The 198th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Takaichi’s Taiwan contingency comment sparking bilateral tensions with China, the G7 foreign ministerial meeting in Canada, the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa, the LDP and Ishin’s plans to kickstart talks toward revising the three security documents, the GOJ’s growth strategy discussions, the GOJ’s proposed economic stimulus package, LDP-Ishin tensions over domestic political priorities, other working level LDP-Ishin talks, plans to add more commodities to the ESPA list, plans to abolish the single-year primary balance targets, the latest trade statistics, and more.
Tag Archives: Takaichi Sanae
The Weekly Observer: November 3-7
The 197th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Takaichi’s summit calls with Zelenskyy and Meloni, Takaichi’s remarks about Taiwan, the start of discussions around flagship government policies, the LDP and Ishin’s new consultative framework, the formal agreement between ruling and opposition parties on the provisional gasoline tax rate, preparations to amend ESPA, discussions on the latest AI Basic Plan text, Takaichi’s decision to begin talks toward revising the single year primary balance surplus target, the economic conditions report for September, and more.
The Weekly Observer: October 27-31
The 196th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Takaichi’s diplomatic debut in Southeast Asia, the first Takaichi-Trump Summit, the APEC Leaders’ Summit, sideline meetings at the respective summits, Defense Minister Koizumi’s visit to Southeast Asia, the ruling and opposition parties’ agreement on scrapping the provisional gasoline tax rate, the LDP-Ishin policy consultation framework, the Nikkei Stock Average reaching a new milestone, the Bank of Japan maintaining policy interest rates, the “revival of science” plan, economic and finance ministerial meetings with the United States and China, the GOJ’s Monthly Economic Report for October, and more.
The Weekly Observer: October 20-24
The 195th edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics. This week focuses on Takaichi’s first phone call with President Trump, preparations for Takaichi’s diplomatic debut, new personnel appointments in the national security apparatus, Takaichi’s election as Japan’s first female prime minister, the rollout of the Takaichi Cabinet, Takaichi’s first Diet policy speech, the end of the Ishiba Administration, new capital investment in domestic shipbuilding, changes in Japan’s agricultural policy, Japan’s trade balance in the first half of FY 2025, 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.
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.
The Weekly Observer: January 31-February 4
The 22nd edition of the weekly newsletter aggregating news on Japanese politics! This week focuses on the COVID-19 situation, Rahm Emanuel’s meeting with the prime minister and foreign minister, a host of bilateral and trilateral meetings with the U.S. and South Korea, Japan’s possible role in the Ukraine situation, Japan’s response to North Korea’s frequent missile tests, the Diet resolution on human rights, the economic security bill draft, tensions among ruling and opposition parties ahead of the summer election, former Tokyo governor Ishihara’s death, five ex-PMs’ controversial anti-nuclear letter to the EU, Japan-ROK tensions over a UNESCO heritage site recommendation, and more.
Rintaro Nishimura 