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July 24, 2026
 

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CRA

The Centrist Reform Alliance was formed by House of Representatives lawmakers from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 22, 2026
More CDP prefectural chapters oppose merger into CRA
In a survey of senior prefectural chapter officials earlier in July, 15 chapters expressed opposition, outnumbering the seven that showed support, while 25 chapters did not answer.
Centrist Reform Alliance leader Junya Ogawa says a difference of opinion on the royals bill among three opposition parties won't have a large impact on ongoing merger talks between them.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 16, 2026
CDP and CRA¡¯s opposing stances on imperial family bills cloud prospect for merger
The CDP opposes a clause that allows future male offspring of newly reinstated members of the imperial family to become heirs.
The Lower House plenary session, which passed legislation on the dwindling number of imperial family members on Friday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 10, 2026
Bills on preservation of imperial family pass Lower House
The pieces of legislation will now be deliberated in the Upper House, which is expected to clear them by the end of the current session of parliament.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a parliament committee session on June 26.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 5, 2026
Takaichi holds key to breaking parliament deadlock
Political maneuvering is expected to intensify, with less than two weeks to go before the current parliament session ends on July 17.
Three major opposition parties are hoping to finalize a three-way merger by this fall.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 2, 2026
Opposition parties CRA, CDP and Komeito discuss merger
The three parties agreed that they should establish a new political structure ahead of the fall session of parliament.
Masayo Tanabu, secretary-general of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and a senior Upper House lawmaker, speaks during an interview with The Japan Times in Tokyo on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 1, 2026
Japan¡¯s opposition faces a make-or-break choice over wider integration
The Centrist Reform Alliance has yet to fully convince the public of its significance, said senior opposition lawmaker Masayo Tanabu.
According to the 2025 reports on lawmakers' incomes, the average income among nine party leaders stood at ?24.53 million.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2026
Takaichi tops 2025 income rankings for Japan party heads
The prime minister earned ?36.41 million in 2025 while the average income among nine party leaders stood at ?24.53 million.
Kazuhiko Shigetoku (third from right), Lower House parliamentary affairs chief of the Centrist Reform Alliance, and other members submit a request to Shunichi Yamaguchi (center), chair of the Committee on Rules and Administration, regarding a bill to reduce the number of seats in the House of Representatives, at the parliament building in Tokyo on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jun 28, 2026
Shrinking Lower House by 45 seats to hit smaller parties hard
Debates on the LDP-JIP bill are slated to start Monday at a political reform special committee of the Lower House.
A bill to criminalize the act of damaging the national flag is among the measures the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party plan to enact during the current special Diet session under their deal to form a ruling coalition.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jun 24, 2026
Lower House begins discussions on flag-vandalism bill
Under the bill, those who publicly deface the flag in a way that causes the public to feel extremely uncomfortable or disgusted would be subject to imprisonment or a fine.
Debate on constitutional revision is intensifying in commissions on the Constitution in both chambers of the Diet, Japan's parliament, during the ongoing special session.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 24, 2026
Constitutional debates intensify in Japan parliament over emergency clause
Lower House lawmakers have been debating an emergency clause that would allow legislators¡¯ terms to be extended in the event of a disaster or crisis.
Centrist Reform Alliance leader Junya Ogawa during a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 13, 2026
Komeito aims to merge with CRA before next parliamentary session
Informed sources say the party plans to declare its plan to join the CRA in July and formally approve the move at a party convention by September.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to questions at the Upper House Budget Committee on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jun 6, 2026
Takaichi faces heat over defamatory campaign video scandal
A report claims that her campaign posted defamatory videos of her rivals on social media during election time. The release of audio recordings has intensified the controversy.
Junya Ogawa, leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance, attends a news conference on Friday in Tokyo.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 31, 2026
Three Japanese opposition parties explore new alliance
With the current Diet session slated to end July 17, the three parties hope to confirm such plans by mid-July, according to sources.
Kazuhiko Shigetoku, Lower House parliamentary affairs chief of the Centrist Reform Alliance (center, left), and Yoshitaka Saito, Upper House parliamentary affairs chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (center, right), meet in parliament on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 30, 2026
Japan ruling and opposition parties at odds over extra budget
The budget committees of both the upper and lower chambers will each spend one day deliberating the extra budget for the fiscal year that started in April.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during the National Defense Academy's graduation ceremony in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in March. The Japanese leader currently has the political and procedural leverage to pursue sweeping reforms, including the creation of an intelligence agency modeled on the CIA.
EDITORIALS
May 29, 2026
Long overdue, Japan updates its intelligence infrastructure
The government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is taking steps to improve that capability with passage of the National Intelligence Council Law.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during an Upper House Cabinet Committee meeting on Tuesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 27, 2026
How the intel bill showed Japan¡¯s new political reality
The debate surrounding the National Intelligence Council Law revealed less about Japan¡¯s intelligence system than the current contours of the country¡¯s new political reality.
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, speaks to reporters last week.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 17, 2026
Japan opposition to grill PM on extra budget in leaders¡¯ debate
Opposition parties are set to grill Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a party leaders' debate on Wednesday over her delay in preparing an extra budget to combat rising oil prices and inflation.
Renho, who previously served as executive deputy leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, was defeated in a head-to-head leadership race for the party's Tokyo chapter.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 16, 2026
Renho suffers upset loss in CDP Tokyo chapter leadership race
The 58-year-old member of the House of Councillors was defeated by Yuji Kawana, 66, a member of the Musashino city assembly in western Tokyo.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Ichiro Aisawa (right) addresses a meeting of a cross-party council on election campaigning held in a parliamentary building on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 15, 2026
Japan to order social media operators to combat misinformation in elections
Actions expected to be taken by social media operators include halting reward payments to users and improving their capacity to respond to content deletion requests.
Hirofumi Ryu, chief of the Centrist Reform Alliance's panel on imperial succession, speaks to reporters in the parliamentary building on Tuesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 13, 2026
CRA accepts proposals on imperial family membership revision
The proposals include allowing female imperial family members to retain their status after marriage and adopting male members of former imperial branches back into the family.
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.
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.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
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.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

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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