Commentary / Japan Apr 20, 2016
by Takamistu Sawa
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ideology and creed is nothing other than state capitalism.
Commentary / Japan Apr 11, 2016
The surrender of Japan's peace Constitution
by Emily S. Chen
Domestic opposition to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's effort to alter Japan's defense posture, though broad, does not run very deep.
National / Politics Apr 9, 2016
Statements by lawmakers cloud Japan's position on nuclear arms
by Eric Johnston
When the foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations gather in Hiroshima for a two-day meeting from Sunday, they will visit Hiroshima Peace Park and conclude their gathering with a "Hiroshima Declaration" that will likely express hope for a world without nuclear ...
National / Politics Mar 30, 2016
Osaka governor says Japan should debate need for nuclear weapons
by Eric Johnston
Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui, the head of Osaka Ishin no Kai, has voiced support for a national debate on whether or not Japan should possess nuclear weapons. "With the perfect right to collective self-defense, we should debate whether our troops can completely cover the needs ...
National / Politics Mar 29, 2016
Security laws usher in new era for pacifist Japan
by Ayako Mie
Marking a historic change in Japan's pacifist diplomacy, two divisive security laws take effect that allow Tokyo to engage in collective self-defense based on the reinterpreted Constitution.
Issues | LABOR PAINS Mar 27, 2016
Bearded train driver, out-of-pocket teacher and CV faker: How would they fare in court?
by Hifumi Okunuki
A look at three shiny new news items from the gossip columns that take on a different sheen when examined under the piercing light of labor law.
Editorials Mar 15, 2016
Voters should strive to understand what government leaders and lawmakers aim to achieve by amending the supreme law.
National / Politics Mar 13, 2016
LDP voices policies in lead-up to pivotal Upper House election
by Tomohiro Osaki
Delegates at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's annual convention adopt important policy measures such as revising the Constitution and breathing new life into the moribund economic recovery.
National / Politics Mar 9, 2016
New opposition party expected to push constitutional change without prioritizing Article 9
A new opposition party to be launched March 27 through a merger between the Democratic Party of Japan and Ishin-no-To (Japan Innovation Party) will uphold constitutionalism and envisage a "future-oriented constitution" that matches with time, lawmakers of the two parties said Tuesday. Citing a draft ...
National / Crime & Legal Mar 8, 2016
by Shusuke Murai
The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday dismissed a retrial request over a 1959 Supreme Court ruling that found the U.S. military's presence in Japan constitutional. The 1959 ruling is often referenced by proponents of security policy reforms to justify the use of the right to ...
National / Politics Mar 1, 2016
Abe cites need for Japan to fully exercise right to collective self-defense
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggests that the Constitution should be amended to give Japan the power to fully exercise the right to collective self-defense.
Issues | LABOR PAINS Feb 29, 2016
'Landmark' ruling sent Japan's foreign residents back to welfare limbo
by Hifumi Okunuki
Widely misunderstood 2014 case reaffirmed the decades-old stopgap that means noncitizens can receive support but can't appeal if their application is rejected.