In Sunday’s NHK “Nichiyo Toron” talk show, senior Upper House officials from the ruling and opposition camps exchanged views on a range of policy issues, including the results of the recent Okinawa referendum on the FRF construction, ahead of the start of the deliberation of the FY2019 budget legislation at the upper chamber. On the strong opposition to the base….Read more

NHK’s Sunday morning talk show “Nichiyo Toron” featured a live debate among policy chiefs of ruling and opposition parties on two major issues in the ongoing Diet session – a bill to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law designed to accept more foreign laborers and the planned hike in the consumption tax next October. The ruling representatives stressed….Read more

Sunday’s NHK “Nichiyo Toron” carried one-on-one interviews with several members of the new Abe cabinet, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga and Defense Minister Iwaya. Asked about the status of U.S.-Japan relations, Suga said while the two sides had “heated discussions” on trade and other issues during the recent summit in New York, Japan was pleased that a joint statement was….Read more

In NHK’s Sunday talk show “Nichiyo Toron,” Canon Institute for Global Studies Research Fellow Kunihiko Miyake, Keio University Associate Professor Atsuhito Isozaki, Ryukoku University Professor Ri Sang Chol, and Hosei University Professor Satoru Mori discussed the situation in North Korea 50 days after the Singapore summit. On North Korea’s denuclearization process, Miyake said if North Korea really intends to denuclearize, it will….Read more

Former Minister for Internal Affairs Hiroya Masuda and five scholars on politics, economics, engineering, and meteorology discussed how to prepare for and respond to major natural disasters. The torrential rains in western Japan earlier this month claimed more than 220 lives. There are still about 4,400 people in 13 prefectures who are unable to return to their homes, including those….Read more

On NHK’s “Nichiyo Toron” Sunday debate show, senior Upper House lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties discussed government assistance to people who were hit hard by Japan’s worst flood disaster in decades. The opposition panelists criticized the Abe administration, saying its support for the victims was insufficient. The opposition lawmakers also insisted that the ruling coalition is giving priority….Read more

On NHK’s “Nichiyo Toron” Sunday talk show, four local economists and researchers exchanged views on the trade showdown between the United States and China and its impact on the Japanese and global economies. All the participants were alarmed by the Trump administration’s protectionism, dismissing speculation that President Trump is playing up his hard line toward China and other trading partners….Read more

On NHK’s “Nichiyo Toron” Sunday debate show, senior Upper House lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties discussed the issues slated for deliberation during the current ordinary Diet session that has been extended until July 22. The opposition panelists expressed objections to the legislation on work-style reform and the bill on the implementation of integrated resorts with casinos. The participants….Read more

NHK’s “Nichiyo Toron” Sunday debate show aired a one-on-one interview with Foreign Minister Kono, during which he expressed his views about the results of the U.S.-DPRK summit held in Singapore on June 12. Kono stated that it is significant that North Korea’s intention to denuclearize was put in writing in the joint statement and that the sanctions will remain in….Read more

On NHK’s “Nichiyo Toron” Sunday debate show, six Japanese scholars exchanged views on the upcoming Singapore summit between President Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, with most of them projecting that no firm agreement is likely to be reached on complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) other than a verbal commitment from Kim to relinquish his nuclear programs in….Read more