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.
2022/09/28 |
Church Drama Is a Dilemma for Kishida
Distaste for Abe and his fellow politicians’ links to the Unification Church has propelled a moral panic about controversial religious organizations in Japan, bringing to mind the media-driven alarm following the sarin gas attacks in 1995.
2022/09/26 |
Though Lauded Abroad, Japan’s Abe Leaves Complicated Legacy at Home
Abe’s mixed legacy helps explain the public backlash against his state funeral, which is opposed by a large majority of Japanese.
2022/07/12 |
Shinzo Abe’s Killing: The History of Political Violence in Japan
Shinzo Abe’s murder is the latest political attack in Japan, a country which has strict gun laws.
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.
2022/07/08 |
Shinzo Abe: The Legacy of Japan’s Former Prime Minister
The former prime minister has died after being shot in the city of Nara. Shinzo Abe resigned from the top post in 2020, but his legacy has had a lasting impact on everyday Japanese life and politics.
2022/05/17 |
Japan’s Reluctant Realism on Taiwan
As a key U.S. ally in East Asia, Japan is debating the introduction of legislation to ready itself to deal with a contingency scenario in Taiwan, a defensive response rather than a proactive military strategy.
2022/03/10 |
Tokyo Freezes Assets of Russians, Clarifying Once Ambiguous Relations With Moscow
The shift of tone since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlights the collapse of faith of both the Japanese government and the public that Russia will abide by international norms, analysts say.
2021/09/07 |
Who Will Replace Yoshihide Suga as Japan’s Prime Minister? Here’s a Rundown of the Candidates.
With a weakened opposition, the Liberal Democratic Party would still be favored to retain power in the Diet after the general election, meaning whoever wins the party leadership contest will likely remain Japan’s prime minister.
2021/01/19 |
Rethinking Japan’s Refugee and Asylum Policy
Japan is unlikely to expand its refugee intake in the near future despite international criticism.
2020/11/23 |
Can Suga Lead on Japanese Foreign Policy?
Suga can be one of the many typical post-war premiers who focuses on domestic policy, but the regional security environment around Japan will not allow this indefinitely.
2020/11/17 |
The Shifting US Position Over the Senkaku Islands
With U.S. commitment to help defend the Senkaku Islands, the question Japan now faces is whether it will be drawn deeper into the increasingly hostile U.S. policies toward China, a country that happens to be Japan’s largest trading partner.
2020/09/15 |
The Making of Prime Minister Suga
Shinzo Abe's “Mr. Fix-It” has the top job. Will he make his own mark in a country famed for its revolving door of PMs?
2020/08/28 |
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Announces Resignation
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he is stepping down for health reasons. He has suffered from the chronic illness ulcerative colitis for years.
2020/07/06 |
Japan's 'Most Powerful' Woman Wins Second Term as Tokyo Governor
Tipped to be the first female prime minister of Japan, Yuriko Koike has been re-elected for a second term as governor of Tokyo. The former defense minister has been praised for the capital's response to the pandemic.
2020/03/03 |
Japan Has Three Months to Decide Fate of 2020 Olympics
Battered by criticism, the Shinzo Abe administration scrambles to save Japan from the COVID-19 outbreak before the Olympics is due.
2019/05/14 |
Emperor Akihito Was a Force for Peace in an Increasingly Nationalistic Japan
The now-bygone Heisei imperial era marked an impressive internal resistance to Japan's rising right-wing forces.
2019/02/25 |
Taiwan Will Debate Its Nuclear Future Once Again Ahead of 2020 Elections
November's nuclear power referendum has only set the stage for political battles still to come.