Japan

TOKYO
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday pledged to build a cross-party consensus through parliamentary debate as his minority government seeks to ensure sustained pay hikes and regional revitalization as his priority goals.

At the opening of a 150-day Diet session, Ishiba said he wants to transform Japan into a more "sustainable" and "independent" nation, while underscoring the need to monitor the changing global balance of power in an increasingly severe security environment.

Ishiba rallies opposition support in Diet to achieve policy goals

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Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party revealed its manifesto for the upcoming Oct. 27 snap general election, the Sankei Shimbun reported on Oct. 10.

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New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced the formal dissolution of the lower house of the Diet ahead of the Oct. 27 snap election, with campaigning due to begin on Oct. 15, The Asahi Shimbun reported on Oct. 9.

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Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba won the election to become the president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which means he will become the next prime minister on Oct. 1, Reuters reported on Sept. 27.

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Japanese naval destroyer JS Sazanami conducted the country's first military transit through the Taiwan Strait, accompanied by an unspecified number of Australian and New Zealand navy ships, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sept. 26.

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A raft of recent Chinese and Russian air and sea incursions near Japanese territory have triggered diplomatic rebukes and the scrambling of Japanese military assets, Jiji reported on Sept. 23. 

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revealed in a press conference that China claimed it would consider easing import restrictions on Japanese seafood, The Asahi Shimbun reported on Sept. 20.

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New rallies opposition support in Diet to achieve policy goals

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With opposition parties holding a de facto majority in the lower house, if proposed this reform would have a good chance of passing. This new system would empower opposition parties, potentially incentivizing ideologically aligned, smaller opposition parties to join a governing coalition with Ishiba, making his minority government more stable...

Japan: Diet Reform Could Stoke Long-Term Political Instability

Newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Shigeru Ishiba, speaks during a press conference on Sept. 27, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. 

As prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba will focus on strengthening the Japanese military and regional defense ties. But the opposition would seek to roll back such efforts if it wins the Oct. 27 snap general election.

Japan's New PM Will Seek To Revive His Party -- if He Survives a Snap Election

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Supporters of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) wave flags during an election rally in Vienna, Austria, on Sept. 27, 2024. 

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What key factors are informing the outcome of the elections?

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The candidates for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership election sit on stage during a debate in Tokyo on Sept. 14, 2024.

Whoever the ruling LDP picks as its new leader will remain focused on improving Japan's military ties, but if he or she is replaced quickly, the turnover could harm Tokyo's preparedness for regional conflicts.

Previewing Japan's LDP Leadership Election

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio on Aug. 14 in Tokyo. The prime minister's resignation raises the prospect for change in domestic economic policy, such as cost-of-living issues, but major changes are unlikely regarding Japan's pursuit of military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and a national policy turn toward the left is not yet imminent.

The prime minister's resignation raises the prospect for change in domestic economic policy, such as cost-of-living issues, but major changes are unlikely regarding Japan's pursuit of military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and a national policy turn toward the left is not yet imminent.

In Japan, Kishida's Resignation Will Bring a New Face to the Same Old LDP

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A motorcyclist looks at his phone in front of a National Electoral Council poster promoting the upcoming presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 23, 2024.

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The European Commission in Brussels. On July 18, incumbents Roberta Metsola and Ursula von der Leyen are expected to be confirmed for a second term as presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commission, respectively.

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<p>Japan is a mountainous, volcanic island chain located in the western Pacific Ocean. The islands arc from Russia in the north toward the Korean Peninsula in the south. The country has four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, plus thousands of minor ones extending through the Ryukyu island chain framing the East China Sea. Japan&#39;s rugged terrain and lack of interregional connecting rivers isolated its population into separate, densely populated coastal plains. The Yamato plain, which dominates the &quot;Inland Sea,&quot; the birthplace of Japanese civilization. The Inland Sea saw the rise of early Japanese maritime culture and facilitated communication and political control. As Japanese culture expanded over the island chain, the seat of power moved to the more productive and strategically located Kanto plain, Japan&#39;s core region and home to Tokyo, the world&#39;s largest metropolitan area. The country&#39;s primary geographic challenge is sustaining its large population on an island with little arable land and few natural resources. Japan&#39;s geography has prompted the country to alternate between periods of isolationism and expansion. When Japan unifies under strong centralized control, it is often drawn toward the continent for resources and land. This happened in the late 1500s and again in the early 1900s, leading to World War II. Given its location, the Korean Peninsula has been the corridor of invasion between Japan and China, and its status remains of strategic importance to Tokyo. The lack of natural resources in Japan continues to force the country to seek them abroad, leaving the country to balance between U.S. naval dominance and China&#39;s expanding maritime interests.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Ishiba rallies opposition support in Diet to achieve policy goals

South Korea, U.S.: Trump Cost-Sharing Push Could Sully Regional Cooperation With Seoul

Japan: LDP Manifesto Drops Controversial Foreign Policies Ahead of Polls

Japan: Ishiba Dissolves Lower House Ahead of Snap Election

Japan: Incoming PM Ishiba Will Deepen Western Security Ties

Japan: Kishida Greenlights First Taiwan Strait Transit Over Chinese Incursions

Russia, China, Japan: Military Incursions Forestall Efforts to Ease Tensions

China, Japan: China Extends Diplomatic Olive Branch With Easing of Fish Ban

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