🇯🇵 Japan · Politics
71 storiesNHK reports Japan PM Takaichi stayed at official residence on Oct 3–4
NHK News reported that Prime Minister Takaichi stayed at the official residence all day on October 3 and October 4, 2026, and left the residence at 09:49 on October 2 before the article was truncated. Jiji Press also published schedule repo…
Japan Diet questions begin; opposition presses farm minister over budget-cut remark
Japan's Diet began question sessions on 7 October over Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's policy speech. Opposition parties are pressing agriculture minister Yanagi Kazuo over his remark that he cut road budgets for municipalities whose leader…
Japan's transport ministry explains road budget cuts at centre of farm minister's remarks
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on October 9 explained why road budget allocations fell for Nasukarasuyama city and Nakagawa town in Tochigi prefecture. Agriculture minister Yana (簗) had said he "drastically …
Japanese opposition parties weigh censure of farm minister Yana over road budget remark
Six opposition parties in Japan's House of Councillors agreed on October 9 to consider a censure motion against Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana (簗和生) over his remark that he cut road budgets for municipalities whose heads did not back him i…
Yokohama mayoral election announced with seven candidates; vote set for Oct 18
Yokohama's mayoral election was announced on Oct 4, and seven candidates filed, including former mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, 54, who resigned after harassment of city staff was found. Outlets said the main issue is whether voters endorse the c…
Former Japanese defense chief Toshitsugu Saito dies at 81
Toshitsugu Saito (斉藤斗志二), a former head of Japan's Defense Agency and seven-term member of the House of Representatives from Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, has died at 81. TBS NEWS DIG and Yahoo! News Japan reported, citing people close to him,…
Tokushima assembly LDP faction moves to censure Governor Gotōda over remarks
The Liberal Democratic Party faction in the Tokushima prefectural assembly, the chamber’s largest, has moved to submit a censure motion against Governor Naozumi Gotōda, saying his remarks and conduct are a problem, and plans to put it to th…
Japan farm minister retracts budget-cut remarks, apologises, denies resignation
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yana retracted and apologised on Oct 5 for remarks that he had “greatly cut” road budgets of municipalities whose mayors did not support him in the February lower house election. He denied lobbyi…
Eiko Kimura submits resignation from Inochi no To
Japanese upper house lawmaker Eiko Kimura said October 9 that she had submitted a notice to leave Inochi no To (いのちの党), formerly Reiwa Shinsengumi. The party said it had not accepted the notice and would discuss it after the weekend.
Tokyo High Court overturns ruling that voided Nasu mayor's election win
The Tokyo High Court on October 8 overturned the Tochigi prefectural election commission's ruling that had invalidated incumbent Yukihiro Hirayama's win in the March mayoral election in Nasu town. The commission had re-examined disputed bal…
Okinawa governor demands measures from defense minister over Marine arrest
Okinawa Governor Genta Kojya met Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Oct. 7 and handed him a written request for effective, fundamental measures to prevent a repeat of incidents involving U.S. military pers…
Japan's Diet opens 69-day session with food tax cut, seat reduction in focus
Japan's 222nd extraordinary Diet session was convened on 5 October and is set to run 69 days to 12 December, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivering a policy speech the same day. The government's priority is a bill cutting the consump…
Japan PM Takaichi pledges strong economy and fiscal sustainability in Diet speech
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the Diet on October 5 that her cabinet would pursue a strong economy and fiscal sustainability at the same time, and sought passage of a bill to cut the consumption tax on food, saying it would be funded w…
Japan PM Takaichi: political support must not sway budget allocation
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae told the House of Representatives on Oct 7 that bringing political support or non-support into budget allocation is only natural, and said she would ensure appropriate allocation is thoroughly carried out. She …
Takaichi keeps agriculture minister Yana in post despite road budget remark
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on 8 October in the House of Councillors that she will keep agriculture minister Kazuo Yana (簗和生), who had said he cut road budgets for municipalities whose heads did not back him in the February lower hou…
Brazil election goes to October 25 runoff; Flávio Bolsonaro leads Lula
Brazil's presidential election went to a runoff after no candidate won a majority of valid votes in the October 4 first round, the election authority said. Rightist Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, led incumbent leftist President Lula, 80, wit…
Ex-Lower House member Inatomi to run in Fukuoka mayoral election as independent
Former Lower House member Shuji Inatomi, 56, has decided to run in the Fukuoka mayoral election as an independent and will formally announce at a press conference soon. The race is set for Nov. 1 notification and Nov. 15 voting, with incumb…
Japan Supreme Court concludes arguments in 2025 upper house vote disparity suits
Japan’s Supreme Court Grand Bench held and concluded oral arguments on Oct. 7 in 16 suits over the July 2025 upper house election, where the maximum vote disparity was 3.13 to 1. Lower courts split 11 rulings of “unconstitutional state” and…
Japan's land minister to publish review of farm minister's road budget remark
Japan's land minister, Ihei Tatsunori, said on 6 October that the transport ministry will publish within the day the results of its review into a remark by agriculture minister Yanao Kazuo that he had cut road budgets, and repeated that no …
Japan PM Takaichi gives second policy speech; opposition questions tax-cut funding
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered her second policy speech on Oct. 5 at the extraordinary Diet session, making the economy the cabinet's top priority under a “responsible proactive fiscal policy.” She said funding for a consumption ta…