J Update

The bill of revised Code of Criminal Procedure, which opens the way to make request of retrial easier,   passed   the Diet on July 17 th . Although the lawmakers, including some with ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), argued that dispute of public prosecutors should be completely ruled out, the law contains a loophole for prosecutors to reject retrial. Bureaucracy has a greater power than the parliament in this country. The revision was initiated by  Hakamada Case , in which a professional boxer was arrested with charge of murder in 1966, received death penalty in 1968, detained for 48 years and found innocent in a retrial in 2024. Although Hakamada requested a retrial and the court approved that, the public prosecutors blocked it with their dispute. It was found that they had been concealing some evidence that might prove Hakamada’s innocence.   That case accelerated discussion for revising current system of criminal procedure. Before submitting the bill for rev...

The Diet enacted two important laws on July 17 th , the last day of current session. One of them was the law to punish vandalism of national flag. Another one was revision of Imperial House Law which enables adoption of male in the male line of former Imperial Families. Both reflects strong preference of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi who are backed by conservative groups. To make further attempt to pass remaining bill, the leading parties pushed extension of the term of the session for 8 days.   National Flag Vandalism Punishing Act is to impose up to two years detention or up to 200 thousand yen of fine on a person who publicly damaged national flag of Japan causing extremely uneasy or disgusting feelings. The bill was  approved  in Plenary Sittings of the Upper House with support of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japan Innovation Party (JIP), the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and Sanseito. Those parties are recognized as upholding conservative political age...

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reluctantly   appeared  in the party leaders’ debate in the Diet. While opposition party leaders complained Takaichi’s negative attitude in explaining policies of her administration or her own scandal to the Diet, the prime minister insisted that she had been good enough. The opposition parties deepened their skepticisms against Takaichi government’s sense of responsibility for the Diet. Article 66 of the Constitution of Japan  stipulates  that the Cabinet is collectively responsible for the Diet. This provision has been interpreted that the prime minister, the head of Cabinet, is obliged to answer any question of lawmakers whenever the Diet requests the prime minister to attend a meeting. That is why, for instance, the prime minister has to get an approval of the Diet to go abroad during the session of the Diet.   In a Diet discussion in June, Takaichi refused answering the question of the lawmakers on her election campaign’s defam...

The top opposition party in the House of Representatives, Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), announced its   vision  for administration, which aimed at “competitive welfare state.” Countering ruling Sanae Takaichi administration that upholds “strong and prosperous Japan,” the CRA raised “strong life for individuals” as their main target. The party hopes to accelerate integration of former parties remaining in the Upper House with common policies to achieve.   The CRA was established with merge of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and Komeito in January 2026, just before the Lower House election in February. Although the CRA offered some policies to the voters in the election, they left some contradiction between the CDPJ and Komeito in such policies as attitude toward building military base in Henoko, Okinawa, or unconstitutionality of security legislation which approved exercise of collective defense right. This disintegration caused a bitter defeat in the...

The Diet   enacted   a bill for establishing Disaster Management Agency (DMA) with support of most parties across the aisle on July 13 th . The agency is going to make plans to prevent major damages from natural disasters, including earthquake, tsunami, eruption of volcano or storm. It will also work as the headquarters for management and reconstruction in the time of major disaster in Japan. The agency is expected to start its work in November.   Japan is a country frequently suffering from natural disaster. Surrounded by the seas, the country is relatively safe from foreign invasion. Instead, it is vulnerable to natural disaster. Located at periphery of some tectonic plates, Japan has suffered from great earthquakes and tsunamis caused many times. It has active volcanoes, including Mt. Fuji, all over the land. Japanese government calls itself “world’s major power on natural disaster.   Former prime minister Shigeru Ishiba hoped to have Japanese version of FEMA (Fed...

The Diet   passed   revised Individual Information Protection Act on July 10 th . The revised law enables companies to collect personal information without consent of the person. It expects to promote development of artificial intelligence (AI). While the law was established to protect individuals from unnoticed use of personal information, the government prioritized development of AI to privacy of the people, leaving concern on false use of personal data.   The Individual Information Protection Act was enacted in 2003, when information technology was rapidly spreading in Japanese society, to defend rights and interest of individuals from excessive use of personal information. A manager of personal information, such as name or address which can identify an individual, will be punished when he or she leaks professionally obtained personal information with malicious intention.   The revision this year is considered to improve commercial products or public service of lo...

The public prosecutor yelled “Do not underestimate the prosecution!” in his interrogation to an officer of real estate firm. In   the first trial  on a public prosecutor who was indicted with abuse on a criminal suspect, the defendant admitted his chanting but denied his intention of abuse. It was revealed that other prosecutor had been ignoring his interrogation with harsh words. The case is recognized as about the problem in the institution of law enforcement.   The Special Investigation Division of Osaka Public Prosecutors Office arrested president of a real estate firm, Shinobu Yamagishi, with charge of embezzlement in 2019. Yamagishi was suspected to have lent money with wrong intention to a chairperson of a school corporation. While the chairperson was arrested and found guilty, Yamagishi was found innocent in the trial in 2021.   During the investigation of the case, a public prosecutor, Daisuke Tabuchi, made interrogation on a director of Yamagishi’s company ...

The House of Representatives of the Diet passed a bill of revising the Imperial House Law (IHL), which allows adoption of males in the male lines of former imperial families. The law will give the offspring of that adopted male a status to succeed to the throne of the Emperor. Although the bill achieved approval of some opposition parties, the revision cannot be reflecting a unanimous opinion of the legislative branch.   Receiving “unanimous opinion” from the Diet, Sanae Takaichi Cabinet introduced a maneuver in it. The Diet opinion recommended that female members can stay in the Imperial Family after marriage and the family can adopt male in the male line of former Imperial Family. Although the unanimous opinion of the Diet was for securing members of the Imperial House, the draft included some measures related to succession to the throne of the Emperor.   One is to give the son of adopted male a status for succeeding to the throne. In the discussion at the Diet, adoption of ...

Although it has super majority in the Lower House, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi keeps on struggling for enacting National Flag Vandalism Punishing Act. Through the discussion in the Upper House, it became obvious that the bill was made for inducing patriotism among the Japanese people. The opposition parties are skeptical about the motivation of the legislature, recognizing a possibility that the law may violate freedom of thoughts. The bill has a highly unique definition of vandalism of national flag. According to the bill, someone who “publicly damages, removes or contaminates a national flag in a way that causes extremely uneasy or disgusting feeling on other people” will be punished with up to two years of detention or up to 200 thousand yen of fine. It is unclear whether there has been such a case in Japan.   So, what is the national flag of Japan? National Flag and National Anthem Act in 1999 defines national flag of Japan as with ra...

The leaders of fourth and fifth largest economy in the world shared common interest for security and economy in Asia-Pacific region in their summit meeting. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited India and had meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi early July. Both governments are going to deepen their relations in security cooperation, economic security and development of artificial intelligence. Takaichi has been accumulating meeting with leaders in Asia-Pacific countries. She visited Vietnam and Australia and accepted visit of president of the Philippines in May. She stressed her determination to promote a concept called Free and Open Indo-Pacific, which has been Japan’s diplomatic strategy to counter advance of China. At the same time, Takaichi sought opportunity of investment and sustainable supply chain of critical minerals.   Takaichi’s visit to India was made in the same context. She  agreed  with Modi on further bilateral cooperation in thre...

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi   agreed   with the leader of Japan Innovation Party (JIP) Hirofumi Yoshimura on abandoning reduction of seats in the House of Representatives in current session of the Diet. The session is scheduled to close on July 17 th . The Lower House seat reduction has been labeled as “Political Reform 101” by Yoshimura and became one of the causes for JIP to form the leading coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party. One of the political agenda of JIP was blocked by opposition beyond the party lines. Takaichi and Yoshimura agreed in their meeting at the Diet on July 7 th  that their parties would seek legislation of the seats reduction in next session of the Diet and continue to make effort for enacting Backup Capital Act in current session. Both bills have been crucial agenda pushed by JIP to pass in current session, and JIP lost one of them. The LDP regarded the bill for seat reduction as important for maintaining the leading coalition with JIP. ...

The Xinhua News of China   reported   that China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy conducted a test of launching submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) on July 6 th . Some of the missiles reached South Pacific Ocean, causing speculation that the test was demonstration of China’s military capability to strike mainland of the United States. The government of Japan continues to assess China’s missile capability.   The missiles are supposed to be Ju Lang (Big Wave)-3 type of SLBM, which has a range with distance of 10 thousand kilometers. China set four areas for touchdown of tested missiles, which included eastern sea area of the Philippines and east of Papua New Guinea. Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at the south of Cape Shionomisaki, Wakayama, is also designated as the area.   The government of Japan received a notice from China a few hours before the missile launch. China explained that it set zones for falling space debris. It could be the information abo...

The House of Representatives   passed  bills for regulating postings to social networking services during election campaign. The regulation is aimed at avoiding distribution of wrong information or preventing defamation through SNS to maintain fairness of elections. The related bills are expected to pass the Upper House and be enacted before the end of current session of the Diet. They will be applied to nationwide local elections next April.   Regulation on election campaign has long been focused on political fund, which would be distorting result of election by buying votes. However, current elections have proved that SNS has great influence on voters by providing with information which is preferrable for a candidate or has negative impact on contenders. Some distribute politically sensational video to attract watchers and earn a number of views. This activity is called “attention economy.”   Regardless the leading or opposition, most parties can agree on necessity...

Sanae Takaichi government is further accelerating the policy for economic growth through military businesses. It considers launching a new organization that encourages production of military equipment and promotes exporting weapons. Under the name of “strong and prosperous Japan,” the government looks like marching on a road toward merchant of death, as it once strode in pre-war era.   The government releases Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management, which is nicknamed as “Large-boned (Honebuto) Plan,” to navigate economic and fiscal policies with consultation to economic experts every July. It will be the first Honebuto Plan for Prime Minister Takaichi, who took the seat last October. Considering, to publicize a plan later this month. Considering Takaichi’s basic standpoint for economic growth through investment in crisis management, the experts are discussing introduction of public production of military equipment.   One of the options for reinforcing productivity of m...

The court refused again acknowledging indigenous right for fishing salmon in a river. Sapporo High Court   dismissed   a lawsuit filed by Raporo Ainu Nation, a group of indigenous people in Urahoro town located eastern region of Hokkaido Island. While it recognized Ainu’s right to take part in cultural life, the court denied their right to catch salmon as their business. It did not consider history that Japanese people colonized the land dominated by Ainu people and deprived them of critical resources.   The plaintiffs, the descendants of Ainu people, argued that they had exclusive right on fishing salmon in Tokachi River before the government of Japan governed Hokkaido Island without consensus of the indigenous people just after Meiji Restoration in 1867. They appealed to the high court, pursuing confirmation of their right to catch salmon, after the first court dismissed their argument in 2024.   The high court found that Ainu people has their right to enjoy their ...

Sanae Takaichi government released a plan of investment by public and private sectors through fiscal year 2040. The government assumed total amount of investment in this period to be 370 trillion yen. Although it expects that active public investment will invigorate economic activities of private sectors, there still remains a concern that further spendings may exacerbate fiscal balance of the government.   Prime Minister Takaichi  launched  Headquarters of Japan Growth Strategy in her government last November. It was aimed at promoting public and private investments to contribute to global issues by providing with goods, services and infrastructure. Takaichi believes that active investment of the government strengthens Japanese economy by inducing action of private sectors.   The headquarters designated  seventeen categories  of economy for intensive investment, which included artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor, medical treatment and medicines ...

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) pushes some agenda in the Diet, taking advantage of supermajority power in the Lower House. Those issues are basically upheld by its coalition partner, Japan Innovation Party. The LDP promote them to attract JIP to stay in the leading coalition, but has no big interest in them. The opposition parties are frustrated with unilateral procedure by the leading parties, making passage of other bills difficult.   When forming the leading coalition with the LDP, JIP allocated reduction of Lower House seats by ten percent at the top issue to achieve. Although JIP had raised regulation of political fund as one of the most important agenda of the coalition, it dropped the issue receiving firm opposition from the LDP. Then, JIP picked the seat reduction as the cause for them to form a leading coalition with the LDP which had been long-time political rival.   Both leading parties  failed  in enacting the law to reduce ten percent of Lower House ...

The Diet is now run only by the leading parties. The opposition parties do not participate in the voting on highly controversial bills. The bill of National Flag Vandalism Punishing Act passed the Lower House with majority votes of the Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party, while the opposition parties abstained the plenary sittings. The leading parties also unilaterally began discussion of reducing the seats of Lower House and the bill for Backup Capital without consensus with the oppositions. This is not something called a democracy.   Discussion over the bill for punishing damaging the national flag  started  in Committee on Cabinet of the Lower House on June 24 th . The bill was also sponsored by Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and Sanseito. The Sponsors answered questions of the opposition parties in the meeting on June 25 th  and the committee had a hearing from experts on June 26 th .   Discussion on the bill was finished then. The bil...