Society

Former Japanese Foreign Minister Maehara launches new party

TOKYO, Dec 01 (NHK) - Former Japanese Foreign Minister Maehara Seiji has left the opposition Democratic Party for the People to form a new party with four other members of the Diet.

Maehara was deputy leader of the DPP. He left the party on Thursday, and held a news conference later in the day with the four lawmakers who will join him in the new endeavor.

He criticized the DPP for looking for ways to step up cooperation with the administration of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in the hope of getting it to agree to adopt the DPP's policy proposals.

Maehara said that he is forming a new party to help bring together a coalition of opposition parties based on the idea of "not the Liberal Democratic Party nor the Communist Party," with the aim of forcing the LDP out of power.

He said he wants to work with anyone who can share his policy positions and ideals.

Maehara said the new party will aim to introduce free education, as well as student loan debts forgiveness.

The four other members of the new party include three lawmakers who are also from the DPP, and one independent Lower House member.

Maehara served as foreign minister and transport minister when the Democratic Party of Japan was in power. That party later split into the DPP and the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party.

Source: ANNnewsCH

What Is Sanaenomics?

The economic policy bannered by Prime Minister Takaichi as “Sanaenomics” is beginning to take shape, with expectations centering on lower gasoline prices and the restart of electricity and gas subsidies even as critics say the program’s substance remains unclear and insufficiently developed; framed as a successor to Abenomics with greater emphasis on growth strategy, the plan raises questions about what will change in people’s daily lives and how the administration intends to run policy behind the scenes.

Crimes by U.S. Military Personnel Hit Record High in Okinawa

The number of U.S. military personnel arrested for criminal offenses in Okinawa has reached 77 so far this year, already surpassing the record total for all of 2024 as of the end of September.

Japan to Tighten Visa Rules on Foreigners Behind on Health Insurance

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare plans to introduce a new system starting in June 2027 that will, in principle, deny changes or renewals of residence status for foreign residents who fail to pay their national health insurance premiums despite repeated requests for payment.

New Typhoon is Forming, Okinawa Could Be Affected Next Week

As of November 4th, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced that a tropical depression near the Caroline Islands is expected to develop into a typhoon within the next 24 hours. The system is separate from Typhoon No. 25 (Haiyan) currently near the Philippines and is projected to move northwestward once it intensifies.

Akita Woman Becomes 13th Bear Victim

Japan’s record-breaking bear crisis has entered a new and deadly phase, with authorities confirming that a 79-year-old woman missing in Akita Prefecture was found dead in the mountains, believed to be the 13th fatality from bear attacks this year.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

13 Japanese Among 57 Foreigners Detained in Cambodia Fraud Base Raid

Thirteen Japanese nationals are among 57 foreigners detained in a police raid on a special fraud base in southeastern Cambodia, according to local reports. Footage captured by JNN showed Cambodian authorities raiding a facility believed to be used for large-scale international scams.

Police Officer Dies After Falling From Bridge in Nishinomiya

A police officer responding to a traffic accident in Hyogo Prefecture died after falling from a bridge on November 3rd in Nishinomiya City, with authorities investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Akita Woman Becomes 13th Bear Victim

Knife-Wielding Woman Causes Chaos at Kabukicho Cinema

A woman armed with a knife was subdued by police after causing a disturbance inside a movie theater in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district on November 2nd.

Headless Body Found Near Yamashita Park in Yokohama

Police in Yokohama are investigating a possible case of corpse abandonment after a headless and partially dismembered body was found floating near Yamashita Park.

Bomb Squad Investigates Suspicious Package at Kyoto Station, DVD Discovered

A suspicious package was discovered at Keihan Railway’s Chushojima Station in Kyoto on November 1st, prompting police to investigate the possibility of an explosive device.

Man's Body Found in Submerged Truck

A truck that had fallen into a river in the town of Okoppe on the Sea of Okhotsk side of Hokkaido was found on the morning of November 2nd, with the body of a man discovered inside.

Shibuya Crowds Subdued in Rain Soaked Halloween

Halloween Eve in Shibuya still drew a festive atmosphere, with people gathering in costume and enjoying the night. Tokyo police deployed several hundred officers, including the well-known “DJ police,” to manage the crowds and prevent congestion at the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing.

< 2 3 4 5 >