Issues | LAW OF THE LAND Jul 1, 2018
Japan on just 10 judges a day costs a pretty penny
by Colin P.A. Jones
With over 1,000 courts but less than 4,000 judges, somehow 3.5 million cases get cleared every year.
National / Politics Jun 25, 2018
Abe's approval rating rebounds, raising chances of becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister
The prime minister’s support rate rose 10 points to outstrip his disapproval rating for the first time since February, improving his chances of weathering a series of scandals.
National Jun 21, 2018
Japan lowers minimum voting age for constitutional referendums to 18
The minimum voting age in national referendums to amend the Constitution was lowered to 18 from 20 on Thursday as part of a series of moves to encourage civic participation by young people. The lowering of the voting age for referendums brings it into line ...
National / Politics May 27, 2018
Ex-Prime Minister Nakasone makes call for amending Constitution as he celebrates 100th birthday
At 100, former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, a legendary figure in Japanese politics, expresses hopes that “serious efforts” will be made to amend the postwar Constitution.
National / Politics May 25, 2018
LDP panels back Japanese government's pursuit of capability to attack in self-defense
Panels in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday approved a draft proposal for the government to develop the military capability to "strike enemy bases" in foreign countries. Considering North Korea's rapidly advancing nuclear and missile programs and China's maritime assertiveness, the LDP also will ...
National May 24, 2018
Lacking direction from Tokyo, Japan's municipalities struggle to implement anti-hate speech law
With Thursday marking two years since the enactment of a law against hate speech targeting ethnic Koreans and other minorities, local governments — required to take action under the legislation — called on Tokyo to present clear standards on how to eliminate racist propaganda. Some ...
National / Media | MEDIA MIX May 19, 2018
Japan's courts are being asked to define the role of the SDF
by Philip Brasor
As discussed in Media Mix last week, news organizations are on the lookout for signs of whether the country’s Self-Defense Forces are becoming politically active. There have been indications the SDF wants to be the conventional military that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has ...
National / Crime & Legal May 18, 2018
Tokyo High Court upholds ruling calling city of Saitama's refusal to publish pacifist haiku 'unfair'
by Sakura Murakami
The Tokyo High Court on Friday upheld a district court ruling that called "unfair" the city of Saitama's refusal to publish a haiku which referred to the Constitution and carried a pacifist message in its local newsletter . The high court ordered the city to ...
National / Politics May 6, 2018
Fumio Kishida to make decision on LDP presidential election after Diet closes for summer
Fumio Kishida, the Liberal Democratic Party's policy chief, said he will make his decision on whether to run for party president, and thus prime minister, after the Diet closes for the summer. "The time is now for the government and the ruling coalition to unite ...
National / Politics May 3, 2018
by Tomohiro Osaki and Daisuke Kikuchi
In a recent video message the prime minister spoke about the need to revise the top law, but does he still have the public support to do it?
National Apr 26, 2018
More than half of Japanese oppose any constitutional revisions under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — though a majority do see a need for some changes in the future, a Kyodo News survey showed Wednesday. Revising the Constitution has been a long-held goal of the conservative ...
National Apr 23, 2018
Peacekeepers were given the orders following a July 2016 outbreak of fierce fighting, despite government claims the area was devoid of armed conflict.