Politics | Page 4

Kishida to skip speech after surgery for nasal congestion
Kyodo - Feb 13
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decided Monday to skip a planned speech in the afternoon after undergoing endoscopic surgery for nasal congestion late last week, a government official said.

Japan prepares legislation to recognize 'quasi-refugee' status
Nikkei - Feb 13
The Japanese government is drawing up a bill to create a new immigration category for "quasi-refugees" fleeing conflict, after the war in Ukraine highlighted shortfalls in its current framework.

Prime Minister Kishida says sinus surgery went smoothly
NHK - Feb 11
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had sinus surgery at a Tokyo hospital on Saturday to treat chronic sinusitis that has caused him to have a stuffy nose since last year.

Japan cancels 140 million dose order for Novavax Covid vaccine amid 'lower than expected' demand
endpts.com - Feb 11
Japan has canceled an order for more than 140 million doses of Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine, Takeda revealed in an SEC filing.

Officials confirm suspicious balloon overflights of Japan, won’t say they came from China
usni.org - Feb 11
The Japanese have had their own instances of unidentified flying objects and surveillance balloons sighted over the country in the past few years, Japan’s Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Friday.

Abe memoir is instant bestseller; publisher triples print run
Nikkei - Feb 11
The just-published memoir of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a treasure trove of diplomatic anecdotes. From a colorful car ride with former U.S. President Donald Trump to psychological chess with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the late leader offers unique insights into the world of diplomacy.

Japan to lift face mask recommendations on March 13
NHK - Feb 10
The Japanese government is planning to allow people to make their own choices about wearing face masks to prevent coronavirus infections, beginning on March 13.

LDP expected to struggle with LGBT bill
The Japan News - Feb 09
The Liberal Democratic Party will likely struggle to agree on a bill to encourage understanding of LGBT issues, particularly regarding how the legislation will refer to discrimination.

Japan govt. plans new advice on mask use after COVID-19 reclassification
NHK - Feb 08
NHK has learned that Japan's government is considering advising senior citizens and other high-risk people to wear masks when they visit crowded places during a coronavirus outbreak.

Japan PM dismisses aide over anti-LGBTQ+ comments
Al Jazeera - Feb 05
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has dismissed one of his secretaries for homophobic comments that the prime minister called “outrageous”.

Aide to Japan's prime minister says he 'hates' to see LGBT couples
Nikkei - Feb 04
A secretary to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Masayoshi Arai, said Friday night he does "not want to live next door" to an LGBT couple and that he would "hate to see them," but quickly retracted the discriminatory remarks after they were reported by the media.

Minister hopes Japan students to join farewell events without masks
Kyodo - Feb 03
Japanese education minister Keiko Nagaoka on Thursday expressed the hope that students will be allowed to attend their graduation ceremonies in the spring without having to wear face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kishida's son in hot seat over shopping during official trips overseas
Japan Times - Jan 31
Shotaro Kishida, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s eldest son and his executive secretary, is in the hot seat over media reports that he went shopping and sightseeing in Europe, Canada and the U.S. using official vehicles when he accompanied the prime minister to those places in January.

'I didn't want to choose the option of fighting': Japan ex-soldier sues government over sex assault
news24.com - Jan 31
A Japanese former soldier who was sexually assaulted by her colleagues said on Monday she is suing the government and the perpetrators over the "superficial" apologies and mistreatment she received.

Japan's demographic time bomb: Labour shortage opens doors to foreign workers
FRANCE 24 English - Jan 29
Japan faces an existential threat with its birth rate at an all time low, yet the island nation has still to fully embrace immigration as a solution to the population decline. To tackle the problem, the government has slowly turned to bringing in foreign workers.

Japan to count COVID cases using method for seasonal flu
NHK - Jan 28
Japanese health authorities say they will start counting coronavirus infections using the same method they do for cases of seasonal influenza.