With regard to the suspension of operations at the U.S. Marines Corps Futenma Air Station within five years through the end of February 2019, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera noted in a joint interview with the press on Aug. 4 that “the situation is becoming difficult,” referring to an ongoing court battle between the central and Okinawa governments over the construction….Read more

Ken Saito, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries   The shrinking population of consumers is a challenge that Japan’s agriculture needs to address. We must face this tough reality by tapping into overseas markets.   If we fail to do so, the industry will fail. But the export potential in the field is extremely high. Japan is one of the….Read more

The government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Aug. 6 selected new state ministers and parliamentary vice-ministers following the reshuffle of the Cabinet earlier this month. The LDP’s Masahisa Sato, a former parliamentary vice-minister for defense, will be appointed as state minister for foreign affairs, and Kenichiro Ueno, former parliamentary vice-minister for land, infrastructure and transport, will be appointed as….Read more

The approval rating for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has finally stopped falling. It would be premature to think that the Cabinet has regained the public’s trust. The prime minister needs to make steady efforts to implement policies and achieve tangible results.   A recent nationwide survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun showed that the approval rating stood at….Read more

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled the Cabinet. Abe aimed to revive the administration, as its approval ratings have continued to fall. His political stance is being tested on whether he will uphold and preserve the Constitution.    The third Abe cabinet has started. The latest reshuffle is the eighth including the first and second Abe cabinets. The reshuffle was implemented….Read more

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration has made a fresh start amid an unfavorable wind it has not experienced before. The administration should not simply expect it can dispel people’s distrust merely through a Cabinet reshuffle.   Pushing forward various policies to steadily bring about results is the only way to regain public trust.   The third Abe administration’s third reshuffled….Read more

Will Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s third Cabinet reshuffle on Aug. 3, which took place as his administration stood at a major crossroads, allow him to overcome the crisis he currently faces?   Cabinet approval ratings, which Abe has relied heavily on thus far, have continued to plummet, and his new personnel appointments reflect his realization that the scenario he had….Read more

Saturday morning’s Asahi reported that Taro Kono has followed in the footsteps of his father, Yohei Kono, and assumed the post of foreign minister. The paper said that while China and South Korea have welcomed his appointment as foreign minister, he will be in charge of foreign affairs for the cabinet of Prime Minister Abe, whose political views are different….Read more

Saturday morning’s Asahi reported that Internal Affairs Minister Noda told reporters on Friday that she will refrain from visiting Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of the end of WWII on Aug. 15 as she has in the past even while serving as a cabinet minister. She reportedly said: “It is an important time for the LDP, so I would like….Read more