The Japanese government decided at a Cabinet meeting on January 23rd to dissolve the House of Representatives, with the Lower House set to be formally dissolved at a plenary session later in the day, effectively launching the election campaign.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said a long-range strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons flew over international waters in the Sea of Japan, in what appears to be a move aimed at pressuring Japan.
Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has decided not to run in the next House of Representatives election and intends to retire at the end of his current term, with a formal announcement expected on January 17th.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaiichi formally informed senior ruling-party officials on the evening of January 15th of her intention to dissolve the lower house, pushing Japan decisively into full election mode, only for political dynamics to shift again the following day when the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito announced they had agreed to form a new political party.
A Japan–South Korea summit held in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s home region of Nara concluded after a series of events that highlighted both countries’ strategic calculations and a deliberate display of goodwill.
Prime Minister Takaichi held a surprise “drum session” with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung following their bilateral talks, adding an unexpected cultural touch to a day of high-level diplomacy.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in Nara on January 12th ahead of a Japan-South Korea summit scheduled for the following day, marking her first visit to her home region since taking office.
Three years have passed since construction began on January 12th on a Japan Self-Defense Forces base on Mageshima, an uninhabited island off Tanegashima in Kagoshima Prefecture, as part of a plan to relocate U.S. carrier-based aircraft field carrier landing practice to the site, with the local community enjoying a construction-driven economic boost while growing concerns spread over the prolonged impact on daily life caused by significant delays to the project.