-Canada Summit, Akazawa’s latest visit to Washington, the LDP-Ishin recommendations on the loosening of defense export rules, the LDP’s efforts to force through the FY 2026 annual budget, the DPFP joining the National Conference, the GOJ’s plans to recycle rare earths and other critical materials, the GOJ’s proposed amendments to the Act on Strengthening Industrial Competitiveness, the “national burden ratio,” and more.