Since taking office, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seems to have enjoyed a tailwind. Yet amid a cost-of-living crisis, perilous coalition ties and weak party support, there’s no shortage of challenges. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/01/japan/politics/political-outlook-2026/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #ldp #nipponishinnokai #komeito #taroaso #diet
While the government's fiscal 2026 budget bill calls for record-high spending on social security, its efforts to reduce the health insurance premium burden on the working generation are still limited. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/27/japan/society/burden-working-generation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #health #sanaetakaichi #ldp #nipponishinnokai #budgets #debt #elderly #medicine
With parliament set to close on Wednesday, the ruling coalition agreed this week to hold off discussions on a bill reducing Lower House seats by 10% until next year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/16/japan/politics/ldp-jip-bill-put-off/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #nipponishinnokai #ldp #hirofumiyoshimura #dpp #cdp #komeito #diet #lowerhouse
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, have decided to reconsider the route of the planned Hokuriku Shinkansen section. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/16/japan/hokuriku-shinkansen-route-change/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #mlit #hokurikushinkansen #bullettrains #rail #fukui #osaka #kyoto #ldp #nipponishinnokai #environment
With just days left in the current Diet session, a key ruling-bloc bill to reduce the number of Lower House seats by 10% faces an uncertain future. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/12/japan/politics/ldp-ishin-seat-reducing-bill-uncertain/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #nipponishinnokai #ldp #hirofumiyoshimura #dpp #cdp #komeito #sanaetakaichi
The government and ruling coalition are considering capping tax-free holdings at ¥6 million for a new investment program planned to be launched for minors under the NISA framework. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/10/nisa-tax-free-cap-minors/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #nisa #taxes #children #investments #ldp #nipponishinnokai
The transport ministry will likely delay starting work to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line to link Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture and Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka Prefecture, sources said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/09/japan/hokuriku-shinkansen-extension-delay/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #mlit #hokurikushinkansen #bullettrains #rail #fukui #osaka #kyoto #ldp #nipponishinnokai #environment
The government, in its sixth basic program for promoting gender equality, will stipulate that it will consider legislation to legalize the use of pre-marriage family names. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/06/japan/society/japan-surname-gender-equality-program/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #familyregistry #familylaw #marriage #names #nipponishinnokai #ldp #women039sissues #diet
After a bumpy negotiation process, the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, submitted a bill that would cut at least 45 Lower House seats by the end of next year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/japan/politics/seat-reduction-bill-submitted/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #katsunobukato #hirofumiyoshimura #ldp #nipponishinnokai #diet #lowerhouse
The government and ruling parties are considering doing away with as early as next spring a defense equipment transfer rule that limits exports to five types of defense equipment such as rescue and transport gear. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/japan/politics/defense-equipment-export-restrictions/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #defense #trade #nipponishinnokai #ldp
Japan's ruling and opposition parties remained at odds during parliamentary deliberations on three bills related to reforming political donations from companies and other organizations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/japan/politics/political-donation-reform-bills/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #politicalfunds #ldp #cdp #dpp #komeito #nipponishinnokai
Japan is considering launching a new investment program for children under the country's new Nippon Individual Savings Account tax-exemption framework with the aim to expand eligibility to those under 18. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/02/nisa-program-children/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #nisa #taxes #children #investments #ldp #nipponishinnokai
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura agreed to submit a bill during the current parliamentary session that will reduce the number of Lower House seats by 10%. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/01/japan/politics/seats-reduction-ldp-jip-agreement/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #lowerhouse #diet #hirofumiyoshimura #komeito #koichihagiuda
The Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition has regained its majority in the Lower House, with three lawmakers agreeing to support the passage of key budget bills. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/28/japan/politics/ldp-majority/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #sanaetakaichi #diet
The Japanese government is considering raising the fee for permanent residency to as high as ¥300,000 and that for changing or extending one’s residential status to ¥100,000. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/28/japan/politics/foreigners-policy-fee/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #expats #immigration #ldp #sanaetakaichi #nipponishinnokai
Japan is moving closer than ever to legalizing the primary use of birth names after marriage, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s bill on the matter likely to be submitted to parliament soon. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/26/japan/politics/surname-takaichi-bill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #familyregistry #familylaw #marriage #names #nipponishinnokai #komeito #ldp #women039sissues #diet
The Lower House on Tuesday passed legislation to scrap the provisional gasoline tax surcharge of ¥25.1 per liter, effective Dec. 31. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/25/japan/politics/gasoline-bill-lower-house/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #gas #ldp #cdp #taxes #energy #nipponishinnokai #komeito #jcp #localgovernment
Japan will likely lean on the U.S. and its allies if China escalates economic pressure, as Tokyo seeks to navigate the fallout from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks linking Taiwan’s security to its own. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/22/japan/politics/japan-us-lean-china-standoff/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #ldp #nipponishinnokai #us #china #taiwan
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, have agreed to submit a bill that creates a framework for reducing Lower House seats during the ongoing session of parliament. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/21/japan/politics/ldp-ishin-seat-reduction-bill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #lowerhouse #diet #sanaetakaichi #katsunobukato #hirofumiyoshimura
Japan should leverage its alliance with the U.S. to counter China’s threats rather than seeking quick compromises alone that will lead to long-term losses, an outspoken Japanese lawmaker says. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/21/japan/politics/japan-counter-china-us-help/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #us #china #heiseki #nipponishinnokai #taiwa #sanaetakaichi #chipmakers #rareearths