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Tag - sanae-takaichi

 
 

SANAE TAKAICHI

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale shakes hands with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 23, 2026
Japan and Solomon Islands leaders agree to bolster ties
In their meeting, the two leaders discussed regional affairs, apparently with China¡¯s growing military and economic coercion in mind.
An Upper House committee discusses a bill on the establishment of a secondary capital, in Tokyo on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
JIP¡¯s priorities take center stage even as household relief stalls
The Liberal Democratic Party no longer finds itself strictly needing the Japan Innovation Party¡¯s support, yet the latter¡¯s priorities continue to shape the parliamentary agenda.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi delivers an opening statement during a ministerial meeting of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Japan and China¡¯s top diplomats hold first chat since Takaichi¡¯s Taiwan remarks
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Thursday he had spoken briefly with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, a day earlier on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Manila.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a meeting on fundamental national policies at the National Diet in Tokyo last week.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Cabinet spokesman defends Takaichi¡¯s grueling sleep schedule
The prime minister¡¯s social media post about being unable to get enough sleep drew criticism for running counter to workstyle reform efforts.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing growing criticism over the lack of unity between her Liberal Democratic Party and ruling coalition partner Japan Innovation Party.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 22, 2026
Takaichi faces growing headache over LDP and JIP¡¯s lack of unity
Poor communication and mistrust were major sources of governance problems and parliamentary chaos that led to an extension of the current session of the Diet.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers a question in parliament in Tokyo last week.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 21, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s popularity dips after prioritizing controversial laws
Support for Takaichi¡¯s government decreased to 53% from 60% in June in an Asahi Shimbun poll, while broadcaster ANN found her popularity fell over 10 points to 49.2%.
A recent Pew Research Center report on global attitudes concludes that views of the U.S. worsened last year to the point where more people now view China with higher regard.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2026
Tumbling U.S. status in the world should be no surprise
A recent Pew Research Center report on global attitudes concludes that views of the U.S. worsened last year to the point where more people now view China with higher regard.
The yen trades in the ?162 range against the dollar in the afternoon of the June 30.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 21, 2026
Japan¡¯s next economic challenge: bringing yen home
Now, with the yen seen as problematically weak, there are overdue reasons to encourage local capital to stay here.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) meets with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, in Tokyo in November 2020.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 20, 2026
ASEAN meetings offer chance of China-Japan encounter ¡ª for better or worse
When Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi visits Manila for ASEAN meetings this week, a familiar face will also be in attendance: his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
A 7?megawatt wind turbine, a pilot project led by Marubeni and funded by the Japanese government, at a port in Onahama, Fukushima Prefecture
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 20, 2026
Blow winds blow: Time to harvest wind power off Japan¡¯s coast
Japan is investing heavily in offshore wind abroad while its domestic sector still lags due to policy and infrastructure hurdles.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji Training Field in?Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan last month.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 19, 2026
Japan ¡®cannot avoid¡¯ nuclear weapons debate, defense chief Koizumi says
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi¡¯s remarks come as the government weighs revising the country¡¯s decades-old pledge not to produce, possess or host nuclear arms.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a parliamentary meeting on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 19, 2026
Takaichi expected to struggle during an extended Diet session
The ruling LDP and the Japan Innovation Party hopes to enact a secondary capital bill during this limited time.
The current session of parliament has been extended for eight days through July 25.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Parliament extends current session through July 25
The extension will allow further discussion on a bill to establish the concept of a secondary capital.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attend an Upper House committee meeting on Thursday. The approval rate for her Cabinet in a Jiji poll fell below 50% in July for the first time.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 16, 2026
Takaichi Cabinet¡¯s approval rating slips below 50% for first time, poll finds
The proportion of respondents who did not support the Cabinet stood at 25.2%, while 25.7% had no opinion, according to the July survey.
LDP lawmaker Itsunori Onodera (right), who chairs the National Council on Social Security, in Tokyo on Thursday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 16, 2026
Parties agree on new benefit program but stay divided over consumption tax on food
While there is agreement to a refundable tax credit for certain workers, debate on cutting the consumption tax on food is expected to intensify.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Rome on June 15. The prime minister is entering the finals days of the current parliamentary session without a serious dent in her approval.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 14, 2026
Takaichi Cabinet retains high approval ratings despite challenges
Latest polls from NHK and JNN show support declining just 1 and 5.9 percentage points, respectively, compared to polls from March.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will chair a national intelligence council slated to be launched as early as this month.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 14, 2026
Prime Minister¡¯s Office to lead intelligence efforts in Japan
A new council will be responsible for examining and deliberating on ¡°important intelligence activities,¡± including those linked to national security and terrorism.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who serves concurrently as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, delivers a speech during the party's convention in Tokyo in April.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 13, 2026
Japan is building a new intelligence agency with help from the West
Japanese leaders have privately approached allies such as the United States, Australia and Germany in recent months for advice on technology, staffing and priorities.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the conclusion of the Group of Seven summit in Evian, France, on June 17.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 13, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s first economic policy blueprint puts defense industry revival in focus
The government seeks to ¡°transform Japan¡¯s defense posture within five years¡± to achieve highly autonomous and resilient operational capabilities.
The end of Japan-bashing should not be mistaken for a vote of confidence. It may simply indicate that the world has shifted its attention to other sources of imbalance.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 10, 2026
The weak yen is not Japan¡¯s new strength. It is a warning.
The absence of Japan-bashing should not be mistaken for international approval. It may simply mean the world no longer sees Japan as the central imbalance problem.

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

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