Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday that a proposed supplementary budget would include spending to help local governments address attacks by bears. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/12/japan/politics/extra-budget-bear-attacks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #bears #animals #budgets #shinjirokoizumi #localgovernment
The government has decided to extend the deployment of Self-Defense Forces personnel in the Middle East for one year to deal with issues such as maritime piracy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/07/japan/sdf-middle-east/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #middleeast #sdf #defense #shinjirokoizumi
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force were dispatched to Akita Prefecture to assist with bear control as the number of attacks and subsequent fatalities continue to rise in Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/05/japan/gsdf-bear-akita-deployed/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #bears #animals #akita #sdf #gsdf #defenseministry #shinjirokoizumi #kentasuzuki
Defense chief Shijiro Koizumi used a series of meetings during a regional summit to push for deepened cooperation with partners while expressing concern to his Chinese counterpart over military moves near Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/02/japan/politics/koizumi-defense-ministers-china-asean/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #defense #defenseministry #china #chinajapanrelations #pla #eastchinasea #senkakus #budgets #sdf
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
The Japanese government has said it will renew measures to deal with the rising number of bear attacks nationwide — 12 of them fatal — as more bears are seen roaming around residential areas in the north of the country. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/30/japan/society/bears-government-meeting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #animals #localgovernments #bears #shinjirokoizumi #norikazusuzuki #yoheimatsumoto #minorukihara #sdf
In his first meeting with new Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth said Washington never demanded Tokyo further hike its defense spending, calling Japan's current spending plans "wonderful." https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/29/japan/politics/koizumi-hegseth-defense-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #us #defense #petehegseth #shinjirokoizumi
The governor of Akita Prefecture asked the Defense Ministry on Tuesday to send in Self-Defense Forces personnel to help deal with a "truly dire" spate of deadly bear attacks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/28/japan/akita-governor-sdf-bears/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #akita #kentasuzuki #bears #sdf #defenseministry #shinjirokoizumi
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will make a stop in Japan during a visit to the Indo-Pacific region this week, during which he is scheduled to meet Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi for talks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/27/japan/politics/us-defense-chief-japan-visit/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #petehegseth #shinjirokoizumi #usjapanrelations #defense #defenseministry
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
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s picks for Japan’s new defense, foreign and economic security ministers are not your typical stodgy line-up. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/22/japan/politics/new-foreign-defense-ministers/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #defense #cabinet #toshimitsumotegi #shinjirokoizumi #kimionoda #economicsecurity #foreignministry #defenseministry #sanaetakaichi
Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet picks reflect her strategy of balancing political alliances, rewarding loyal supporters, managing factional politics and bringing in fresh faces to navigate Japan's evolving political landscape. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/22/japan/takaichi-cabinet-picks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #ldp #komeito #cabinet #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #toshimitsumotegi #ryoseiakazawa #minorukihara #satsukikatayama
With early shipments of rice from the 2025 harvest having reached the market, attention is turning to supply, demand and prices amid uncertainty over how this summer's weather will affect yields. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/17/japan/new-rice-crop-competition/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #rice #agriculture #shinjirokoizumi #maff
The average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan in the week through Sunday fell ¥6 from the previous week to ¥4,205 per 5 kilograms, agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/10/japan/rice-price-fall/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #rice #shinjirokoizumi #agriculture #supermarkets
Sanae Takaichi is set to become Japan's first female prime minister as the ruling LDP turns to her conservative leadership to restore stability amid internal division, economic pressure and strained U.S. relations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/05/japan/is-takaichi-japans-thatcher-or-truss/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #toshimitsumotegi #takayukikobayashi
A split of moderate votes in the first round and the support of a party kingmaker helped propel Sanae Takaichi to a historic victory in the LDP’s presidential race. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/05/japan/politics/vote-flow-ldp/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #ldp #taroaso #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi
The Liberal Democratic Party is electing a new president on Saturday to unify the divided party and, in all likelihood, steer a minority government as Japan’s next prime minister. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/04/japan/politics/ldp-election-voting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #toshimitsumotegi #takayukikobayashi
The ruling LDP faces a critical election with candidates offering little change, struggling to regain traditional support and confronting a political landscape that has shifted dramatically in recent years. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/02/japan/ldp-not-likely-to-change-with-new-leader/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #shinjirokoizumi #sanaetakaichi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #toshimitsumotegi
The Liberal Democratic Party, which has dominated Japanese politics for most of the postwar era, is in danger of crumbling. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/02/japan/politics/japan-ruling-party-ldp-in-danger/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #farmers #agriculture #rurallife #rice #shinjirokoizumi #sanaetakaichi #sanseito