Prime Minister Ishiba met with top executives from companies affected by U.S. tariff measures, including the president of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and emphasized the government’s commitment to negotiations and domestic support measures.
The Ground Self-Defense Force is preparing to conduct Japan’s first-ever domestic live-fire test of an anti-ship missile this June, with a site in Hokkaido under consideration for the landmark drill.
U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced frustration over the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, stating that Japan has no obligation to defend the United States, and hinted at the possibility of demanding increased defense spending during trade negotiations with Tokyo.
As fears of a global economic downturn grow due to tariff policies under the Trump administration, discussions within Japan’s ruling coalition have intensified over emergency economic measures, including a temporary cut to the consumption tax and uniform cash handouts.
A bill to introduce a proactive cyber defense system, allowing preemptive measures against cyberattacks, was passed by the Lower House on April 8th with majority support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, and others.
The Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) has suspended the training of new Ranger personnel across most units for the remainder of the current fiscal year, JNN has learned. This is the first long-term nationwide suspension of such training since the program began, marking an unprecedented development.
Japan's national budget for the new fiscal year is now set to pass within the current fiscal term, following an unusual set of deliberations in the Diet on March 28th.
Japan is busily laying the groundwork for a state visit by Xi Jinping, in what has now become a roughly once-in-a-decade occurrence. The last visit was derailed by COVID-19. (East Asia Forum)