Politics
LDP most popular; nearly 40% of voters undecided ahead of election
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is the most popular among Japanese voters ahead of the general election, though nearly 40 percent remain undecided on which party they will vote for, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday. In the nationwide telephone survey conducted on Saturday and Sunday, 29.6 percent of respondents… Read
Former PM Suga visits Yasukuni Shrine
Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Sunday visited Yasukuni Shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with more than 2.4 million war dead. Past visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders and lawmakers have especially angered China and South Korea, where memories of Japan's wartime acts still rankle. "I came… Read
Kishida sends ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine that honors war dead and is seen by neighboring countries as a symbol of Tokyo's past militarism. Kishida sent the masakaki tree offering under his name as prime minister to celebrate the shrine's biannual festival… Read
Kishida visits areas hit by 2011 disaster for 1st time as PM
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday visited Japan's northeastern region for the first time since taking office to check on the progress of reconstruction in areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Kishida, who became prime minister earlier this month, offered flowers and prayed at a tsunami memorial… Read
Japan, S Korea leaders look to deepen ties, despite strains
The leaders of Japan and South Korea spoke by phone on Friday, saying they would look to deepen ties in the face of regional security threats, despite badly strained bilateral relations. Although they share a key ally in the U.S. and common concerns over facing China, ties between Tokyo and… Read
Komeito chief casts doubt on LDP's plan to increase defense spending
The leader of Komeito, the smaller coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, voiced doubt Friday over the LDP's plan to increase defense spending, possibly above 2 percent of gross domestic product. "As the birth rate declines and the population ages, we will need to put more resources toward… Read
Kishida says only LDP capable of protecting Japan from security threats
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday sought to depict his governing party as the only one capable of protecting Japan from the security threats in the region. Speaking with reporters after he dissolved the lower house of the Diet, paving the way for elections on Oct 31, Kishida said: "Opposition… Read
Opposition parties unite in bid to break LDP's grip on power
Opposition parties in Japan are banding together for the Oct 31 general election in a bid to break the near-monopoly on power the Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has held for the past six decades. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and… Read
Pandemic-hit voters hope for brighter days as general election looms
People whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus said Thursday they are hoping for government policies that improve work conditions and bring business back to pre-pandemic levels as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dissolved the House of Representatives for an Oct 31 general election. Medical and elderly care workers… Read
Kishida dissolves lower house for Oct 31 national election
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dissolved the lower house of the Diet on Thursday, paving the way for elections on Oct 31. At stake will be how Japan faces a potential coronavirus resurgence and revives its battered economy, and if or how Kishida's government can leave the shadow of the nearly… Read
