Politics
Japan's ruling LDP reeling from defeat in Tokyo assembly by-elections
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party was reeling in shock on Monday following its defeat in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly by-elections the previous day, with lawmakers worried about the repercussions with a national election looming. Former reconstruction minister Katsuei Hirasawa, a ninth-term House of Representatives lawmaker from a constituency in Tokyo,… Read
Tokyo Gov Koike reelected, beating opposition Renho, rising ex-mayor
Incumbent Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike was reelected in Sunday's gubernatorial election with the effective backing of the ruling party, signaling that voters have positively evaluated her policies centered on quality of life and political competence over the past eight years. Koike, 71, secured a third consecutive four-year term, defeating Shinji… Read
Koike's reelection unlikely to take pressure off PM Kishida
Incumbent Yuriko Koike's victory in the Tokyo gubernatorial election Sunday ends a winning streak in recent elections for the main opposition party, which had supported former lawmaker Renho, dashing its hopes of further ramping up the pressure on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. A surge in support among swing voters for… Read
Tokyo Governor Koike set to win re-election, exit poll shows
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has won re-election to a third term on Sunday, fending off challenges from dozens of candidates vying to unseat the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-backed incumbent, according to an exit poll from public broadcaster NHK. Koike, 71, got more than 40% of the vote, followed by Shinji… Read
Voters in Tokyo cast ballots to decide whether to reelect incumbent conservative as city's governor
Voters in Tokyo cast ballots Sunday to decide whether to reelect conservative Yuriko Koike as governor of Japan’s influential capital for a third four-year term. The vote was also seen as a test for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s governing party, which supports the incumbent, the first woman to lead the… Read
Women fight Tokyo election in male-dominated Japan
Polls opened Sunday to elect a new Tokyo governor with incumbent Yuriko Koike challenged by opposition figure Renho, two prominent women in Japan's male-dominated political sphere. Japan has never had a woman prime minister and a large majority of lawmakers are men, but Tokyo, accounting for a tenth of the… Read
US envoy to Japan expresses regret over alleged sex crimes by military personnel in Okinawa
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel expressed regret on Saturday for the handling of two cases of sexual assaults allegedly committed by American military personnel on Okinawa, which have again stoked resentment of the heavy U.S. troop presence on the strategic island in Japan's far southwest. The issue broke out… Read
Japan partners with Cambodia to share demining knowledge with Ukraine, other countries
Japan’s foreign minister on Saturday announced a joint project with Cambodia to share knowledge and technology on land mine removal with countries around the world, including Ukraine. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa made comments during a visit to the Cambodian Mine Action Center, which was formed in the 1990s at the… Read
Japan pledges to strengthen ties with Britain under its new gov't
Japan will continue to boost relations with Britain under its new administration following the opposition Labour Party's landslide victory in a general election, the top government spokesman said Friday. "Japan and Britain are important partners sharing values and principles. We will further promote the bilateral relationship with the new administration,"… Read
4 Asia-Pacific nations, NATO eye cooperation against disinformation
Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and NATO are considering boosting their cooperation in countering disinformation, government sources said Friday, in response to increasingly severe security challenges posed by China and Russia. The expansion of their partnership is expected to be agreed upon at a NATO summit scheduled to be… Read
