Politics
Japan's ruling bloc OKs FY2025 tax reforms to fund defense spending
Japan's ruling parties on Friday approved their tax reform plans for the next fiscal year starting April aimed at funding a scheduled defense budget hike through increases in corporate and tobacco levies from 2026. In an attempt to increase people's disposable incomes, the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition… Read
Cambodia to grant Japan visitation rights to China-linked naval base
Cambodia's influential former Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Friday that Japan would be granted visitation rights to the country's Ream Naval Base, a facility the United States is concerned could become a military outpost for China. Chinese military vessels have been rotating through Ream since a Beijing-funded upgrade started… Read
Japan eyes over ¥113 trillion initial budget for FY2025
Japan's initial budget for fiscal 2025 is likely to total more than 113 trillion yen as spending on social security and national defense continues to rise, sources close to the matter said. The annual budget, the first for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government, could surpass the record 114.38 trillion yen… Read
Japan eyes Diet session from Jan 24, upper house election on July 20
The regular Diet session will likely begin on Jan 24, later than previously envisioned, meaning that the next House of Councillors election will also be pushed back to around July 20, administration officials said Thursday. The revised schedule, which is still under consideration, reflects calls from the Komeito party, the… Read
Komeito chief wants to persuade Ishiba to enable dual surname use
Japan's junior coalition partner chief said Wednesday he wants to persuade Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to move toward allowing married couples to use different surnames, a change opposed by conservatives in his ruling party. Tetsuo Saito, who leads the Komeito party, told a radio program that both men and women… Read
Japan enacts ¥13.9 tril extra budget for economic package
Japan's parliament on Tuesday enacted a 13.9 trillion yen supplementary budget for the current fiscal year through next March to finance a new economic package, including inflation relief steps and disaster reconstruction costs. The spending plan cleared the House of Councillors, or upper chamber, ahead of the end of the… Read
Trump says he could meet Ishiba before returning to White House
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Monday he could meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before he returns to the White House in January. During a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said of the Japanese side, "If they'd like to do that, I would do that."… Read
Trump picks China critic Glass as Japan ambassador
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday he was picking George Glass, a former investment banker and diplomat notable for his criticisms of China, to serve as his ambassador to Japan. "In my First Term, George was the U.S. Ambassador to Portugal. As a former President of an Investment Bank,… Read
U.S. envoy to Japan Emanuel to leave post in early January: New York Times
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel plans to leave his post in early January, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony later that month, The New York Times reported Sunday. Emanuel said in an interview for the newspaper in late November that his next move would be to "figure out… Read
Philippines ratifies key defense pact with Japan
The Philippines ratified on Monday a key defense pact with Japan, which allows them to deploy troops on each other's soil as they boost ties to bolster against China's growing pressure. Both countries are longtime allies of the United States, which has been strengthening an arc of alliances to deter… Read
