NATO chief urges closer ties with Japan to defend democracy
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has sharply criticized China for “bullying its neighbors and threatening Taiwan” and stressed the need for Japan and other democracies to work together with the alliance to defend the international order.
How the BOJ Gets a New Governor and Why It Matters
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda is due to step down in April after the longest stint at the helm of the central bank in its 140-year history. Kuroda has spearheaded the most ambitious monetary stimulus program of modern times, with measures that have turned the bank into the largest owner of stocks and government bonds in Japan and made it the last major anchor of ultra-low interest rates in the world. The BOJ’s first change of guard in a decade could have wide-reaching ripple effects in
washingtonpost.comJapan PM aide apologizes for 'shameful' act of having hands in pockets on US trip
As Kishida spoke to the media, Kihara was captured in the background with his hands inside his pants pockets. Many in Japan believe that such an action portrays a dismissive attitude and is considered inappropriate in formal scenarios. When footage of Kishida’s interview emerged on Japanese media, viewers criticized Kihara as “shameful,” “disrespectful” and “arrogant.”
news.yahoo.comKishida prioritizes arms buildup, reversing low birthrate
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says Japan faces the severest security environment in the region since the end of World War II and pledged to push a military buildup under a newly adopted security strategy as well as tackle rapidly declining births.
US, Japan poised to agree on shift in Marine unit on Okinawa
Top national security officials from the United States and Japan are expected to agree to changes in the joint defense posture this week as the two nations confront rising threats from North Korea and increasing aggressiveness from China. U.S. officials say Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet on Wednesday with their Japanese counterparts and plan to issue a joint statement that will adjust, but not increase, the American troop presence on the island of Okinawa. It also will add a formal mention of space in the longstanding mutual defense treaty the two countries have held, in a nod to the Pentagon's creation of the Space Force and Space Command.
news.yahoo.comLack of info on China's COVID-19 surge stirs global concern
Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough.
Japan to require COVID-19 tests for all visitors from China
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Tuesday that Japan will tighten border controls for COVID-19 by requiring tests for all visitors from China starting Friday as a temporary emergency measure against the surging infections there. The announcement comes days after the World Health Organization said it was very concerned about rising reports of severe cases across China after the country largely abandoned its “zero-COVID” policy. The quantitative antigen test that is already conducted on entrants suspected of having COVID-19 will be mandatory for all people arriving from mainland China.
news.yahoo.comHow Putin’s Spooking Japan Further Away From Pacifism
Bombed-out and poverty-stricken after surrendering in World War II, Japan disbanded its military and renounced war, devoting its efforts instead to economic development under a pacifist constitution. More than seven decades later, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spooked Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government into approving a 60% hike in defense spending over five years. Increased tension with China over Taiwan has only added to the sense of urgency.
washingtonpost.comNew Japan law aims at Unification Church fundraising abuses
Japan’s parliament has enacted a law to restrict malicious donation solicitations by religious and other groups, which mainly targets the Unification Church, whose fundraising tactics and cozy ties with the governing party caused public outrage.
How Putin’s Spooking Japan Further Away From Pacifism
Bombed-out and poverty-stricken after surrendering in World War II, Japan disbanded its military and renounced war, devoting its efforts instead to economic development under a pacifist constitution. More than seven decades later, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spooked Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s ruling party into calling for a doubling of defense spending over five year. Increased tension with China over Taiwan has only added to the sense of urgency.
washingtonpost.comHow the BOJ Gets a New Governor and Why It Matters
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda is due to step down in April after the longest stint at the helm of the central bank in its 140-year history. Kuroda has spearheaded the most ambitious monetary stimulus program of modern times, with measures that have turned the bank into the largest owner of stocks and government bonds in Japan and made it the last major anchor of ultra-low interest rates in the world. The BOJ’s first change of guard in a decade could have wide-reaching ripple effects in
washingtonpost.comJapan minister to quit over execution remark, PM delays trip
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to delay his departure Friday to Southeast Asia to attend three upcoming summits, apparently to sack his justice minister over a remark he made about capital punishment that was criticized as inappropriate. Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi was reportedly to submit his resignation Friday to Kishida, two days after he made a comment at a party meeting that his low-profile job makes lunchtime news only when he uses his “hanko” stamp to approve executions in the morning. The remark quickly sparked criticisms from the opposition and even within Kishida’s governing party and could further shake his government, which is already mired in a controversy over its decades-long ties with the Unification Church, a South Korea-based religious sect accused in Japan of problematic recruitment and brainwashing adherents into making huge donations.
news.yahoo.comJapan Cabinet OKs $200B spending plan to counter inflation
Japan’s Cabinet has approved a hefty economic package including 29 trillion yen ($200 billion) in government spending to counter the blow from inflation, signaling that the greater concern of its policymakers is that the economy will stall, not overheat.
Abe's militaristic funeral captures Japan's tense mood
For all the heated arguments ahead of the controversial state funeral of assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — both for and against — it was the images of Tuesday's ceremony that most clearly tell the story of a deeply divided nation still struggling to process the legacy of perhaps the most polarizing leader in its modern history.