31 OCTOBER 2019
Japan’s Shuri Castle engulfed by fire
A major fire has broken out at a 500-year-old castle on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa. Authorities say much of the World Heritage-listed Shuri Castle has now been reduced to a charred skeleton
https://www.dw.com/en/japans-shuri-castle-engulfed-by-fire/a-51060707
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-31/shuri-castle-in-japan-all-but-destroyed-by-fire/11657502
22 OCTOBER 2019
Japan’s Naruhito declares himself emperor
The reign of Japan’s 126th emperor, Naruhito, has begun following a series of ancient ceremonies at the Imperial Palace. He succeeded his father, who became the first emperor to abdicate in over two centuries
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50120563
https://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/157/77/168/1571737011173.html?newsId=110208
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/22/national/japanese-emperor-begins-ceremonies-proclaim-enthronement-world/#.XbAN7egzY2w
9 OCTOBER 2019
Japan’s Akira Yoshino, 2 others win Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Li-ion battery work
Akira Yoshino, honorary fellow at Asahi Kasei Corp., has won this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Oct. 9 in Stockholm
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191009/p2a/00m/0na/013000c
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201910090076.html
11 SEPTEMBER 2019
Japan’s Shinzo Abe shakes up Cabinet, brings in rising star
Japan’s Shinzo Abe on Wednesday (Sept 11) appointed new foreign and defence ministers and promoted a popular rising political star, in a Cabinet reshuffle that fuelled speculation over the Prime Minister’s successor
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japans-shinzo-abe-shakes-up-cabinet-brings-in-rising-star
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_49/
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201909110039.html
25 AUGUST 2019
Abe becomes Japan’s longest-serving prime minister since WWII
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became the Japan’s longest-serving prime minister since World War II on Saturday (Aug 25), surpassing Mr Eisaku Sato’s 2,798 days in office
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/abe-becomes-japans-longest-serving-prime-minister-since-wwii
21 JULY 2019
Japan’s ruling bloc secures upper house majority – exit polls
NHK public television said that Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its partner Komei were sure to win from 67 to 77 seats in the upper house, and that the two-thirds majority needed for constitutional revision could be within reach if the bloc is joined by supporters from another party
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/japan-s-ruling-bloc-secures-upper-house-majority-exit-polls-28408
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190721_46/
1 MAY 2019
Naruhito formally invested as Japan’s new emperor
Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito formally ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on Wednesday, a day after his father’s historic abdication, and vowed to stand with the people as the country begins a new imperial era
https://www.france24.com/en/20190501-naruhito-formally-invested-japan-new-emperor-akihito-abdicates
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190501_24/
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005710470
30 APRIL 2019
Japan’s emperor Akihito abdicates with message of love
Emperor Akihito has thanked the people of Japan for their support during his 30-year reign and said he hopes his successor’s time on the chrysanthemum throne will be “stable and fruitful”, as he becomes the country’s first monarch to abdicate in two centuries
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/30/japan-emperor-akihito-abdicate
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_34/
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005708706
26 APRIL 2019
Akihito will be remembered as an emperor of the people
Akihito’s efforts over the past 30 years to democratise the imperial institution have been met with virtually unqualified success. According to an NHK survey conducted in 2009 on the 20th anniversary of Akihito’s ascent to the throne, 85 per cent of respondents either agreed wholeheartedly or in large part that the emperor was fulfilling his constitutional role. The results of a Mainichi Shimbun survey taken this year raised the ratio to 87 per cent. Questions relating to how close people felt to their emperor also elicited high scores
https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2019/04/26/akihito-will-be-remembered-as-an-emperor-of-the-people/
21 APRIL 2019
Japan PM Abe’s ruling bloc suffers rare losses in two by-elections
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling bloc suffered two rare losses in by-elections on Sunday (April 21) in an apparent warning from voters not to get complacent ahead of a national election for Parliament’s Upper House later this year
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-pm-abes-ruling-bloc-suffers-rare-losses-in-two-by-elections
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/update1-japan’s-ruling-ldp-loses-2-out-of-2-lower-house-by-elections
18 APRIL 2019
Japanese Emperor performs ritual to report abdication to Shinto gods
Emperor Akihito prayed at a Japanese shrine Thursday in a ritual to report his upcoming abdication to the Shinto gods
https://japantoday.com/category/national/Emperor-performs-ritual-to-report-abdication
https://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/36/106/167/1555582231316.html?newsId=68246
10 APRIL 2019
Japan: Does the new Ainu bill truly symbolise progress?
1 APRIL 2019
Japan reveals Reiwa to be name of new imperial era ahead of Emperor Akihito’s abdication
The “Heisei” imperial era will end on April 30 when Emperor Akihito steps down. Japan’s government says the imperial era associated with his successor will be known as “Reiwa.”
https://www.dw.com/en/japan-to-welcome-reiwa-era-after-emperor-akihito-steps-down/a-48142022
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201904010048.html
https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/04/article/japan-announces-era-of-peace-and-harmony/
29 MARCH 2019
How Japan’s Akihito redefined the role of emperor
As a new imperial era begins in Japan, Emperor Akihito has left behind a legacy of modernity and compassion. During his 30-year reign, he defied monarchial norms, drawing both criticism and praise
https://www.dw.com/en/how-japans-akihito-redefined-the-role-of-emperor/a-48119012
12 MARCH 2019
Tokyo begins ceremonies for emperor’s abdication
Akihito read a document to the imperial ancestors containing his decision to leave the Chrysanthemum Throne. There will be a total of nine ceremonies that will culminate in “taiirei seiden no gi”, when the sovereign will become “emeritus emperor”. The last monarch to abdicate was Kokaku in 1817
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Tokyo-begins-ceremonies-for-emperors-abdication–46473.html
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_17/
24 FEBRUARY 2019
Ceremony marks 30 years of Emperor’s reign
Emperor Akihito thanked the Japanese people Sunday for their support in carrying out his duties and expressed appreciation for their “strong wish for peace” that led the country to experience no war over the past 30 years under his reign
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190224_20/
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005565774
https://japantoday.com/category/national/Emperor-thanks-people-for-support-during-30-year-reign-urges-Japan-to-open-up-to-world
15 FEBRUARY 2019
Japan to recognise Indigenous Ainu people for first time
After suffering years of discrimination and forced assimilation, the Ainu people have finally been recognised as “indigenous” Japanese people, giving them the right to support for their communities and a boost to local economies
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/japan-to-recognise-indigenous-ainu-people-for-first-time
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/02/15/national/japan-recognize-indigenous-ainu-people-first-time/#.XGcjCDNKg2w
17 JANUARY 2019
Abe’s make-or-break year
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has an ambitious agenda for 2019, his seventh year in office. It includes a number of make-or-break issues that are fundamental to his political legacy. But the question remains: how much of his agenda is realistically achievable?
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2019/01/17/abes-make-or-break-year/
14 JANUARY 2019
Influential Japanese philosopher Takeshi Umehara dies at age 93
Influential Japanese philosopher Takeshi Umehara died of pneumonia at his home in Kyoto on Saturday. He was 93
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190114/p2a/00m/0na/014000c
https://alchetron.com/Takeshi-Umehara
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005477809
13 JANUARY 2019
Veteran Japanese actress Etsuko Ichihara dies at 82
Etsuko Ichihara, a veteran Japanese actress known for her role in a popular long-running TV drama series, has died of heart failure at a Tokyo hospital, her office said Sunday. She was 82
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190113/p2g/00m/0fe/061000c
https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20190113-etsuko-ichihara-passed-away/
2 JANUARY 2019
Tears as Japan’s Emperor Akihito gives last New Year’s address
Japan’s Emperor Akihito delivered his final New Year’s address on Wednesday (Jan 2) before his abdication later this year, telling tens of thousands of well-wishers he was praying for peace
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/tears-as-japans-emperor-akihito-gives-last-new-years-address
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-02/emperor-akihito-says-goodbye-in-last-new-years-day-appearance/10680618?section=world
26 DECEMBER 2018
Japan to resume commercial whaling after IWC withdrawal
Japan said Wednesday it is withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission and will resume commercial whaling next year, sparking criticism from activists and anti-whaling countries including Australia
https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/japan-to-resume-commercial-whaling-after-iwc-withdrawal-1.1545808548619
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/japan-announces-iwc-withdrawal-resume-commercial-whaling-181226022705898.html
https://www.dw.com/en/japan-withdraws-from-international-whaling-commission/a-46863848
8 DECEMBER 2018
Immigration shift in Japan makes way for 345,000 foreign workers
Japan has approved allowing in 345,150 blue-collar workers to fill a labour shortage, a major policy shift in a country where immigration has long been taboo
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/immigration-shift-in-japan-makes-way-for-345-000-foreign-workers
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46492216
https://japantoday.com/category/national/Hope-anxiety-in-Japan-over-opening-up-to-more-foreign-workers
2 NOVEMBER 2018
In major policy shift, Japan’s goverment OKs draft bill to open door wider for foreign workers
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet approved draft legislation on Friday to open the door to more overseas blue-collar workers in sectors grappling with labour shortages, a controversial policy shift in immigration-shy Japan
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/In-major-policy-shift-gov’t-OKs-draft-bill-to-open-door-wider-for-foreign-workers
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181103_02/
29 OCTOBER 2018
Japan’s princess Ayako gives up royal status as she marries a commoner in traditional Shinto ceremony
Princess Ayako, 28, the youngest daughter of a late cousin of Emperor Akihito, married Kei Moriya, a 32-year-old employee of Nippon Yusen, the shipping company
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/29/asia/princess-ayako-wedding-ceremony-intl/index.html
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181029_22/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/29/japans-princess-ayako-gives-royal-status-marries-commoner-traditional/
12 OCTOBER 2018
Japan plans to attract 500,000 foreign workers by 2025 as labour shortages bite
Japan on Friday unveiled a plan to attract more foreign blue-collar workers, as the world’s third-largest economy battles a crippling labour shortage caused by an ageing and shrinking population
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2168245/japan-plans-attract-500000-foreign-workers-2025-labour-shortages
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201810120029.html
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/japan-foreigners-attract-work-visa-labour-shortage-10819956
11 OCTOBER 2018
Yasukuni chief priest forced to resign for criticising emperor
The chief priest at Tokyo’s controversial Shinto Yasukuni shrine was forced to resign for using “highly inappropriate language” to criticise Emperor Akihito. His successor will be selected on 26 October in a general meeting
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Yasukuni-chief-priest-forced-to-resign-for-criticising-emperor-45186.html
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Yasukuni-Shrine-chief-priest-to-quit-for-criticizing-emperor
2 OCTOBER 2018
Japan’s new Cabinet: Key Abe allies stay on as 12 newcomers named, only one woman appointed
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe named 12 newcomers to his Cabinet on Tuesday (Oct 2), while favouring stability in keeping his ministers in the key portfolios of finance, foreign affairs, economy and trade
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japans-new-cabinet-key-abe-allies-stay-on-as-12-newcomers-named-only-one-woman
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004869601
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201810020039.html
1 OCTOBER 2018
Japanese professor Tasuku Honjo wins Nobel in medicine, together with U.S. scientist, for work on cancer therapy
Japanese scientist Tasuku Honjo is awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, for his discovery of a protein that contributed to the development of an immunotherapeutic drug against cancer
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/10/01/national/science-health/japans-tasuku-honjo-u-s-national-james-p-allison-win-nobel-prize-physiology-medicine/#.W7JuaGgzY2w
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/us-japanese-pair-win-nobel-medicine-prize-for-cancer-therapy-
23 SEPTEMBER 2018
Hayabusa 2: Japanese space agency makes history by landing two rovers on an asteroid
Japan has successfully landed two small rovers on the surface of an asteroid in a history-making mission that could provide clues to the origin of the solar system
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-23/pictures-confirm-japans-hayabusa2-lands-rovers-on-asteroid/10295992?section=world
http://japan-forward.com/japan-makes-history-hayabusa2-spacecraft-lands-rovers-on-moving-asteroid/
20 SEPTEMBER 2018
Japan’s Abe re-elected as party head, to stay on as PM
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was re-elected as head of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a landslide Thursday, paving the way for up to three more years as the nation’s leader and a push toward a constitutional revision
https://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/222/61/149/1537455576045.html?newsId=48651
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180920_30/
http://japan-forward.com/abe-wins-big-in-ldp-leadership-election-to-lead-japan-for-3-more-years/
11 AUGUST 2018
Thousands in Okinawa protest US Marine base relocation
Tens of thousands of Okinawans protested Saturday, vowing to block the central government’s planned relocation of a US military base from a heavily populated area to a remote location on the island
https://www.dw.com/en/thousands-in-okinawa-protest-us-marine-base-relocation/a-45046501
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/08/70000-rally-okinawa-military-base-relocation-180811123923792.html
6 JULY 2018
Japanese cult leader Shoko Asahara executed for Tokyo sarin attack
AUM Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara, 63, who orchestrated the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack and other murders and six former members of the cult were executed on the morning of July 6
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180706/p2a/00m/0na/003000c
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/05/asia/japan-aum-shinriyko-leader-executed-intl/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2018/jul/06/shoko-asahara-and-the-cult-behind-the-tokyo-sarin-attack-video-explainer
27 MAY 2018
Japan ex-PM Yasuhiro Nakasone turns 100, calls for change to post-war pacifist constitution in birthday message
Yasuhiro Nakasone has long advocated amending the US-drafted charter to clarify the ambiguous status of the military – a goal shared by incumbent premier Shinzo Abe
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2147989/japan-ex-pm-yasuhiro-nakasone-turns-100-calls-change-post-war
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/ex-pm-nakasone-turns-100-hopes-for-constitution-amendment
7 MAY 2018
In Japan, new opposition Democratic Party for the People formed
Two opposition parties with members from the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan, which was in power between 2009 and 2012, reunited Monday in a desperate attempt to survive amid slumping approval ratings
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004422077
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/New-opposition-Democratic-Party-for-the-People-formed
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180507/p2g/00m/0dm/069000c
6 APRIL 2018
Legendary Japanese animator Isao Takahata dies at age 82
Oscar-nominated Japanese anime director Isao Takahata, who co-founded Studio Ghibli and was best known for his work Grave of the Fireflies, has died aged 82, the studio said on Friday
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2140533/legendary-japanese-animator-isao-takahata-dies-age-82
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180406/p2g/00m/0et/044000c
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43664515
25 MARCH 2018
Japan PM Shinzo Abe apologises amid cronyism scandal, vows to revise constitution
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his ratings in a slump amid a scandal over suspected cronyism and a cover-up, has apologised again for causing anxiety and loss of confidence in his Government
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-25/japan-shinzo-abe-apologises-amid-cronyism-scandal/9585158?section=world
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2138810/japan-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-pledges-amend-pacifist
14 MARCH 2018
The Japanese will become adults at 18 in 2022
The Japanese government yesterday approved a bill to lower the adulthood age from 20 to 18, which would enable 18- and 19-year-olds to sign contracts and get married without the consent of their parents
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-Japanese-will-become-adults-at-18-in-2022-43356.html
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180314/p2a/00m/0na/017000c
12 MARCH 2018
Japan: Shinzo Abe’s political future in doubt as wife linked to cronyism scandal
A spiralling cronyism scandal linked to the Japanese prime minister and his wife has reached fever pitch after the finance ministry admitted to tampering with records to remove references to the pair
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/12/japan-shinzo-abes-political-future-in-doubt-as-wife-linked-to-cronyism-scandal
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-12/japanese-pm-alleged-cronyism-documents-reportedly-altered/9540246?section=world
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004299142
Survey: Abe Cabinet approval rating sinks to 48%
The approval rating for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet stood at 48 percent in a Yomiuri Shimbun survey, the first time the rating has dipped below 50 percent since the House of Representatives election in October last year
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004298619
16 FEBRUARY 2018
Abe’s constitutional change no cause for fear
Many analysts believe that 2018 will be the year Abe makes a push to revise Article 9, which outlaws war and offensive forces. Abe is buoyed by the October 2017 electoral victory of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). But Abe’s ruling coalition may become an obstacle to his plans
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/02/16/abes-constitutional-change-no-cause-for-fear/#more-110389
10 FEBRUARY 2018
Ishimure, key figure in Minamata battle, dies at 90
Japanese activist Michiko Ishimure, who won acclaim for her literary works about Minamata mercury poisoning disease patients, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease here Feb. 10. She was 90
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201802100053.html
http://apjjf.org/2016/13/Thornber.html
23 JANUARY 2018
Lacking manpower, Japanese firms court women
Japan’s population is aging and its workforce is shrinking, so more and more companies are wooing female workers with subsidised childcare and flexible hours, while promoting women to management positions. Find out more and hear from the women themselves in this episode of Spotlight
http://www.euronews.com/2018/01/23/lacking-manpower-japanese-firms-court-women
1 DECEMBER 2017
Japan’s Emperor Akihito will abdicate on April 30, 2019, government announces
Akihito, who will be succeeded by Crown Prince Naruhito, will be the first emperor to abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne in about 200 years
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2122399/japans-emperor-akihito-will-abdicate-april-30-2019-government
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/12/01/national/emperors-abdication-date-confirmed-april-30-2019/#.WiGRgUriY2w
20 NOVEMBER 2017
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe refuses to relax immigration rules despite shrinking population
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has insisted his administration has “no intention” of loosening the country’s strict immigration policy despite warnings about its fast shrinking – and ageing – population
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-immigration-shinzo-abe-refuse-relax-rules-prime-minister-policy-shrinking-population-foreign-a8065281.html
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/11/21/can-japan-accept-itself-as-a-nation-of-immigrants/
1st NOVEMBER 2017
Japan’s Shinzo Abe re-elected prime minister after big election win
Japan’s Shinzo Abe was re-elected prime minister on Wednesday after his ruling bloc’s big election win last month and days before a visit by US President Donald Trump that is expected to be dominated by concerns over a volatile North Korea
http://www.trtworld.com/asia/japan-s-shinzo-abe-re-elected-prime-minister-after-big-election-win-11854
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004040759
31 OCTOBER 2017
Japan’s Democratic Party taps Upper House member Kohei Otsuka as new party president
The Democratic Party elected Upper House member Kohei Otsuka as new party president on Tuesday following the formal resignation of Seiji Maehara the previous day
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/31/national/politics-diplomacy/dp-taps-upper-house-member-kohei-otsuka-new-party-president/#.Wfi4ZGjWw2w
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/yukio-edano-stands-up-as-the-leader-of-japans-biggest-opposition
22 OCTOBER 2017
Coalition retains two-thirds majority in victory for Japan’s PM Abe
The ruling coalition regained a two-thirds majority in the Oct. 22 Lower House election, giving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe another victory in his bid to stay in power
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201710230012.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/japanese-voters-brave-typhoon-to-cast-ballot-in-snap-election/2017/10/22/8c7aeab4-b5dd-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_term=.fe83ad906928
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/editors/3/proamendmentblocwins23majority/
3 OCTOBER 2017
In Japan, Yukio Edano’s liberal party officially launched
The new party formed by Yukio Edano of the Democratic Party submitted a notice of establishment to the internal affairs minister on Tuesday morning
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003980928
28 SEPTEMBER 2017
Japan’s Lower House dissolved, new general election on October 22
Japan’s Lower House of the Diet has been dissolved for a snap election. Japan’s Cabinet has set the date for a snap general election on October 22nd. The campaign will begin on October 10th
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170928_23/
http://www.euronews.com/2017/09/28/abe-dissolves-japans-parliament-and-sets-oct-22-election-date
27 SEPTEMBER 2017
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike forms ‘Party of Hope’ before Japanese election
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is set to reshape national politics with the formation of a new party and a new attack on the status quo
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2017-09-27/tokyo-governor-yuriko-koike-forms-party-of-hope-before-japanese-election/1704922
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003969072
25 SEPTEMBER 2017
Japan’s Abe announces snap election amid worries over North Korea
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would dissolve parliament’s lower house on Thursday for a snap election, seeking a mandate to stick to his tough stance towards a volatile North Korea and rebalance the social security system
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/japan-s-abe-triggers-snap-election-amid-north-korea-crisis-9247120
http://ippreview.com/index.php/Home/Blog/single/id/558.html
1st SEPTEMBER 2017
Japan’s main opposition party, the Democratic Party, selects former foreign minister Seiji Maehara as its new leader
Japan’s main opposition Democratic Party selected former foreign minister Seiji Maehara as its new leader on Friday amid its struggle to become a viable alternative to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2109305/japans-main-opposition-party-selects-former-foreign-minister
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/09/01/national/politics-diplomacy/maeharas-election-democratic-party-president-may-put-pressure-abe-coalition/#.Wam0uchJY2w
29 AUGUST 2017
Kim Jong-un’s latest provocation may strengthen Shinzo Abe’s hand at home because ‘it looks like he’s doing something’
In a break with a long-running cautious defence stance, members of Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party have called for Japan to arm itself with long-range offensive weapons
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2108852/it-looks-hes-doing-something-kim-jong-uns-latest-provocation-may
http://www.dw.com/en/japanese-react-furiously-to-north-korean-missile-launch/a-40279925
28 AUGUST 2017
Tsutomu Hata, known for brief stint as prime minister, dies at 82
Former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata, who served 14 terms in the Lower House, died Monday morning at the age of 82
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/28/national/politics-diplomacy/former-prime-minister-tsutomu-hata-dies-82/#.WaRYNChJY2w
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170828_19/
8 AUGUST 2017
Haruo Nakajima, actor who played the original Godzilla, dies aged 88
Haruo Nakajima, the actor who stomped in a rubber suit to portray the original 1954 Godzilla, helping to make the Japanese monster an iconic symbol of the nuclear era, has died. He was 88
http://www.scmp.com/article/2105925/haruo-nakajima-actor-who-played-original-godzilla-rubber-suit-dies-88
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/aug/08/haruo-nakajima-actor-who-played-the-original-godzilla-dies-aged-88
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170808_34/
3 AUGUST 2017
Japan’s new top diplomat Taro Kono is son of official who wrote landmark 1993 apology to ‘comfort women’
Newly appointed Foreign Minister Taro Kono is known as an outspoken, reform-minded politician unafraid of questioning the party line
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2105245/japans-new-top-diplomat-taro-kono-son-official-who-wrote
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/03/national/politics-diplomacy/new-foreign-minister-kono-reform-minded-challenger-party-lines/#.WYOGhbpuI2w
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201708030024.html
28 JULY 2017
Japan defense minister quits amid plunging support for PM
Embattled Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Friday said she was resigning, after a series of gaffes, missteps and a cover-up at her ministry that have contributed to a sharp plunge in public support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/192/195/146/1501238500272.html
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170728_33/
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Abe-apologizes-over-Inada’s-resignation-Kishida-to-run-Defense-Ministry
27 JULY 2017
Renho resigns as main opposition Democratic Party leader
Democratic Party leader Renho said Thursday she will step down as the head of Japan’s largest opposition party following its poor performance in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election earlier this month
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170727_29/
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Renho-resigns-as-main-opposition-Democratic-Party-leader
3 JULY 2017
Yuriko Koike: 10 things about the Tokyo governor who just trumped Japanese PM Shinzo Abe
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike’s new party and its allies scored a sweeping victory against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Sunday’s Tokyo metropolitan assembly election
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/yuriko-koike-the-tokyo-governor-who-just-trumped-japanese-pm-shinzo-abe
2 JULY 2017
Japan PM’s party suffers historic defeat in Tokyo poll, popular governor wins
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party suffered an historic defeat in an election in the Japanese capital on Sunday, signalling trouble ahead for the premier, who has suffered from slumping support because of a favouritism scandal
https://www.voanews.com/a/japan-tokyo-election-poll/3925080.html
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/07/02/national/politics-diplomacy/koike-camp-dethrones-abes-ldp-historic-tokyo-assembly-election/#.WVkmjrpuI2w
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170703_03/
15 JUNE 2017
Japan passes controversial anti-terror law despite protests
Japan has passed a controversial law targeting conspiracies to commit terrorism and other serious crimes, despite a warning by the UN that it could be used to crack down on civil liberties
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/15/japan-passes-brutal-new-terror-law-which-opponents-fear-will-quash-freedoms
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201706150014.html
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170615_10/
9 JUNE 2017
Japanese parliament passes law allowing Emperor Akihito to abdicate
Japan’s parliament passed a law on Friday that clears the way for its ageing Emperor Akihito to step down, in what would be the first imperial abdication in more than two centuries
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2097577/japanese-parliament-passes-law-allowing-emperor-akihito-abdicate
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2017-06-09/amid-a-shortage-of-royals-japan-enacts-law-for-emperor-akihito-to-abdicate/1677712
2 JUNE 2017
Japan lower house OKs bill allowing emperor to abdicate
Japan’s lower house of parliament passed a bill on Friday that allows ageing Emperor Akihito to step down and calls for a rare debate on the role of women in the male-dominated monarchy
http://www.dw.com/en/japan-passes-bill-allowing-emperor-akihito-to-abdicate/a-39089855
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2096661/japans-game-thrones-one-emperor-abdication-law-passed-and-calls
19 MAY 2017
Emperor Akihito: Japan’s government approves abdication bill
The Japanese government has approved legislation that will permit Emperor Akihito to abdicate the Chrysanthemum throne, becoming the first emperor to step down in more than two centuries
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/19/japan-cabinet-approves-bill-allow-emperor-akihito-abdicate/
http://www.euronews.com/2017/05/19/japan-emperor-akihito-abdication-bill-backed-by-cabinet
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/05/japan-cabinet-approves-bill-allowing-first-abdication-emperor-200-years/#yg9sKmVkFA3o4ZSj.97
3 MAY 2017
Abe declares 2020 as goal for new Constitution
In an unprecedented declaration, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday he hopes to see a revised Constitution take effect in 2020, revealing the clearest goal yet of his long-held ambition to amend the national charter, which has remained untouched since its inception seven decades ago
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/05/03/national/politics-diplomacy/abe-declares-2020-goal-new-constitution/#.WQoEKoVOI2w
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003676123
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2017-05/03/content_15607817.html
5 APRIL 2017
The Rise of Women in Japanese Politics
Japanese women are making great strides in Japan’s political arena. Notable milestones include the emergence of a female leader in the Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ)
http://ippreview.com/index.php/Home/Blog/single/id/392.html
5 MARCH 2017
New rules give Japan’s Shinzo Abe chance to lead until 2021
Japan’s ruling party on Sunday (March 5) extended term limits for its leaders, a change that gives Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a shot at becoming Japan’s longest-serving post-war leader
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/new-rules-give-japans-abe-chance-to-lead-until-2021
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/05/national/politics-diplomacy/rule-change-see-abe-become-japans-longest-serving-leader/#.WLxsZoWcHSE
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170305_17/
13 FEBRUARY 2017
Cult Japanese director Seijun Suzuki dies aged 93
Celebrated Japanese film director Seijun Suzuki, best known for cult 1960s yakuza films Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill, has died at the age of 93. Suzuki died on 13 February, with the cause given as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a statement from Nikkatsu film studios
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/22/cult-japanese-director-seijun-suzuki-dies-aged-93
11 FEBRUARY 2017
Jiro Taniguchi, Japanese manga visionary who ‘bridged two worlds of cartoon art’, dies aged 69
Jiro Taniguchi, a legend in Japan’s comic art of manga, died in Tokyo on Saturday at the age of 69, leaving behind an international following for his exquisite line drawing of scenes from everyday life
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2070169/jiro-taniguchi-japanese-manga-visionary-who-bridged-two-worlds
4 FEBRUARY 2017
Does contemporary Japan need religion?
By Michael Hoffman the author of “In the Land of the Kami: A Journey into the Hearts of Japan” and “Other Worlds.”
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/02/04/national/media-national/contemporary-japan-need-religion/#.WJjz1eR-sdI
27 JANUARY 2017
Foreign workers in Japan hit 1 million for the first time
The number of foreign workers in Japan surpassed 1 million for the first time last year, as the labour-strapped country struggles to find enough Japanese workers
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/foreign-workers-japan-hit-1-million-first-time
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/27/national/foreign-workers-japan-hit-1-million-mark-first-time-last-autumn-ministry/#.WIvK9YWcE2w
11 JANUARY 2017
Japan’s Emperor Akihito ‘to abdicate on New Year’s Day 2019’
Japan’s emperor will abdicate and allow his eldest son to ascend the chrysanthemum throne on New Year’s Day 2019, media reports said, as the government prepares legal changes for the country’s first abdication for two centuries
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/11/japan-considers-changes-to-law-to-allow-emperor-to-abdicate-reports
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/11/national/era-name-new-emperor-may-announced-ahead-accession-sources/#.WHaKWIWcE2w
22 DECEMBER 2016
Japan’s 2016 births likely fell below 1 mln for 1st time
The number of annual births in Japan is set to fall below 1 million this year for the first time since data became available in 1899, reflecting a fast-ageing society and the high cost of childcare, Japanese media reported on Thursday
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/japans-2016-births-likely-fell-below-1-mln-1st-time
27 OCTOBER 2016
Emperor Hirohito’s younger brother, Prince Mikasa, dead at 100
The uncle of Emperor Akihito has died at age 100. The death of Prince Mikasa leaves only four heirs to Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne, amid questions about the future of the 2,600-year-old monarchy
http://www.dw.com/en/emperor-hirohitos-younger-brother-prince-mikasa-dead-at-100/a-36167838
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20161027_24/
17 OCTOBER 2016
Japan begins discussions on emperor’s abdication
A six-member advisory panel holds its first meeting on Monday (Oct 17) to discuss a critical issue facing the Imperial system: Emperor Akihito’s wish to abdicate in a few years’ time due to his old age
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37675261
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/17/national/imperial-abdication-committee-holds-first-meeting/#.WAVKUYVOI2w
3 OCTOBER 2016
Japanese microbiologist Yoshinori Ohsumi wins Nobel in medicine for autophagy research
Japanese microbiologist Yoshinori Ohsumi on Monday won the 2016 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his work on cell autophagy, a process that helps the body remove unwanted proteins
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/10/03/nobel-prize-in-medicine-awarded-to-japans-yoshinori-ohsumi/?postshare=2341475489660323&tid=ss_in
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/03/world/japanese-microbiologist-yoshinori-ohsumi-wins-nobel-prize-in-medicine-for-autophagy-research/#.V_LLlYVOI2w
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/news/2016-10/03/content_15505130.html
18 SEPTEMBER 2016
Weak opposition is a cancer in Japan’s political system
For close to 40 years after 1955, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) dominated Japan’s competitive party system. Opposition parties were not able to mount a successful challenge to LDP rule at the national level, but they had an important impact on policy and the political process. Japan had one dominant party but not a one-party system
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/09/18/weak-opposition-is-a-cancer-in-japans-political-system/
15 SEPTEMBER 2016
Half-Taiwanese Renho becomes first woman to lead Japan’s main opposition Democratic Party
Japan’s Democratic Party selected acting leader Renho as its new leader Thursday, making the 48-year-old the first woman to head the nation’s main opposition party
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2019655/half-taiwanese-renho-becomes-first-woman-lead-japans-main
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160915_25/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/15/japanese-opposition-party-elects-first-female-leader
8 AUGUST 2016
In a moving video message, Japanese Emperor signals wish to abdicate in near future
In an unprecedented prerecorded video message aired Monday, Emperor Akihito expressed concern about how his advanced age is affecting the performance of his public duties. The speech was widely interpreted as conveying his wish to abdicate in the near future
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/08/japans-emperor-akihito-health-abdication-rare-tv-address
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160808_29/
31 JULY 2016
Tokyo elects Yuriko Koike as first woman governor
Former environment minister Yuriko Koike of the Liberal Democratic Party was elected the capital’s first female governor on Sunday by a wide margin
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/tokyo-elects-yuriko-koike/3001534.html
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/31/national/politics-diplomacy/tokyo-elects-former-environment-minister-yuriko-koike-as-citys-first-female-governor/#.V55bO49OI2w
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160801_03/
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/1997374/yuriko-koike-promises-deliver-tokyo-you-have-never-seen-after
24 JULY 2016
Can Abe revise Japan’s peace constitution?
Since the 10 July upper house election in Japan there has been widespread speculation that the government will move to formally revise the country’s constitution including the Article 9 ‘peace clause’. This now appears possible since the Abe-led Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), along with its junior coalition partner Komeito and sympathetic micro-sized right-leaning opposition parties, controls the two-thirds majorities in both houses needed to take constitutional amendments to a referendum
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/07/24/can-abe-revise-japans-peace-constitution/
13 JULY 2016
Japan’s Emperor Akihito plans to step down, according to report
The Japanese Emperor Akihito, who has spent much of his time on the throne trying to heal the wounds of the second world war, intends to abdicate in a few years’ time, public broadcaster NHK has reported, a step that would be unprecedented in modern Japan
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/13/japans-emperor-akihito-plans-step-down-reports
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160713_34/
10 JULY 2016
Ruling bloc scores big in Japanese Upper House, bringing Constitution closer to amendment bid
The Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition scored a sweeping victory in the Upper House election Sunday that gave the Diet’s pro-revision forces the two-thirds majority needed to initiate Japan’s first constitutional referendum, early media projections showed
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003069791
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/11/national/politics-diplomacy/ruling-bloc-wins-big-in-upper-house/#.V4K83Y9OLNN
19 JUNE 2016
Thousands protest US military presence on Okinawa
Thousands of demonstrators have rallied on the Japanese island of Okinawa against the heavy US military presence and violent crimes by American personnel that have angered residents for décades
http://www.dw.com/en/thousands-protest-us-military-presence-on-okinawa/a-19340871
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-06-19/okinawa-protesters-rally-against-us-military-presence-on-japanese-island/1591664
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20160619210321173/
15 JUNE 2016
Tokyo governor resigns amid allegations of lavish personal spending
The reports say Governor Yoichi Masuzoe submitted the resignation Wednesday morning. The resignation is said to take effect on June 21
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/06/tokyo-governor-resigns-amid-graft-allegations/
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160615_40/
7 JUNE 2016
Japan and its immigration policies are growing old
Japan is experiencing a serious demographic crunch. About 27 per cent of the Japanese population is over the age of 65 and there are 1.4 million fewer people today than there were in 2007
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/06/07/japan-and-its-immigration-policies-are-growing-old/
26 APRIL 2016
Japan eyes more foreign workers, stealthily challenging immigration taboo
Desperately seeking an antidote to a rapidly aging population, Japanese policymakers are exploring ways to bring in more foreign workers without calling it an “immigration Policy”
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/japan-eyes-more-foreign-workers-stealthily-challenging-immigration-taboo#sthash.KfGRsKus.dpuf
19 APRIL 2016
Japan plans final push to bring home its war dead
From the icy wastes of Siberia to the jungle-clad interior of the Solomon Islands, and from the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean to the border of India and modern-day Myanmar, more than 2.4 million Japanese who were killed during World War II remain unaccounted for
http://www.dw.com/en/japan-plans-final-push-to-bring-home-its-war-dead/a-19197835
28 MARCH 2016
Largest opposition party formed in Japan
The largest Japanese opposition party since the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration formed in late 2012 was established here on Sunday, eyeing confrontation with the Abe-led ruling bloc in the summer’s upper house election.
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-03/27/content_15406848.html
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/new-opposition-party-launched-in-japan
4 MARCH 2016
Japan to suspend construction for US base relocation in Okinawa
Japan’s government will accept a court-mediated settlement plan and suspend construction work for the planned relocation of a US airbase in Okinawa and will begin a new round of talks with local authorities who want the base moved off the island
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/japan-suspend-construction-us-base-relocation-okinawa
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160304_29/
26 FEBRUARY 2016
Japan’s population shrinks for the first time on census record
Japan’s population declined in 2015 for the first time since the national census began in 1920, but Tokyo is still growing, according to preliminary figures released by the internal affairs ministry on Feb. 26.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201602260079
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35666274
24 FEBRUARY 2016
DPJ, Japan Innovation Party to merge ahead of Upper House election
The Democratic Party of Japan and the Japan Innovation Party have agreed to merge in the latest–and boldest–move by the opposition camp to battle the ruling coalition in the Upper House election.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201602240068
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002769609
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/02/24/national/politics-diplomacy/dpj-endorses-merger-ishin-no-new-party-form-next-month/#.Vs4zGDjMvIV
2 FEBRUARY 2016
Reforming Japan’s labour market
Japan’s labour market situation is improving. The unemployment rate of 3.1 per cent in October 2015 was the lowest for 20 years. And, although improvement has been slow, wage growth has een accelerating. But Japan’s labour market still faces several serious issues.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/02/02/reforming-japans-labour-market/
31 JANUARY 2016
Labor shortage fuels record influx of foreign workers in Japan
Japan’s labor shortage has led to companies recruiting a record number of foreign workers, with 908,000 in the nation at the end of October 2015, labor ministry figures revealed Jan. 29
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201601300036
28 JANUARY 2016
Japan’s embattled economy minister Amari resigns over graft claims
Embattled economic minister Akira Amari on Thursday resigned over a graft scandal involving the misappropriation of funds within his office, dealing a hard blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/28/national/politics-diplomacy/amari-offers-step-economy-minister-graft-claims/#.VqqTvjjMvIV
http://www.dw.com/en/japanese-economy-minister-amari-quits-over-graft-claim/a-19009290
20 JANUARY 2016
The Battle for Okinawa
The Forgotten Island Has Its Say
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/japan/2016-01-20/battle-okinawa?cid=nlc-twofa-20160121&sp_mid=50517250&sp_rid=Z29sZGZpZW1AZ21haWwuY29tS0&spMailingID=50517250&spUserID=MTA2MTUwMDgyNjY1S0&spJobID=842818660&spReportId=ODQyODE4NjYwS0
10 DECEMBER 2015
Japanese scientists receive Nobel prizes
Two Japanese scientists, Takaaki Kajita and Satoshi Omura, have received Nobel Prizes. Kajita, a winner in physics, and Omura, a laureate in physiology or medicine, attended the award ceremony in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, on Thursday
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151211_03.html
Japan needs immigrants to boost population or could lose to China – minister
Japan should craft an “integrated” immigration policy to cope with its shrinking population, or risk losing out to an ageing China in competition for vital foreign workers, the cabinet minister for administrative reform said on Thursday (December 10)http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/547517/news/pinoyabroad/japan-needs-immigrants-to-boost-population-or-could-lose-to-china-minister
30 NOVEMBER 2015
Manga fans around the world are mourning the death of famed Japanese artist Shigeru Mizuki
Known for having popularised horror manga globally, Mr Mizuki was best known for his series Gegege no Kitaro, about a young boy fighting monsters based on Japanese folklore. It was also made into an animated series that ran for several years
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34971607http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/culturesports/20151201.htmlhttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/12/01/national/paris-seoul-death-manga-artist-mizuki-mourned/#.Vl4gyjgQVjo
26 NOVEMBER 2015
Setsuko Hara, star of Ozu’s ‘Tokyo Story,’ dies at age 95
Screen legend Setsuko Hara, who starred in several films by internationally acclaimed director Yasujiro Ozu before stunning the Japanese movie world by retiring at age 42, has died of pneumonia. She was 95
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201511260037
31 OCTOBER 2015
Hashimoto’s new national party inaugurated with 18 Diet members
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto’s new national party held its inaugural ceremony here on Oct. 31 with 18 Diet members from the embattled Japan Innovation Party
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201510310038
29 OCTOBER 2015
Japanese government. restarts landfill work in Okinawa
The Okinawan bureau of Japan’s Defense Ministry has restarted work to reclaim land for a new US military base in the prefecture, despite strong opposition from the governor and residents
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151029_35.html
7 OCTOBER 2015
Abe Cabinet gets 9 first-time members; main ministers retained
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed nine lawmakers to their first posts as Cabinet ministers in a reshuffle on Oct. 7 but retained most of the key figures of his administration
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201510070043
6 OCTOBER 2015
Takaaki Kajita wins 2015 Nobel physics prize for breakthrough in neutrino research
Japanese physicist Takaaki Kajita was named a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics on Oct. 6 for the discovery of oscillations in atmospheric neutrinos, which indicate that the elusive subatomic particles have mass
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201510060089
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002474816
http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=2565
17 SEPTEMBER 2015
Scuffles as Japan security bill approved by committee
A controversial bill to expand the role of Japan’s armed forces has cleared another hurdle in parliament, but sparked scuffles among lawmakers
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34275968
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002430527
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201509170046
12 SEPTEMBER 2015
Japanese goverment resumes work on controversial U.S. base in Okinawa
The Japanese government on Saturday resumed work on a controversial new U.S. military base in southern Okinawa following a month-long suspension, officials said, even as talks with local officials opposed to the project remained deadlocked
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/govt-resumes-work-on-controversial-u-s-base-in-okinawa
8 SEPTEMBER 2015
Abe re-elected unopposed as LDP president
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a rare second consecutive term on Tuesday as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), pledging to retain focus on reviving the world’s third-biggest economy and deepen debate on revising its pacifist constitution
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/abe-re-elected-unopposed-as-ldp-president
30 AUGUST 2015
Japanese protesters rally against controversial security bills that could see troops fighting abroad
Tens of thousands have rallied outside Japan’s parliament to protest against planned new laws that could see troops in the officially pacifist nation engage in combat for the first time since World War II
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-08-30/japanese-protesters-rally-against-controversial-security-bills-that-could-see-troops-fighting-abroad/1487272
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201508300022
15 AUGUST 2015
Reflecting strong belief in peace, emperor refers to ‘deep remorse’ over war
Emperor Akihito broke new ground in his address to the memorial service for the war dead held Aug. 15 at Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201508150055
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/world/asia/emperor-akihito-expresses-deep-remorse-for-japans-role-in-world-war-ii.html?ref=asia&_r=0
14 AUGUST 2015
Japan PM expresses Second World War remorse, but says next generation need not apologise
Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, expressed “profound grief” on Friday for the “immeasurable damage and suffering” the nation’s military caused before and during the Second World War, but emphasised that future generations should not have to keep saying sorry
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/11802967/Japan-PM-expresses-Second-World-War-remorse-but-says-next-generation-need-not-apologise.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/14/asia/japan-wwii-abe-apology/index.html
http://japan.kantei.go.jp/97_abe/statement/201508/0814statement.html
8 AUGUST 2015
Most Japanese believe US should apologize for atomic bombings
The majority of Japanese (61%) believe the United States should apologize for the atomic bomb attacks it carried out on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while 74% of respondents said that the attacks could not be justified by the war because the civilian death toll they inflicted was disproportionate
http://atimes.com/2015/08/most-japanese-believe-us-should-apologize-for-atomic-bombings/
6 AUGUST 2015
Hiroshima marks 70 years since atomic bomb
Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park has seen the entire Japanese political class and friends from abroad turn out for a memorial service for the city, one of only two to ever suffer an atomic Attack.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33792789
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/prayers-held-hiroshima-marks-70-years-bomb-150806055100557.html
http://www.euronews.com/2015/08/06/hiroshima-holds-70th-memorial-of-atomic-tragedy/
20 JULY 2015
Mitsubishi apologizes to WWII Japanese prisoners of war
As Japan prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, one of its largest corporations has given a long-awaited apology for wartime atrocities.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/19/asia/mitsubishi-japan-pow-apology/index.html
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-07-20/mitsubishi-apologises-for-using-us-prisoners-of-war-as-slave-labourers-during-world-war-ii/1471862
23 JUNE 2015
Japan PM Shinzo Abe jeered at Battle of Okinawa ceremony
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was heckled Tuesday at a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa, the bloodiest episode in the Pacific War, as anger flared over the U.S. military’s continuing presence
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33229432
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/23/national/history/japan-marks-70th-anniversary-since-guns-fell-silent-battle-okinawa/#.VYnNLO_ALmR
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/abe-heckled-at-ceremony-in-okinawa-on-70th-anniversary-of-battle
17 JUNE 2015
Japan lowers voting age to 18
Japan passed legislation to lower the voting age to 18 from its current 20 on Wednesday, allowing teenagers into polling booths for the first time
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/595408/japan-lowers-voting-age-to-18
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150617_18.html
24 MAY 2015
Most Japanese wary of security reform
Most Japanese neither support the passage of new defense legislation this Diet session nor feel that the government has adequately explained the proposed changes, a weekend poll by Nikkei Inc. and TV Tokyo shows.
http://asia.nikkei.com/Japan-Update/Most-Japanese-wary-of-security-reform
17 MAY 2015
Thousands protest against US airbase in Japan’s Okinawa
Thousands of people have protested in Okinawa against a controversial US marine airbase in the southern Japanese island, as a two-decade-long row over the relocation of the site deepens.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/thousands-protest-airbase-japan-okinawa-150517075100117.html
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/17/national/politics-diplomacy/thousands-protest-u-s-futenma-base-in-okinawa/#.VVj5VO_GMcD
30 APRIL 2015
Why US military bases divide Okinawa and mainland Japan
For the past 70 years, the bases have helped deter external attacks on Japan, including on Okinawa. But with over 25,000 US military personnel in Okinawa, and about 18 per cent of its land area being used by the US military, the presence of the bases endangers the lives and properties of the local people
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2015/04/30/why-us-military-bases-divide-okinawa-and-mainland-japan/