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July 02, 2026
 

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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito (left) and Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan chief Yoshihiko Noda have agreed to cooperate on "a higher level" on the fielding of candidates in electoral districts.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 13, 2026
CDP and Komeito agree to create new centrist force, but questions remain
The two parties have yet to hammer out all the details, but they are aligned on the need for a broad centrist force in the event a snap election is called.
Yuichiro Tamaki, the leader of the Democratic Party for the People, speaks in the city of Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 13, 2026
Signs of friction emerge between DPP and LDP following snap election rumors
Although the prime minister has yet to confirm a snap election will take place, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki has gone on the offensive against her.
Shinsekai, the renowned culinary district of Osaka. Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has called for the creation of a secondary capital in prefecture.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 9, 2026
Race to become Japan’s secondary capital heats up
As the Japan Innovation Party works to get Osaka designated the country’s secondary capital, other municipalities are looking to muscle in.
LDP secretary-general Shunichi Suzuki speaks at the party’s meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 7, 2026
LDP secretary-general eyes ‘political stability’ in courting DPP into ruling bloc
The move fits into the wider trend of growing cooperation between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the People in recent months.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 5, 2026
Takaichi strikes optimistic tone as she looks ahead to Year of the Fire Horse
The prime minister has expressed hopes that 2026 will be a year of positive energy and vitality.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Dec. 17. Over her short two months in office, Takaichi has emphasized the restart of aging nuclear reactors and developing futuristic — but not yet commercially viable — technologies like nuclear fusion.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Jan 4, 2026
With a focus on nuclear power, Takaichi’s energy policy takes shape
As she settles into the nation’s top office, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s energy policy is quickly coming into focus and nuclear power stands at the forefront.
Lawmakers in kimonos attend a session of the Lower House in Tokyo in January 2023. For nearly a half century, the chamber operated under a multiseat district system. But following revisions to the election law in 1994, the current model of single-seat districts and proportional representation seats was introduced. Now, there is a growing debate in parliament about returning the body's current electoral system to what it once was.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 2, 2026
Debate grows on reforming Lower House electoral system
Some argue the flaws in the current system could be fixed by returning to the old one. Others aren’t so sure.
Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki speaks to members of the media in Tokyo in October. Tamaki has remained noncommittal on the idea of joining the LDP-JIP coalition.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 25, 2025
How will Takaichi balance ties with the DPP and JIP?
While the benefits of interparty cooperation are clear, some LDP voices say building trust with its coalition partner is of the utmost importance.
Earlier this month, the central government announced plans to introduce a system that would require third-party organizations to verify the safety of megasolar projects before construction begins.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Dec 22, 2025
Hokkaido governor sharpens stance against megasolar development
Gov. Naomichi Suzuki’s decision to toughen up on the sector comes amid growing local backlash against several projects in Hokkaido.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura hold a joint news conference in parliament in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 16, 2025
Decision on Lower House seat-reduction bill postponed to next year
The delay could impact the ruling coalition, as the JIP had made passing the bill this year a key plank of its October tie-up with the LDP.
LDP parliamentary affairs chief Hiroshi Kajiyama (left) and JIP counterpart Takashi Endo discuss the seat reduction bill in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 12, 2025
Lower House seat-reduction bill faces headwinds as Diet session nears end
The bill has been a key point of agreement for the ruling LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party.
While media polls show a high support rate for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet, the support for the LDP is not as great, meaning there’s no guarantee of a coattail effect if a snap poll is called.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 5, 2025
Will Takaichi bank on her high approval ratings to call a snap election?
Calling a snap vote ahead of next year’s parliamentary session could bring great rewards for the prime minister and her party, but the risks may outweigh them.
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.
For Hokkaido, the most important inbound tourism markets are Taiwan, South Korea and China.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 21, 2025
Japan’s dispute with China may impact Hokkaido tourism this winter
As Japan and China continue their war of words, the potential impact on Hokkaido’s tourism industry this winter season has officials increasingly concerned.
A brown bear gnaws at the cage it is trapped in, in Sunagawa, Hokkaido, in 2024. Small towns can face cost concerns when responding to bear sightings.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Nov 20, 2025
How a small-town spat in Hokkaido nearly derailed its bear response measures
Tensions brewed after a local politician accused hunters of being money-hungry and inefficient, leading to a weekslong halt in bear-culling operations.
The transport ministry has proposed extending the runway at Sapporo's Okadama Airport from 1,500 meters to 1,800 meters to support longer routes amid rising inbound tourism.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Nov 17, 2025
Two plans proposed for runway extension at Sapporo’s Okadama Airport
A longer runway will increase commercial flight capacity, attract more business jets and facilitate medevac flights.
The Japan Innovation Party has long sought to get Osaka designated as Japan's backup capital.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 13, 2025
What would a ‘backup capital’ look like for Japan?
The concept faces tough questions on its substance and whether its true purpose is to realize the Japan Innovation Party’s goal of making its Osaka base the natural choice.
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.
Japan Innovation Party co-leader Fumitake Fujita speaks during a news conference in parliament on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 4, 2025
JIP co-leader refuses to resign over ¥21 million payment to secretary’s firm
Fumitake Fujita defended his payment to his secretary’s firm, saying there was nothing illegal about placing orders for printing services.
More facilities in Japan placing sanitary bins in men’s restrooms
A sanitary bin with an awareness sticker placed in a men's restroom in the Nagasaki Municipal Government building
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.

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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