2023/01/13 |
Japan: Ex-PM Shinzo Abe Assassin Suspect Formally Indicted
Formal charges have been made against the suspected killer of ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The suspect was declared fit for trial after a six-month psychiatric evaluation.
2022/11/02 |
Japan Warily Welcomes Back International Travelers
In his parliamentary speech in October, Kishida presented his plan to revive the Japanese economy, including a pledge to increase international tourist spending beyond the pre-pandemic high in 2019.
2022/09/01 |
Japan’s Women Lawmakers Remain Seated
Japan’s celebration of record high number of women who won seats in the upper house may not stand up to close scrutiny.
2022/07/11 |
Japan Conservatives Eye Constitutional Revision After Election Win
Political forces supporting a constitutional revision have won two-thirds of seats in the upper house of the parliament.
2022/02/18 |
Okinawa’s Vocal Anti-US Military Base Movement
Environmental damage and gendered violence are flashpoints on the tiny island dominated by US troops.
2022/02/14 |
Civic Rights for Foreign Residents Sparks Backlash in Japan
Voting rights for foreigners wasn’t an issue in Japan’s general elections last year, yet conservative mass media latched onto a proposal by the city assembly of Musashino in suburban Tokyo, making it an issue of national security.
2021/10/01 |
Meet Japan’s New PM
Asia’s oldest democracy looks for a steady hand on the tiller in a time of regional flux.
2021/09/03 |
Japan’s Suga Won’t Run In Leadership Race, Opening Door for New PM
With his popularity in freefall, Yoshihide Suga has said he will not enter a race for party leadership key to determining Japan's next prime minister. Markets have responded positively to the prospect of a new leader.
2017/10/20 |
This Weekend's Snap Election in Japan Explained
Reeling from scandals and local election defeat, 2017 had not been kind to Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party leader Shinzo Abe, but North Korean ballistic missile tests that flew over Japan rallied support for the incumbent leader and opened the door for a snap election on Oct. 22.
2017/04/25 |
Japan and the Ability to Strike Enemy Bases
If Japan has developed capabilities to attack enemy bases, the incentive for North Korea to hit Japan before Japan hits it would be even greater.
2017/03/09 |
What Abe’s LDP Dominance Portends
A lack of any significant rivalry to Abe seems to reflect the dearth of viable next-generation leaders — a problem that could haunt the party in coming years