In Tokyo, South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac has affirmed good ties with senior Japanese Cabinet members ahead of a visit by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to Japan expected early next year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/23/japan/politics/south-korea-japan-tie-motegi-kihara/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #southkorea #southkoreajapanrelations #minorukihara #toshimitsumotegi #sanaetakaichi #leejaemyung
The number of Japanese workers at U.N. agencies as of the end of 2024 was 979, the highest since records began in 1990. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/14/japan/japanese-workers-un-agencies-record/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #un #foreignministry #toshimitsumotegi
The Foreign Ministry has been focusing on visually appealing messages on social media posts, such as videos and illustrations, in its campaign to explain the country's stances on international affairs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/08/japan/politics/foreign-ministry-social-media/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #foreignministry #socialmedia #toshimitsumotegi #china
In Japan’s political heart of Nagatacho, a question swirls: Will Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi bank on her popularity and call a snap election ahead of next year’s parliamentary session? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/japan/politics/takaichi-risks-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #ldp #komeito #taroaso #toshimitsumotegi #shunichisuzuki
Japan and Indonesia have agreed to boost their defense and security ties, opening up opportunities for trilateral cooperation involving Australia following Jakarta’s plan to upgrade a key pact with Canberra. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/18/japan/politics/indonesia-japan-meeting-defense/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #defense #indonesiajapanrelations #shinjirokoizumi #toshimitsumotegi #indonesia #china #sdf #msdf
Beijing's top diplomat told his Japanese counterpart he sees "positive signals" from Tokyo's new leadership, after the country swore in a prime minister long viewed as a China hawk. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/28/asia-pacific/politics/china-japan-positive-signals/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #wangyi #sanaetakaichi #toshimitsumotegi
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
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
Newly elected Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi’s new party leadership lineup places former Prime Minister Taro Aso as vice president while excluding rival farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his allies. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/07/japan/politics/takaichi-leadership-lineup-ldp/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #taroaso #ldp #shunichisuzuki #takayukikobayashi #harukoarimura #toshimitsumotegi
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
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
For Komeito, the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election on Saturday could prove to be a turning point. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/02/japan/politics/komeito-ldp-candidates/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #toshimitsumotegi #takayukikobayashi #ldp #komeito #tetsuosaito #nipponishinnokai #dpp
Foreign policy experience aside, the next prime minister will have to deal with the U.S. president’s “quirks” in the practice of diplomacy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/01/japan/trump-effect-on-the-ldp-race/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #defense #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #toshimitsumotegi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #budgets #china #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump
As the Liberal Democratic Party gears up for Saturday’s presidential vote, two candidates are going head-to-head for the top spot in media polls. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/01/japan/politics/whos-leading-ldp-race/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #shinjirokoizumi #sanaetakaichi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #toshimitsumotegi
Only two of the five candidates in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election own stock despite a government push for more people to invest in Japan’s stock market. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/10/01/markets/ldp-candidates-stocks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #markets #ldp #stocks #shinjirokoizumi #sanaetakaichi #toshimitsumotegi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #shigeruishiba
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the go-to problem solver in Japan's political center, might be facing his biggest challenge yet: convincing colleagues in the ruling party that he is best suited to lead them. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/29/japan/politics/ldp-hayashi-profile/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #toshimitsumotegi #takayukikobayashi #fumiokishida #yoshihidesuga #taroaso #shigeruishiba
On defense and foreign policy, the five candidates vying to be the LDP's next president largely align. But the nuanced differences they do have could mean significantly distinct policies depending on who is elected. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/28/japan/politics/ldp-leadership-race-candidates-foreign-defense-policies/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #defense #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #toshimitsumotegi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #budgets #china #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump
All five Liberal Democratic Party candidates have taken a hard-line stance on immigration-related issues. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/26/japan/politics/foreigners-policy-ldp-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #foreignworkers #immigration #shigeruishiba #ldp #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #toshimitsumotegi #takayukikobayashi
