Ishiba sticks to the basics in second policy speech
In his second policy speech as prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba on Friday began with a candid reflection on his precarious standing as the leader of a minority government bracing for…
Japan’s parliament opens extraordinary session
The parliament opened a 24-day extraordinary session on Thursday as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks to enact political reform legislation and a supplementary budget.He is expected to face intensified pressure…
Trans-Pacific Tensions: Japan Urges Biden Over Steel Deal | Politics
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has made a direct appeal to President Joe Biden, urging him to sanction Nippon Steel's proposed $15 billion acquisition of US Steel.Biden, however, has…
Key Ishiba adviser visits US as Japan builds inroads to Trump camp
A key adviser to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has held talks with senior White House officials and — likely most crucially for Japan — Republican lawmakers and others close to…
Corporate donations remain sticky point in political reform talks
As discussions over political reform intensify ahead of Thursday's opening of the next session of parliament, the handling of corporate donations is poised to emerge as a major battleground between…
CDP’s gains in Hokkaido raise political questions about Rapidus
Sapporo – The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), which swept a total of 148 seats in the Oct. 27 Lower House election, did particularly well in Hokkaido, winning nine…
Ishiba shelves proposal for liaison offices with North Korea amid rising tensions
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has shelved a proposal to establish liaison offices in Tokyo and Pyongyang for resolving the North Korean abduction issue between the two nations in an apparent…
Japan government to approve $140bn stimulus
Japan already has one of the world's biggest ratios of national debt to output (Richard A. Brooks) Japan's minority government was set Friday to sign off on a $140-billion stimulus…
LDP approves proposal to ban political activities funds
The Liberal Democratic Party approved a proposal Thursday to abolish the practice of disbursing funds for political activities — criticized for a lack of transparency — by revising the political…
Ishiba ends South America tour with results and challenges
Rio de Janeiro – Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ended his South America tour on Tuesday, highlighting certain results while leaving some challenges behind."I will continue to actively and ambitiously engage…