Politics
Abe says he will seek 'flexible' discussions on constitutional revision
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he is prepared to be more flexible in any future discussions in parliament on revising Japan's Constitution, a day after pro-amendment forces failed to retain in an upper house election their two-thirds majority needed to initiate the process. "Although we have provided a basis… Read
Constitution revision goal still far off for Abe
Extending his track record of election victories for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has secured the political stability he needs to become the longest-serving leader in November. But it came with a bitter taste. The ruling bloc of the LDP and its partner Komeito, together with… Read
Japan's ruling coalition secures upper house majority
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition secured a majority in Japan's upper house of the Diet in elections Sunday but will not reach the super-majority needed to propose constitutional revisions, according to vote counts by public television and other media. NHK public television said shortly after midnight that Abe's Liberal… Read
Two disabled candidates win seats in upper house election
Two wheelchair-bound candidates won seats in Japan's upper house vote on Sunday, media projections showed, a sign of changing attitudes towards disabled people in a country where they have long been encouraged to stay in the shadow. Yasuhiko Funago, a vice president of a company that provides elderly and patient… Read
Abe undecided on response to U.S. plan for Mideast maritime coalition
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Sunday he had not yet decided on how to respond to an expected U.S. request to send its navy to join a military coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen. "We've started to hear the United States' thinking on this and… Read
LDP set to retain majority in upper house election
Japanese voters cast ballots Sunday in an upper house election, with Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc looking to protect its majority and keep on track plans to amend the country's pacifist constitution. The 64-year-old Abe, who is on course to become Japan's longest-serving prime minister, is also hoping to shore up… Read
Pacifist constitution reform at stake in election
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc was forecast to win a solid majority in an upper house election on Sunday that could determine whether his dream of revising the post-war, U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution can be kept alive. Media surveys show Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition… Read
Bolton heading to Japan, South Korea amid trade dispute
U.S. national security adviser John Bolton departed on Saturday for a trip to Japan and South Korea as the two countries are in the middle of a trade dispute. A White House National Security Council spokesman said on Twitter that Bolton, who will arrive in Japan later Sunday, planned to… Read
North Korea slams Japan over its trade spat with Seoul
North Korea's state media has slammed Japan for its recent trade restrictions against Seoul over wartime slavery disputes, accusing Tokyo of "destroying the trend of peace" on the Korean peninsula. After South Korea's high court ordered Japanese firms that used forced labor to compensate Korean victims, Tokyo earlier this month… Read
Japan's neighbors will be closely watching Abe's policies after election
Japan's major neighbors will be closely watching how the result of Sunday's upper house election will affect the regional situation, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is still believed to stick to what they regard as hawkish policies. South Korea, whose ties with Japan have sharply deteriorated over wartime labor disputes… Read
