The U.S. and Japan still need to do a lot of work to hammer the funding details for three projects announced as part of a U.S.-Japan trade deal, the head of a Tokyo-backed bank involved in the talks says. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/27/economy/jbic-us-japan-investment/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #sanaetakaichi #jbic #us #donaldtrump #trade #usjapanrelations #tariffs

In the days surrounding Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's February election win, several dozen X accounts linked to a Chinese misinformation campaign attacked her deeply conservative views and hawkish approach to China. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/26/world/chinese-influence-operation-target/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #chinajapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #donaldtrump #socialmedia

The government expects its interest payments on outstanding debt to roughly double over the next four years as the Bank of Japan’s gradual rate hikes push up borrowing costs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/26/interest-payment-double-2029/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #financeministry #boj #kazuoueda #sanaetakaichi

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed eagerness Thursday to compile a support program for the so-called employment ice age generation within fiscal 2025, which ends on March 31. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/26/japan/japan-pm-ice-age-worker-support-measures/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sanaetakaichi #jobs

The CRA and DPP declined to participate Thursday a panel on temporarily lifting the consumption tax on groceries, where political wrangling had been expected between the ruling and opposition parties. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/26/japan/politics/consumption-tax-panel/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #consumptiontax #taxes #ldp #jip #dpp #cra #teammirai #sanaetakaichi

Nikkei 225 index forecasts revised upward above 60,000 after the LDP’s big win, and the market is almost there already. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/26/economy/stock-market-revision/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #sanaetakaichi #diet #ldp #tse #nikkei #stocks #2026lowerhouseelection

A Liberal Democratic Party panel on Thursday approved a proposal to strengthen Japan’s intelligence capabilities. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/26/japan/politics/ldp-intelligence-proposal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #sanaetakaichi #defense

Japan’s growing obsession with cats has fueled a multitrillion-yen market and nationwide celebrations, even as population trends could slow the feline boom. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/25/japan/japans-20-billion-cat-boom/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #cats #pets #dogs #hellokitty #sanaetakaichi #japaneseeconomy

Japan must keep raising interest rates and tighten fiscal policy, former central bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda has said, warning that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's big spending plan could stoke an inflationary upswing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/25/economy/ex-boj-governor-haruhiko-kuroda-rate-hikes/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #haruhikokuroda #boj #inflation #sanaetakaichi #japaneseeconomy

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has nominated a pair of university professors associated with reflationary economic policies to replace outgoing members of the Bank of Japan policy board. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/25/economy/new-boj-board-members/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #boj #sanaetakaichi #japaneseeconomy

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to be grilled in parliament on Wednesday after she said she had given congratulatory gift catalogs to all LDP lawmakers elected in the Feb. 8 Lower House election. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/25/japan/politics/takaichi-gift-catalogs-ldp/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #diet #sanaetakaichi #politicalfundsscandal

Despite her coalition’s dominance in the Lower House, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is asking the opposition to work with her to get the fiscal 2026 budget passed before the current fiscal year concludes on March 31. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/24/japan/politics/takaichi-policy-speech-questions/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #junyaogawa #shunichisuzuki #ldp #cra #diet

Japan's government has pushed back a decision on whether to join the Board of Peace, led by U.S. President Donald Trump with the aim of achieving peace in Gaza, amid concerns he may use it to replace the United Nations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/24/japan/politics/postponement-peace-board-gaza/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #donaldtrump #us #gaza #un #sanaetakaichi

China's Commerce Ministry took action against 40 Japanese companies and entities on Tuesday, citing national security concerns over their military ties. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/24/china-japan-companies-watch-list/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #china #chinajapanrelations #space #mitsubishi #defense #taiwan #sanaetakaichi #trade

Amundi is warming to Japanese government bonds for the first time in three decades as Europe’s biggest asset manager joins a growing group of foreign investors taking a long-term bullish view on the nation’s debt. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/24/companies/amundi-jgb/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #amundi #jgb #sanaetakaichi #japaneseeconomy #france #investments #bonds

After the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's landslide victory in the recent general election, legislation criminalizing the damaging of the Japanese national flag is expected to become a key focus of deliberations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/24/japan/politics/crime-damage-flag-debate-diet-focus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #sanaetakaichi #nipponishinnokai #dpp #diet #2026lowerhouseelection

With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi set to tackle work-style reform, Japan’s discretionary work system is expected to become a major focal point. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/23/japan/politics/takaichi-labor-reform/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #workstylereform

Flush with political capital, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s election victory this month has empowered her to push ahead with security and defense goals that, just a decade ago, would have been all but unattainable. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/22/japan/politics/japan-takaichi-defense-security-goals/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #defense #usmilitary #defenseministry #sdf #usjapanrelations #budgets #donaldtrump #espionage #constitution #diet #nuclearweapons #2026lowerhouseelection

The United Nations' current serious financial difficulties present a good opportunity for U.N. reform, Japan's ambassador to the world body has said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/22/japan/un-financial-difficulties-reform-chance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #kazuyukiyamazaki #un #us #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi

The LDP will propose a system which obliges foreign agents to report their activities, sources said Saturday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/22/japan/politics/ldp-foreign-agents-mandatory-reporting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #sanaetakaichi #nationalsecuritystrategy #defense #espionage