J Update

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)   announced  at the hearing of Niigata Prefectural Assembly on October 16 that it would consider to decommission the reactor 1 and 2 of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. Facing firm skepticisms from local community on safety of the power plant, TEPCO offered a bargain to achieve an approval from the local residents for the restart of reactor 6 which is a major hope to improve its financial balance.   In the hearing, the president of TEPCO, Tomoaki Kobayakawa, explained that the company was considering decommissioning of reactor 1 and 2 within eighteen months from restart of reactor 6. Kobayakawa offered 100 billion yen of fund for revitalizing local economy and building facilities to prevent damage of possible accident in the plant. The subsidy will be paid for ten years, based on the income yielded from independence on thermal power generation by fossil fuels.   “We contribute to enhance local economy. We hope the fund will...

Being afraid of losing its government, the Liberal Democratic Party closely approached Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin-no Kai) to secure the seat of the prime minister. The LDP President, Sanae Takaichi,   had  a meeting with the head of Ishin to ask cooperation in policies, offering possible formulation of a leading coalition. Ishin considers voting for Takaichi at the election of prime minister in both Houses of the Diet. Ishin has been said as close to the LDP in conservative agenda. The party embraces amendment of the Constitution of Japan by rewriting Article 9 which is a pillar of Japanese pacifism. Ishin had a close relationship with former Shinzo Abe administration of the LDP. However, joining the leading coalition has been an unrealistic choice, considering opposition to LDP’s junior partner, Komeito, in political stance. Komeito’s departure from the leading coalition, therefore, brought an opportunity for Ishin to establish a new relationship with the LDP. ...

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is managing to recover the loss of its junior coalition partner, Komeito, to maintain its government. The LDP President, Sanae Takaichi,   apologized   to the member of her party for losing its partner. The party started efforts to find an alternative partner to secure the seat of prime minister, and hopefully to fulfill their shortage of seats for a majority in both chambers of the Diet to promote their policies.   “I told that I was responsible for secession of Komeito from the coalition and I apologized,” said Takaichi after LDP plenary meeting by lawmakers on October 14 th , held for explaining why Komeito left the coalition. Takaichi promised that the board members of the party would make utmost efforts to get along with other parties which can share an agreement.   There were various responses from LDP lawmakers on serious erosion of the leading coalition. Some demanded maintaining moderate relationship with Komeito, even afte...

Given an unusual opportunity to grab a leading power by Komeito’s leave from the leading coalition, the opposition parties began to consider a possibility of unified action to elect next prime minister in the Diet. Without Komeito, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has further distance from a majority in both chambers. The opposition leaders agreed on having a meeting to discuss how they would vote in the election of prime minister.   In a discussion of Fuji Television on October 12 th , the leader of Constitutional Democratic Party (CDPJ), Yoshihiko Noda,  told  that the head of Democratic Party for the People (DPP), Yuichiro Tamaki, would be a viable choice for the prime minister. Tamaki had been a target of the Constitutional Democratic Party before Komeito left the leading coalition on October 10 th . CDPJ Secretary General, Jun Azumi,  told  DPP Secretary General, Katsuya Shinba, on October 8 th  that Tamaki could be a candidate of prime minist...

The Legislative Council of Ministry of Justice   released  a draft of revising Car Driving Punishment Act to set stricter rules on dangerous driving causing death. It is aimed at imposing strict punishment on dangerous driving with extremely high speed or with excessive taking of alcohol. Regarding current car accidents caused by reckless driving, including some cases made by foreigners, the ministry is going to raise the level of regulation. Dangerous driving had been generally subjected to “professional negligence” for a long time, since cars became popular for every family in Japan. The government created a concept of “dangerous driving causing death or injury” in 2001, after an accident in which drunken truck driver hit a car and two little girls were killed on a highway. Dangerous driving causes heavier penalty than professional negligence, recognizing malicious violation of law as deliberated, not as careless.   Concerning increase of serious traffic accidents in Ja...

The Royal Swedish Academy   announced  that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry would go to three scientists, including a Japanese who is a Professor of Kyoto University, Susumu Kitagawa. They developed molecular constructions which “can be used harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyze chemical reactions. Kitagawa became the second Japanese who was awarded Nobel Prize this year, following Shimon Sakaguchi in Physiology and Medicine.   Multiple Nobel Prize laureates in the same year makes great news for Japanese media. Newspapers reported the decision of Nobel Committee to award Kitagawa with huge headline on October 9 th . They emphasized that Kitagawa is the thirtieth person of Nobel Prize laureate, since Hideki Yukawa received one in physics in 1949 and the ninth in Chemistry.   According to the Nobel Committee, Kitagawa, Richard Robson with University of Melbourne, Australia, and Omar M. Yaghi with University of California, Ber...

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivered on October 10 th   a “ reflection ” on the 80 th  anniversary of the end of the World War II. In the reflection, Ishiba deliberates some reasons why imperial Japan could not avoid entering the war and presented his idea on what was the lesson of it. Although the reflection is categorized as a personal speech of the prime minister with no cabinet decision, there is an argument that it would serve as an official document of prime minister.   Since Tomiichi Murayama issued a statement on 50 th  anniversary in 1995, Jun-ichiro Koizumi and Shizo Abe published official statements with cabinet decisions on August 15 th  in 2005 and 2015. As those statements caused controversy over Japan’s apology to its neighbor countries, which had suffered from Japan’s aggression, the conservative members in the LDP opposed Ishiba’s delivery of 80 th  anniversary statement. Ishiba refrained from issuing an official statement on August 15 t...

The Chief Representative of Komeito, Tetsuo Saito,   told   the President of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Sanae Takaichi, that Komeito would leave the coalition, ending partnership in the leading coalition which began 26 years ago. The main reason was LDP’s reluctance to set stricter regulation on donation from companies and organizations. Losing Komeito, the LDP led by Takaichi enters further unstable situation, in which maintenance of government is highly difficult.   In the meeting with Takaichi, Saito requested the LDP to approve Kometo’s bill of revised Political Fund Control Act. While the bill, which was submitted to the Diet in March 2025, demands the donation to be accepted by party headquarters and only one branch in each prefecture, prohibiting small branches headed by lawmakers or local politicians. The LDP has expanded that kind of small branches to 7,800. Most of those branches will not be able to receive political donations under the regulation of Komeit...

The junior partner of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the leading coalition, Komeito, is reconsidering decades-long relationship with the LDP, after Sanae Takaichi won LDP presidential election. Komeito laid down some conditions to maintain the coalition, indicating possible divorce with the LDP. The Chief Representative of Komeito, Tetsuo Saito, unequivocally   referred to   a possibility that the lawmaker of Komeito will not vote for Takaichi in the election for prime minister in the Diet unless those conditions are fulfilled. The LDP may face serious jeopardy to stay in the ruling position before beginning of Takaichi administration.   Saito had a meeting with Takaichi on October 4th, immediately after the victory of Takaichi, and demanded explanation about her political stance. They were about her visiting Yasukuni Shrine which enshrines war criminals, treatment of foreigners in Japan, and stricter regulation on political donations from companies and organizatio...

Following electing Sanae Takaichi for the new president, the Liberal Democratic Party   renewed   the member of its board on October 7 th . Reflecting contribution to her election campaign, Takaichi picked lawmakers who are close to two heavyweights in the party, Taro Aso and Toshimitsu Motegi, to the position of party leaders. This structure of power inside the party is close to that in former Fumio Kishida administration which were also dominated by Aso and Motegi. New LDP board members are Sanae Takaichi for President, Taro Aso for Vice-President, Shun-ichi Suzuki for Secretary General, Koichi Hagiuda for Executive Acting Secretary General, Takayuki Kobayashi for Chairman of Policy Research Council, Haruko Arimura Chairwoman of General Council, Keiji Furuya for Chairman of Election Strategy Committee, Hiroshi Kajiyama for Chairman of Diet Affairs Committee, and Takako Suzuki for Chairwoman of Public Relations Headquarters.   Basic concept of the selection was very simp...

Karolinska Institutet in Sweden announced that 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine would go to three scientists including Shimon Sakaguchi, Distinguished Professor at Osaka University, on their study in immunology. The Nobel Assembly at the institute recognized that they discovered how the immune system is kept in check. Expecting the discovery to contribute to medical treatment for allergic diseases, the people in Japan congratulated the new Japanese Nobel Prize laureate.   The laureates are Mary E. Brunkow, Senior Program Manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in the United States, Fred Rumsdell from the University of California Los Angeles and Sakaguchi. The prize, 11 million of Swedish kronor, will equally shared by those three laureates.   According to the Nobel Committee, their discoveries were related to peripheral immune tolerance. “The laureates identified the immune security guards, regulatory T cells, which prevent immune cells from attacking our own b...

The greatest concern for Sanae Takaichi administration, which is expected to be established in mid-October, is how to manage her minority government in both Houses of the Diet. Although Takaichi likes to build up a lager coalition by her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), its partner Komeito and one of the major opposition parties, there is no hopeful perspective to find one for securing a majority. Takaichi looks like having no option other than continuing current policy talks with the opposition parties, conducted by Shigeru Ishiba administration.   Before the voting day of LDP, Takaichi has been willing to formulate a new coalition inviting some opposition power into her possible administration. She said that she  hoped  to find the new partner before she would formulate new cabinet in the extraordinary session of the Diet, as soon as she would be elected new prime minister, succeeding incumbent Shigeru Ishiba.   The first target  is the Democratic Party for the...

The victory of Sanae Takaichi in presidential election of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) indicated a preference of conservative agenda among rank and file members of the party. Takaichi is likely to face a difficulty in balancing between implementation of her alleged conservative agenda and necessity to reintegrate her party. Ultra-right stance of her may cause gridlock in promoting policies with support of the opposition parties in the Diet, where the LDP does not have a majority in each House.   The presidential race became a match between anti-Ishiba bloc and pro-Ishiba groups. Among five candidates, Takayuki Kobayashi, Toshimitsu Motegi and Takaichi were categorized as anti-Ishiba lawmakers who embraced frustration against Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of his leadership in two national elections in 2024 and 2025. Kobayashi and Motegi supported Takaichi in the run-off election, after they were defeated in the first round.   Shinjiro Koizumi and Yoshimasa Hayashi were th...

The Liberal Democratic Party   elected   Sanae Takaichi for its president on October 4 th . If the opposition parties are not united for one candidate, Takaichi is likely to be elected new prime minister in coming extraordinary session of the Diet in mid- October. Takaichi became LDP’s female president for the first time and is making first female prime minister of Japan. Upholding a number of conservative agenda, Takaichi administration is expected to be highly hawkish one. LDP presidential election is a contest over 590 votes, 295 for lawmakers and other 295 for rank and file party members. If no candidate achieves a simple majority, the election enters a run-off election by two top candidates in the first round. Total votes for the run-off are 342, which are 295 for lawmakers and 47 for LDP local branches allocated every 47 prefectures.   In the first round, Takaichi topped with 183 votes, 64 from lawmakers and 119 from rank and file members. Shinjiro Koizumi followed ...

As election campaign for the president of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) gets close to the end, an overall trend can be seen in the polls of news organization. Top runner is Shinjiro Koizumi, who receives firm support from LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members of the party around Japan. If he makes next prime minister of Japan, a lot of agenda are waiting for him, including reunification of the party, party reform, fighting inflation and reinforcing leading coalition. The  survey  of  Asahi Shimbun  to the LDP lawmakers, each of whom has one vote in the presidential election, showed strength of Koizumi. 72 lawmakers out of 295 supported Koizumi for next president, while 57 backed Yoshimasa Hayashi and 37 was for Sanae Takaichi. Takayuki Kobayashi secured 31 votes and Toshimitsu Motegi did 29.   In another Asahi  poll  conducted in late September, Koizumi was ahead of others with 41 percent among LDP supporters, followed by Takaichi with 24 percent, H...

The Supreme Court   decided  that the election of House of Representatives in 2024 was not violated the Constitution of Japan, which stipulates people’s equality under the law, in a lawsuit demanding equality in value of one vote. Evaluating electoral reform in 2022, the court approved the effort of the House to diminish the gap of values in each vote. The plaintiffs complained about indifference of the court on inequality in political participation for the people.   The gap of one vote is calculated by how many eligible voters were in a single-seat district of Lower House election. In the election on October 27 th , 2024, a voter in Tottori 1 st  district had the greatest value among all 289 single-seat districts, because the district had the smallest population. On the other hand, a voter in Hokkaido 3 rd  district had the smallest value, because the district had the greatest population. The value of one vote in Tottori 1 st  was 2.06 times greater than i...

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba   visited   Busan, the second largest city of the Republic of Korea, on September 30 th , in a series of mutual visits by the leaders of both countries, which is called “shuttle diplomacy.” In their summit meeting, Iashiba reconfirmed with ROK president Lee Jae Myung their intention to stably develop bilateral relations of their countries and continue communication on various aspects including security, even after Ishiba would step down as prime minister in mid-October. It was the first meeting of both leaders since they had met in Tokyo in August, trying to prove that their shuttle diplomacy was working. Ishiba insisted that he hoped Japan and ROK to make most frequent exchanges than any other countries. Lee expected further advance of the bilateral relations through their shuttle diplomacy. Ishiba visited a grave of Lee Soo-hyun before the meeting, who lost his life when jumped down on the railway of Shin-Okubo station and hit buy a train, tryin...

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Komeito and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ)   embarked on discussion for further regulation of political funds including donation from companies and organizations on September 25 th . Although it is scheduled that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is going to leave his office in mid-October, the LDP promised that the issue would be succeeded by next LDP president. Discussion over regulation of donation from companies and organizations has a long history. It was the time of Morihiro Hosokawa administration when the leading coalition by eight parties, including Japan New Party, Japan Socialist Party or Japan Renewal Party, and the LDP agreed on abolishment of donation from companies and organizations to a politician and a political party, on which the LDP was heavily relying.   However, the agreement had five-year moratorium to mitigate the impact of prohibiting donation to parties. As five years passed, the LDP regained leadin...