Sakie Yokota, the 90-year-old mother of a Japanese national abducted by North Korea in 1977, laments the lack of progress in fulfilling her long-cherished wish to bring her daughter back to Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/japan/north-korea-abductee-mother-sakie-yokota/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #northkorea #abductions #sakieyokota #megumiyokota #minorukihara
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has met with Sakie Yokota, the mother of Megumi, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977. In the meeting, Sakie said she hopes there will be some progress this year on the issue. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/20/japan/politics/megumi-yokota-mother-kihara-abduction/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sakieyokota #megumiyokota #minorukihara #northkorea #northkoreajapanrelations
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Wednesday warned the public about a fake video posted on YouTube that misused footage from one of his news conferences. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/07/japan/crime-legal/kihara-fake-video-warning/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #minorukihara #deepfakes #youtube #japanesepolice
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
Tokyo has slapped down Beijing’s allegations that Self-Defense Forces aircraft had “harassed” Chinese military warplanes over the weekend, a day after Japan said the Chinese fighters had locked their radar onto SDF jets. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/08/japan/politics/china-japan-radar-lock-on-protest/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #sdf #defense #defenseministry #minorukihara #sanaetakaichi #china #pla
Tokyo must be wary of antagonizing Beijing while not irritating Washington. The difficulty is finding the “just right” sweet spot. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/02/japan/navigating-japans-goldilocks-challenge/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #china #us #chinajapanrelations #usjapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #donaldtrump #xijinping #minorukihara #trade #defense #taiwan
The central government and Okinawa Prefecture remain apart over the planned relocation of a U.S. military base within the prefecture. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/01/japan/politics/japan-okinawa-futenma-base-relocation-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #okinawa #futenma #usbases #dennytamaki #minorukihara
Japan does not have an “immigrant” problem in the usual sense, as long-term foreign residents are largely law-abiding, integrated and the challenges lie with systemic issues, not with the people themselves. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/18/japan/avoid-xenophobia-tag-when-fixing-immigration/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #minorukihara #liberaldemocraticparty #japaninnovationparty #us #chinese #korean #xenophobia
Minoru Kihara, newly appointed as chief cabinet secretary under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government, has vowed to boldly revise the country's three key national security-related documents. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/02/japan/japan-security-documents-revision/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #minorukihara #sanaetakaichi #securitylaws #defense
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
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
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
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