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July 24, 2026
 

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Takashi Hirokawa
Members of the Self-Defense Forces march at the GSDF Camp Asaka, which straddles Tokyo and Saitama, on Nov. 9. As part of a five-year defense buildup launched in 2022, the government has said it will raise personal income, corporate and tobacco taxes to cover the added costs.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 29, 2024
Japan wobbles on tax hikes to pay for historic defense buildup
A decision on raising taxes to help cover rising defense spending may be delayed again, a senior ruling coalition official has said.
Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi in Tokyo on Tuesday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Sep 27, 2023
Coalition party leader seeks China visit this year to mend ties
Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Komeito, abandoned a planned trip last month as friction worsened with Japan¡¯s biggest trading partner.
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Feb 9, 2023
LDP said to be divided if Kishida seeks BOJ pivot
With the nomination of a new governor likely to come next week, several party members said there will be opposition within the party if Kishida chooses Hirohide Yamaguchi.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 4, 2022
BOJ should pay attention to yen, ruling coalition lawmaker says
Keiichi Ishii, secretary-general of Komeito, says efforts to hold down interest rates are weakening the currency.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 22, 2022
Kishida aide says stimulus must be considered soon
¡®The surge in oil prices and food prices means that an economic package is essential at some point,¡¯ Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara has said.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Oct 20, 2021
Japan¡¯s election unlikely to bring more representation for women
Less than a fifth of candidates in Japan¡¯s upcoming election are female, unchanged from the last vote four years ago.
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 11, 2021
Tokyo Olympics should shun foreign VIPs, opposition leader Edano says
Foreign leaders, sponsors and even International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach should stay away from next month¡¯s Tokyo Games, according to the CDP leader.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Oct 1, 2020
Japan voters want virus tamed, not a snap poll, says Komeito chief
Komeito, backed by a lay Buddhist group and led by Natsuo Yamaguchi, provides vital local support for the ruling LDP in elections.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 31, 2017
Abe¡¯s coalition ally warns military shift could rile neighbors
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe¡¯s coalition partner warned that a proposal to broaden the military¡¯s role to strike back against enemy attacks risks upsetting Japan¡¯s neighbors.
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2015
Abe adviser fears BOJ has den of conspirators opposing reflation
The Bank of Japan appears to be wavering in its commitment to unprecedented monetary easing, said Kozo Yamamoto, an adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and an advocate of reflationary policies.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 20, 2015
LDP lawmaker says he wants inflation targets fixed in law
A lawmaker who has advised Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on economic policy said he will urge the government to enshrine its inflation-targeting agreements with the Bank of Japan in law as early as next year.
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 27, 2014
Atonement for World War II actions insufficient, LDP veteran Kono says
Japan has failed to atone sufficiently for its actions in World War II, former Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, who wrote Japan¡¯s official apology for the use of wartime ¡°comfort women, said recently.
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Feb 12, 2014
Abe exploiting window for biggest defense change since war
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, pressed by China and seeking to strengthen ties with the U.S., is considering Japan¡¯s biggest change in military engagement rules since World War II.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 9, 2014
Takenaka touts Nikkei surge
Stocks could surpass a level not seen since 2007 if the Abe administration pushes through in its drive to loosen business regulations, said Heizo Takenaka, a member of a government council on special economic zones.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 9, 2013
Abe gets Toyota, Hitachi help in push for wage gains
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged companies to increase wages faster than gains in the cost of living to break the legacy of 15 years of deflation, and praised Toyota Motor Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. for pledging to help.
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Sep 6, 2013
With too many titles to list on ¡®meishi,¡¯ Amari is linchpin of ¡®Abenomics¡¯
Akira Amari, minister for economic and fiscal policy, has so much on his plate that all of his titles don¡¯t fit on his business card. He¡¯s also the minister in charge of economic revitalization and reforming social security and taxes, and the head negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade...
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 16, 2013
Beach-storming drill in U.S. hones SDF amphibious edge
One thousand members of the Self-Defense Forces have been learning how to recapture territory in the face of enemy fire, and while the shoreline may be California¡¯s, the skills they are building could one day be used closer to home.
BUSINESS
Jan 28, 2012
Bond yields could soar if Noda¡¯s tax hike plan stalls
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says doubling the consumption tax is a necessary remedy to address soaring debt and social welfare costs, and while his opponents don¡¯t disagree, they¡¯re still not going to let him do it.
BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2011
Shirakawa snubs ¡®30s-style JGB-buying for rebuilding
Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa is under fire for refusing to consider 1930s-style purchases of government bonds to fund reconstruction from the nation¡¯s largest earthquake on record.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2011
Disaster agency eyed to oversee recovery
A reconstruction agency may be created to oversee disaster repairs, while data showed the central bank pumped record liquidity into lenders as the nation grappled with its worst disaster since World War II.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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