Politics | Page 7

Japan expels Russian officials to pressure Moscow
NHK - Apr 20
Eight Russian officials have left Japan following Tokyo's decision to expel them on April 8. It is rare for Japan to expel multiple foreign officials.

Japan, US, Australia, NZ express concern over China-Solomon Islands pact
NHK - Apr 20
Senior officials from Japan, the United States, Australia and New Zealand share concerns over a fresh security pact between China and the Solomon Islands.

Japan to send protective suits, masks and drones to Ukraine
Japan Times - Apr 19
Japan's Defense Ministry has announced that it will send masks and clothing designed to protect against chemical weapons as well as drones to Ukraine in response to a request from Kyiv, in Tokyo’s latest shipment of defense supplies to the war-torn country.

Japan eyes 'quasi-refugee' status for people fleeing conflicts
Nikkei - Apr 17
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday the government is considering creating a more loosely defined refugee category to accept people fleeing conflicts in light of the humanitarian crisis stemming from Russia's war in Ukraine.

Japan's population down 640,000 in 2021, biggest drop on record
Nikkei - Apr 15
Japan's population totaled 125,502,000 as of Oct. 1, down 644,000 from a year earlier, marking the biggest decline on record, according to government data released Friday.

Japan's government releases video to help eradicate harassment from politics
Japan Times - Apr 15
Aiming to address the problem of harassment in the political arena, the government has released a video with short scenes based on real cases of harassment of lawmakers, with a particular focus on younger politicians.

Russia Fires Cruise Missiles Off Coast of Japan
newsweek.com - Apr 14
Russia has upped international tension after claiming to have test-fired cruise missiles from submarines off the coast of Japan.

Hiroshima 'peace clock' reset to protest US subcritical nuclear tests
NHK - Apr 14
An atomic bomb museum in Hiroshima has reset its clock showing the number of days that have passed since the last nuclear test took place. The move was taken to protest the two subcritical nuclear tests that the United States conducted last year.

Japan's LDP proposes limiting veto power of UNSC permanent members
NHK - Apr 14
Japan's major ruling party is seeking to restrict the veto power of UN Security Council permanent members, following Russia's use of it in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

Hokkaido Electric Power to stop buying Russian coal
NHK - Apr 14
The main provider of electricity on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido says it will stop buying coal from Russia. This follows a Japanese government decision to phase out imports of the fuel as part of sanctions against Moscow.

U.S. Navy carrier group enters Sea of Japan for first time in 5 years
UPI - Apr 13
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its naval strike group is currently operating in the Sea of Japan for the first time in five years, the Navy said on Tuesday.

Japan OKs asset freezes on 398 Russians, including Putin's daughters
Japan Times - Apr 12
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved additional sanctions against Russia, freezing assets of 398 Russian individuals, including President Vladimir Putin's daughters and the wife of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Backlash in Osaka as ‘Dream Island’ leads race to open Japan’s first casino
theguardian.com - Apr 12
The focus of Japan’s quest to open its first casino is a human-made island in Osaka that, if the city’s government gets its way, will end decades of wrangling over the country’s fraught relationship with poker tables and slot machines.

Japan, Russia begin talks on salmon fishing
NHK - Apr 12
Government officials from Japan and Russia have begun annual fishery talks after a delay in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Japan cancels a third of contracted Astrazeneca vaccine purchase
devdiscourse.com - Apr 11
Japan has cancelled the purchase of about 40 million Astrazeneca Plc COVID-19 vaccine doses it agreed to buy last year, a health ministry official said in parliament on Monday.

Average value of Japan lawmakers' assets grows to 29 mil. yen
Kyodo - Apr 11
The average value of assets held by Japanese lower house members came to 29.24 million yen ($234,000), slightly up from a record low 28.92 million yen in the previous survey, according to a Kyodo News tally based on data released Monday.