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Election to test Ishiba’s ability to build a strong political base

The Oct. 27 general election — the first nationwide vote since a slush funds scandal was uncovered within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party — comes as an early test of the leadership of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is already grappling with a fragile party support base and…[Read more]

Ishiba omits divisive proposals in first policy speech as PM

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba gave his first policy speech to parliament on Friday, omitting some of the most divisive proposals he made during last month’s Liberal Democratic Party presidential campaign and instead prioritizing quickly actionable measures.
While he did not touch on p…[Read more]

The man behind Japan’s $170bn bid to prop up the yen

For several years, Masato Kanda hardly slept.

“Three hours a night is an exaggeration,” he laughs as he speaks to the BBC from Tokyo.

“I slept for three hours consecutively before being woken up but I then went back to bed, so if you add them up, I got a bit more.”

So why was this 59…[Read more]

Japan PM warns ‘today’s Ukraine could be tomorrow’s East Asia’

TOKYO: Japan´s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba warned in his first policy speech on Friday that “today´s Ukraine could be tomorrow´s East Asia”, saying that the world is becoming ever more divided.

The 67-year-old former defence minister, who took office this week, also dubbed th…[Read more]

Runway closed at Japan airport after WWII bomb explodes on taxiway

An unexploded World War II-era bomb exploded on a taxiway at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan on Wednesday morning, forcing the closure of its runway, although no injuries were reported, authorities said.

Video footage from the Civil Aviation College, which uses the airport…[Read more]

Fifth time’s a charm as former defense minister finally wins Japan ruling party leadership contest and will become country’s next leader

Former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba will become Japan’s new prime minister after winning his party’s leadership contest on Friday, following a crowded race that ended in a runoff vote.

The 67-year…[Read more]

Shigeru Ishiba to become Japan’s next PM

Shigeru Ishiba, a veteran politician with a reputation for irking his conservative colleagues, is set to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning the leadership race for the Liberal Democratic Party Friday.

Ishiba, a 67-year-old former defense minister, defeated socially conservative foreign pol…[Read more]

Who’s in the running to be Japan’s next prime minister?

Japan’s governing party is choosing a new leader in a race analysts say is more unpredictable than usual.

Japan’s governing party will choose a new leader on Friday to replace Fumio Kishida who announced his resignation in August.

The winner of the contest for leadership of the Liberal…[Read more]

Japan’s Ex-Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba Set To Become PM Next Week

The 67-year-old train lover beat arch-nationalist Sanae Takaichi — who would have been the country’s first-ever woman leader — 215 votes to 194 in a run-off.

Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba will become Japan’s prime minister next week after winning the conservative…[Read more]

Shinkansen makes emergency stop when cars uncouple en route to Tokyo

A shinkansen made an emergency stop between northeastern Japan and Tokyo on Thursday after its two linked trains uncoupled, railway operator JR East said, but no injuries were reported among the some 320 people aboard.

The incident involving the Komachi and Hayabusa high-speed…[Read more]

BOJ keeps interest rates unchanged, weighs July hike impact

The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate steady at around 0.25 percent as widely expected at the end of a two-day policy meeting Friday, as it continued to assess the impact of its previous rate hike two months ago.

The central bank stood pat after it raised the target for the…[Read more]

Child dies after stabbing near Japanese school in China

Japan condemns ‘despicable act’ committed against the 10-year-old boy who was on his way to the Shenzhen Japanese School.

A 10-year-old boy enrolled in a Japanese school in China’s Shenzhen city has died after being stabbed by a 44-year-old man, according to officials in both count…[Read more]

Japan faces labor shortages and demographic crisis as elderly population hits record high

Japan commemorated its “Respect for the Aged Day” earlier this week, with the national holiday underscoring a somewhat problematic fact — the country has a record number of elderly citizens to celebrate.

Government data released ahead of the event showe…[Read more]

Japan’s premier hopefuls pledge more spending to support economy

Japan will likely see another stimulus package under a new prime minister, with several candidates running in the ruling party’s leadership race pledging fresh spending measures to boost growth and cushion the blow to households from rising inflation.

In announcing his int…[Read more]

Japan’s economy is growing, but political uncertainty is among the risks

Japan’s economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9%, slower than the earlier report for 3.1% growth, in the April-June period, boosted by better wages and spending, revised government data showed Monday.

That shows clear risks remain, including U.S. economic growth, which g…[Read more]

Japan’s Prince Hisahito turns 18, first male royal to reach adulthood in nearly 40 years

In a significant moment for Japan’s royal family, Prince Hisahito celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday, marking the first time in nearly four decades that a male royal has reached adulthood.

This milestone is especially crucial for Japan’s imperial fam…[Read more]

How to plan the ultimate trip to Japan

Tradition and ritual are still vital in the daily life of this pacific nation, whether exploring neon-lit metropolises and onsen spa towns or mountain trails and subtropical islands.

Known as Edo under the rule of the shoguns — Japan’s military rulers — until 1868, Tokyo sits at the centre of a histo…[Read more]

Japan sees joint hottest summer on record

This summer tied with last year’s for Japan’s hottest on record, with the three months between June and August being 1.76 degrees Celsius hotter than average, the Meteorological Agency said Monday.
The second-hottest summer was in 2010, when it was 1.08 C higher than average, illustrating the extent of…[Read more]

Japan’s aging population crisis heightens as almost 40,000 died in 2024 so far

Japan’s National Police Agency recently released a report in which it revealed that nearly 40,000 individuals in the country died alone in their homes in the first half of 2024, the BBC reported.

According to the report, almost 4,000 of the dead were not discovered…[Read more]

Nearly 40,000 people died home alone in Japan this year, report says

Almost 40,000 people died alone in their homes in Japan during the first half of 2024, a report by the country’s police shows.
Of that number, nearly 4,000 people were discovered more than a month after they died, and 130 bodies went unmissed for a year before they were found, a…[Read more]