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2023/01/13 | Deutsche Welle

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.

2022/12/23 | East Asia Forum

Japan Steps Closer to Global Military Power

The loosening of arms exports controls and proposed increase of the national defense budget to 2% of GDP over time signal paradigmatic shifts in Japan’s security posture.

2022/12/19 | East Asia Forum

Kishida’s Difficult Year

Support for Kishida’s government has plummeted to below 30%. Next year will be no easier with local elections scheduled in April and big issues on the table such as mounting security challenges, a declining birth rate, and overcoming obstacles to economic reform.

2022/11/02 | East Asia Forum

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 | East Asia Forum

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 | Voice of America

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 | The Conversation

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 | Voice of America

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 | Deutsche Welle

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 | East Asia Forum

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 | Voice of America

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 | The Conversation

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 | East Asia Forum

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 | East Asia Forum

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 | East Asia Forum

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 Interpreter

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 | Deutsche Welle

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 | Deutsche Welle

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.