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July 01, 2026
 

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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
Team Mirai head Takahiro Anno speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Feb. 8.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 17, 2026
AI could replace foreign workers in Japan, Team Mirai says
While some parties during Lower House campaigning argued for strictly monitoring foreign nationals or setting quotas, Team Mirai sees AI as a means to replacing them altogether.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party head Hirofumi Yoshimura (left) meet in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
Yoshimura agrees to JIP presence in Takaichi Cabinet
It is not clear what position might be offered to the junior partner of the Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
After stunning win, Takaichi looks to suspend food tax and revise Constitution
Suspending the consumption tax on food items and revising the Constitution will take time, which may prove challenging for a prime minister who often speaks of moving with urgency.
Japan Innovation Party head Hirofumi Yoshimura speaks to reporters in the city of Osaka on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 9, 2026
Uncertainty clouds JIP’s role in ruling coalition following LDP’s election win
With the Liberal Democratic Party winning so many seats, the prime minister may begin to disregard its junior coalition partner’s views, one political scientist says.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of Japan Innovation Party, speaks at a news conference with Osaka city Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama after initial results showed the two were set to be reelected to their positions in snap local elections Sunday.
JAPAN / Media
Feb 8, 2026
Reelected governor, Osaka’s Yoshimura eyes referendum on merging city’s wards
Most members of the Osaka City Council are against holding another referendum after voters twice rejected the plan previously.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends an election campaign event for Sunday's snap election, in the city of Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 6, 2026
LDP-JIP coalition set for commanding election victory, polls show
The ruling bloc could end up with more than 300 seats, giving it a possible two-thirds majority in the Lower House.
CRA candidate Kureha Otsuki’s campaign van. Blizzards and cold weather in Hokkaido’s 4th district has made campaigning in Otaru, a popular tourist attraction, difficult.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 3, 2026
Fiery campaigns in freezing weather: Inside Hokkaido’s No. 4 district race
Old rivals go head to head amid cold temperatures as both candidates keep a wary eye on a looming newcomer.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers her first campaign speech for the House of Representatives election in Tokyo on Tuesday, alongside leaders of the Japan Innovation Party, Hirofumi Yoshimura (second from the left) and Fumitake Fujita (right).
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 30, 2026
Lower House election outcome could reshape political power balance
From the Liberal Democratic Party securing a majority on its own to the prime minister stepping down, a number of scenarios are at play ahead of the Feb. 8 Lower House election.
Leader of the Japan Innovation Party Hirofumi Yoshimura delivers his first campaign speech for the House of Representatives election in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 28, 2026
JIP struggles with perception and unity ahead of Lower House election
The junior member of the ruling coalition has remained unpopular nationally, while its goal of merging Osaka city’s wards is creating unexpected problems within its Osaka base.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan Innovation Party co-leader Fumitake Fujita and Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya at the Panel Discussion by the Leaders of 7 Parties at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Monday
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 27, 2026
Can Takaichi win back conservative votes?
It’s increasingly uncertain whether conservative voters will return to the Liberal Democratic Party in the upcoming Lower House election.
A large-scale solar project near Hokkaido's Kushiro Wetlands is driving a surge in land donations to a local environmental trust, as residents try to keep their property out of the hands of developers.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jan 26, 2026
Land donations surge near Kushiro Wetlands amid megasolar controversy
A local environmental trust has seen a large uptick in land donations from residents seeking to keep their property out of developers’ hands.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks on ahead of the dissolution of the lower house of parliament in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 23, 2026
Takaichi dissolves Lower House for Feb. 8 snap election
Candidates have just 16 days until election day to get their message out during what could be a snowy season in certain parts of the country.
Centrist Reform Alliance members raise their fists in unison at a ceremony marking the party's foundation Thursday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 22, 2026
CRA bets on moderate policies to shake up Lower House race
Public confusion and policy similarities with the ruling coalition could make it difficult for the new opposition party to win over voters.
JIP leaders Hirofumi Yoshimura (right) and Fumitake Fujita leave the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Jan. 14.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 21, 2026
Unveiling manifesto, JIP touts itself as Takaichi administration’s ‘accelerator’
The party seeks to woo Liberal Democratic Party supporters by highlighting their shared destination.
Workers in Sapporo's Odori Park prepare for the annual Snow Festival, which will take place during next month's Lower House campaign and Feb. 8 election.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 20, 2026
Snap election in February presents wintry challenges in Hokkaido
Subfreezing temperatures and snowfall may prevent candidates from meeting voters in person, while a snowstorm on election day could mean a low voter turnout.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki criticized the formation of the new party comprising the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito and expressed doubts it would last long.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 16, 2026
Formation of new party sparks concern in the ruling LDP
LDP lawmakers who won their seats with support from Komeito voters in the last general election could find themselves at a disadvantage.
Then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in a news conference in September 2021
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 16, 2026
Suga won’t run in next election, reports say
The former prime minister and veteran lawmaker is reportedly retiring from national politics.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura (left) submits his resignation to the prefectural assembly speaker on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 16, 2026
Yoshimura gambles on double election to push plan to merge Osaka city’s wards
The Osaka governor’s resignation has drawn criticism from within the Japan Innovation Party, which he also leads.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party head Hirofumi Yoshimura speak to reporters in Tokyo on Dec. 16.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 15, 2026
LDP and JIP won’t coordinate candidates in upcoming snap vote, officials say
The decision is highly unusual and potentially risky for the ruling coalition partners as they seek to expand their parliamentary numbers.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura (left) in Tokyo in December
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 13, 2026
Osaka governor mulls stepping down to pave way for secondary capital designation
Both the governor and mayor of Osaka are considering resigning from their posts to pave the way for the city to become a backup capital.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan falls in gut-wrenching fashion as Brazil strikes late to win World Cup clash
Brazil's Gabriel Martinelli (right) shoots past Japan defenders Shogo Taniguchi (left) and Takehiro Tomiyasu to score in the second half of a match in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston on Monday.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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