Japan's opposition politics remain fragmented as Komeito and the CDP merge to form a new party, despite policy divides and a history of electoral struggles. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/18/japan/japans-rare-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #ldp #komeitolowerhouse #komeito #cdp #centristreformalliance #cra #tetsuosaito #yoshihikonoda #sokagakkai #ccp #aeon #china #shinzoabe #fumiokishida #shigeruishiba #jip
Takaichi is weighing a snap election to win enough seats to govern without coalition constraints but risks repeating Ishiba’s failure if she misreads voter priorities and coalition politics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/13/world/why-a-japan-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #sanaetakaichi #liberaldemocraticparty #ldp #japaninnovationparty #jip #democraticpartyforthepeople #sanseito #shinzoabe #komeito #yurikokoike #partyofhope #shigeruishiba #snapelections
High public approval ratings for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have led to little open criticism of the Liberal Democratic Party chief from members of her own party. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/31/japan/politics/anti-takaichi-low-key/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #ldp #shigeruishiba #fumiokishida #hiroshimoriyama
Japan and India must deepen defense and tech cooperation to bolster Indo-Pacific stability amid a fragile "Quad" and rising China tensions. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/09/japan/japan-india-defense-in-the-indo-pacific/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #shigeruishiba #narendramodi #indiajapanrelations #thequad #australia #us #china #pakistan #philippines #australia #defense
Collective defense is too big a leap at this time. But collective deterrence is a legitimate strategy to thwart a rising China. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/26/japan/the-argument-for-indo-pacific-collective-deterrence/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #defense #sdf #sanaetakaichi #china #russia #northkorea #quad #australia #india #us #southkorea #philippines #seato #shigeruishiba #nato #taiwan #southchinasea #eastchinasea
China is using threats, diplomatic pressure, economic measures and manufactured media narratives to attack new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and influence Japanese politics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/20/japan/good-relations-with-communist-party-is-a-fools-errand/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #china #sanaetakaichi #taiwan #xuejian #reiwashinsengumi #us #ldp #shigeruishiba #komeito #japaninnovationparty #ccp #philippines #shinzoabe #laichingte #xijinping #worldwarii
With COP30 upon us, surveys show increasing climate disengagement, especially among younger generations in Japan, despite rising awareness and education. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/10/world/time-to-fight-climate-fatigue/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #sanaetakaichi #shigeruishiba #cop30 #cop29 #climatechange #carbonemissions #greenenergy
In her first weeks as prime minister, Sanae Takaichi unified the LDP, formed a new conservative coalition, advanced Japan’s defense and trade agendas and secured strong public support. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/30/japan/four-questions-for-takaichi-after-one-week/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #fumiokishida #shigeruishiba #yoshimitsumotegi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #satsukikatayama #hirofumiyoshimura #fumitakefujita #donaldtrump #ldp #komeito #jip #dpp #sanseito
Japan’s top security adviser Keiichi Ichikawa is set to play a leading role in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s foreign policy strategy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/30/japan/politics/national-security-adviser-change/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #keiichiichikawa #sanaetakaichi #defense #shinzoabe #shigeruishiba
Former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday called for the swift restoration of a deleted section of a parliamentary record of a 1940 anti-military speech criticizing Japan's war with China. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/28/japan/politics/ishiba-anti-military-speech/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #china #wwii #ldp
Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister, forming a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party to focus on defense, economic reforms and international diplomacy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/24/takaichi-heads-into-the-breach/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #sanaetakaichi #ldp #japaninnovationparty #komeito #shigeruishiba #fumiokishida #toshimitsumotegi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #minorukihara #ryoseiakazawa #satsukikatayama #kimionoda #sanseito #shinzoabe
Newly appointed farm minister Norikazu Suzuki has hinted of a potential rethink of a policy to increase rice production advocated by the administration of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/24/japan/society/farm-minister-rice/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #agriculture #rice #norikazusuzuki #shinjirokoizumi #shigeruishiba #sanaetakaichi
Immigration is shaping up to be a key policy focus for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, with her Cabinet including a new post specifically for handling interactions with foreign residents. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/23/japan/politics/onoda-immigration-policy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #kimionoda #sanaetakaichi #shigeruishiba #jip
Minoru Kihara, the “cool-headed” spokesman of Japan’s new prime minister, has many things in common with his new boss. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/21/japan/politics/who-is-minoru-kihara/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #minorukihara #sanaetakaichi #ldp #shinzoabe #yoshihidesuga #fumiokishida #hirokazumatsuno #shigeruishiba #yoshimasahayashi #kumamoto #taiwan
Members of Japanese ruling and opposition parties expressed their sadness over the death of former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on Friday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/18/japan/politics/murayama-tributes/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #tomiichimurayama #yoheikono #shigeruishiba #mizuhofukushima #sanaetakaichi
Komeito exited the ruling coalition with the LDP after 26 years, citing concerns over political donations and transparency, though some question if that’s the true reason. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/17/japan/political-funding-and-komeitos-split-with-the-ldp/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #komeito #tetsuosaito #sanaetakaichi #shigeruishiba
Japan's outgoing prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, is set to leave office with a mixed record on the economy, achieving a few successes and leaving some important business unfinished. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/10/15/economy/ishiba-japanese-economy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #shigeruishiba #wages #ldp #japaneseeconomy #economicindicators #jobs
A frustrated Liberal Democratic Party gathered Tuesday to discuss its options going forward now that Komeito is no longer part of the ruling coalition. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/14/japan/politics/ldp-meeting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #ldp #komeito #muneosuzuki #shigeruishiba
Not knowing who Japan's next prime minister will be gives rise to a number of possible scenarios, though some are more plausible than others. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/14/japan/politics/what-if-scenarios/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #shigeruishiba #ldp #yuichirotamaki #dpp #cdp #nipponishinnokai
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, indicated willingness to hold talks with Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan chief Yoshihiko Noda. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/13/japan/dpp-cdp-prime-minister-nomination/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sanaetakaichi #shigeruishiba #yuichirotamaki #yoshihikonoda #dpp #cdp #ldp