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July 06, 2026
 

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DIET

Katsunobu Kato, head of the Liberal Democratic Party's political system reform panel, speaks at a party meeting on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 4, 2025
Proposed Lower House seat reduction could affect 20 prefectures
As the 20 prefectures include areas with many conservative voters who strongly support the LDP, an increasing number of party members are voicing their opposition to the measure.
LDP and JIP lawmakers discuss Lower House seats reduction in Tokyo on Nov. 21.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 1, 2025
Takaichi and JIP’s Yoshimura agree to submit bill reducing Lower House seats
Passing a bill to cut seats in the lower chamber was a key demand for the Japan Innovation Party to enter into a coalition government with the Liberal Democratic Party.
Fumitake Fujita, co-leader of the Japan Innovation Party, speaks at a news conference on Nov. 19.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 1, 2025
Uncertainty looms over Lower House seat reduction
Frustration is increasing within the Liberal Democratic Party over the attitude of the Japan Innovation Party.
Independent Lower House lawmakers (from left) Hiroki Abe, Takeshi Saiki and Tadashi Morishima speak to reporters in parliament on Friday after meeting with Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 28, 2025
LDP-led coalition regains Lower House majority with three independents’ backing
With the three lawmakers in the LDP’s in-house group, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be able to pass key budget bills without opposition support.
The Upper House passed and enacted a bill to scrap the provisional tax surcharges for gasoline and diesel fuel at its plenary session on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 28, 2025
Japan enacts bill to abolish add-on gasoline tax
The bill’s supplementary clause urges the central government to work out concrete measures to make up for an estimated overall annual tax revenue shortfall of ¥1.5 trillion.
Takashi Endo, parliamentary affairs chief of the Japan Innovation Party and special adviser to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, speaks during an interview at the parliamentary building on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 28, 2025
Japan Innovation Party may leave coalition if seat-cut talks falter
Although the JIP positions seat reductions as an absolute condition for the coalition, there are still cautious voices within the LDP over the move.
In Japan, the left-right label doesn’t apply as conveniently as in the United States or Europe.
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
Nov 27, 2025
A guide to Japan’s political parties ... beyond the binary labels
The origins of the respective parties and who backs them — rather than left-right labels — are more consistent indicators of their leanings.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi takes part in a debate with opposition party leaders, including Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda (right center), in parliament on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 26, 2025
Takaichi hints that Taiwan remarks were off the cuff
The PM has indicated that she didn’t initially intend to offer an example of what she could consider a “survival-threatening situation” that would allow the SDF to be deployed.
Lower House lawmaker Hitoshi Aoyagi from the Japan Innovation Party speaks during an interview in his parliamentary office on Nov. 20.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 26, 2025
Japan one step closer to relaxing single-surname rule for married couples
While still having married couples adopt the same surname, the ruling coalition is working on a bill that would allow the option of giving more weight to birth names.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 24.
JAPAN
Nov 24, 2025
Opposition leaders to press Takaichi on China and fiscal policy
The prime minister is struggling with backlash from China over her recent remarks about a potential Taiwan contingency.
Former Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato (third from left) attends a meeting with Japan Innovation Party lawmakers in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2025
LDP and JIP agree to submit bill outlining reduction of Lower House seats
The two parties are postponing reaching a conclusion on the actual number of seats to be cut and whether to cut proportional seats.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (center) in the parliament building earlier this month. Takaichi took office on Oct. 21.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2025
A month into her premiership, Takaichi’s style proves to be double-edged sword
The prime minister’s straight talk appears well received by the public, but other aspects of the way she works have caused a stir in other circles.
Ichiro Aisawa (second from right) of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who heads the council on the all-important lower parliamentary chamber's electoral system, attends a meeting on Tuesday at the Diet building.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 18, 2025
Opposition lawmakers voice caution on proposed Lower House seat cut
The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan urged that a conclusion be reached at the council to better reflect the opinions of smaller parties.
Yoshihiko Isozaki (right), the LDP's Diet affairs chief in the House of Councilors, and his CDP counterpart, Yoshitaka Saito, ahead of a meeting on Monday at the Diet building
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 18, 2025
Takaichi’s first Diet debate with opposition leaders set for Nov. 26
The upcoming debate will also be the first since Komeito left the LDP-led ruling coalition.
The headquarters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo's Nagatacho area
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 15, 2025
Ruling LDP marks 70th anniversary as it looks to regain footing
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday marked the 70th anniversary of its establishment, as it looks to stage a comeback after recent electoral drubbings.
The Japan Innovation Party's Nobuyuki Baba (left) and the Liberal Democratic Party's Yoshitaka Shindo at a meeting on constitutional revision held in the National Diet Building on Thursday. Baba and Shindo co-chair the two parties' working-level forum for discussing constitutional amendments.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 14, 2025
LDP and JIP to advance talks over constitutional revision
The ruling parties held the first meeting of their working-level forum for discussing constitutional amendments on Thursday.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki (second from left) speaks at a meeting of the party's political system reform headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 12, 2025
LDP begins internal talks on Lower House seat reduction
The party agreed with its coalition partner to aim for enacting legislation to reduce Lower House seats during the ongoing extraordinary Diet session.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party head Hirofumi Yoshimura in Tokyo on Oct. 21. An agreement between the two parties included a promise, at the JIP's insistence, to introduce legislation in the current parliamentary session that reduces the number of Lower House seats.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 11, 2025
LDP-JIP coalition faces friction over parliamentary seat-reducing bill
Differences over the measure to reduce parliamentary seats could weaken the ruling minority coalition’s unity and test its ability to compromise.
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, attends an extraordinary session of the Lower House in Tokyo on Oct. 21.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 10, 2025
DPP finds itself on the outside after failing to join ruling coalition
Yuichiro Tamaki’s indecisiveness is seen as having contributed to his party’s drop in popularity.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 9, 2025
LDP sees difficulty in agreeing on Lower House seat reduction in current Diet session
A coalition between the LDP and the JIP says that the two parties will work together to cut the number of Diet members by 10%.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
Thailand gets serious about chasing high-spending tourists
Chinese tourists at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Rathawaramahawihan in Bangkok
Murakami says his novels are ‘different’ from AI literature
Haruki Murakami's first book in three years hit shelves in Japan on Friday.
Japan’s princesses face life-altering legal revisions
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, said in a 2022 news conference upon coming of age that she hopes to “spend a long time together” with her parents.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
X Games returns to Chiba with new team format
Skateboarder Sora Shirai practices at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Friday afternoon. X Games Chiba begins on Saturday.
NU Festival tests Takanawa Gateway City complex’s culture cred
Veteran improvisers Kazuo Imai and Atsuhiro Ito brought some unruly energy to NU Festival, a three-day multimedia event held at the Takanawa Gateway City complex.  
Japan’s princesses face life-altering legal revisions
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, said in a 2022 news conference upon coming of age that she hopes to “spend a long time together” with her parents.
Six of the best: rikishi of note in each sumo division
Kazuma (right) faces off against future <i>yokozuna</i> Onosato during the All Japan Amateur Sumo Championships at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2020.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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