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Japan Times
6 hours ago
- Japan Times
Japan elects record number of women to Upper House
A record number of 42 female candidates were elected in Sunday's Upper House election, marking a step forward for gender representation in Japan's political landscape. Women won 33.6% of the 125 Upper House seats contested on Sunday, up from 35 seats in the last election in 2022. Among the notable winners was a Democratic Party for the People (DPP) newcomer, Mayu Ushida. The 40-year-old former NHK newsreader won a seat in the highly competitive Tokyo district in which 32 candidates vied for seven seats. 'In the course of my campaign, especially since the middle of the election period, I have heard many voices from young women, students and young men — some who are 18 years old and just got the right to vote,' she said. 'I really felt how anxious many of the young working generation are about their future, and felt their strong desire for something to be done.'
Japan Times
7 hours ago
- Japan Times
Tighter borders bar poor nations from summits — on poor nations
Sudanese climate activist Roaa should have been leading meetings with other youth advocates at a United Nations climate conference in Germany in June. Instead, the 24-year-old was at home, having wasted hundreds of dollars and nearly two months preparing for a visa that was denied in less than 48 hours. Many of her peers, mostly from the Global North, flew into the city of Bonn without a hitch. "I was the one who was leading the whole process, but I wasn't on the ground. I cried a lot, like literally every night," said Roaa, who asked that her surname and location not be published. "Knowing everyone is there (at Bonn), but you are not there maybe because of your nationality gives you a very bad feeling, like I'm less than those people," she said from her home in the Middle East after leaving Sudan in 2023 when civil war began. Stricter border and visa rules are increasingly limiting the participation of nationals from the Global South in high-level talks that tackle climate, global health, economic systems, conflicts and other pressing issues, policy researchers say. "We are the ones who are affected the most, but we are not in the room," said Roaa, a medical student. "Most of the conferences happen in Europe and in the U.S. They are talking on behalf of us." The rejections also have an economic cost. In 2024, Africans paid some 60 million euros ($70.10 million) for rejected Schengen visa applications, up from nearly 54 million euros in 2023, according to analysis by Britain-based research group LAGO Collective. Despite its lower volume of visa applications compared to other continents, Africa had some of the highest rejection rates from the European Commission, which issues Schengen visas for short visits to the European Union, the data showed. In recent years, far-right and populist parties have made gains in places like Italy, Sweden, Germany and the U.S., fueling anti-immigrant policies across Western countries, where most global conferences are held. Underrepresented Nations most vulnerable to climate impacts, from flooding to droughts and rising seas, are often among the poorest, the least polluting and underrepresented at global talks, according to U.N. climate body, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC, which hosts the Bonn summit and November's COP30 climate conference in Brazil, said it had no sway on visa processes, but had taken steps to diversify participation at its events by boosting the quota for Global South delegates. "The major international conferences are the places where big decisions are being made with respect to global commitments," said Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, director of politics and governance at Britain-based think-tank ODI Global. If those who are expected to implement global policies "are not at the table," it compounds the inequalities they have been campaigning to change, said Nwajiaku-Dahou. Despite providing details of her job, university studies, financial accounts and letters of support to attend the UNFCCC summit, Roaa was told she did not submit sufficient evidence to prove she would return home from Germany. Roaa said she was denied the visa even after an appeal. The European Commission said in emailed comments that cases are assessed according to the "purpose of stay, sufficient means of subsistence, and the applicants' will to return to their country of residence." 'Unfair' Ugandan HIV/AIDS youth advocate Joseph Robert Linda said he secured around $4,000 from sponsors to pay for flights, visa and hotel fees to attend last year's International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany, only for his visa to be rejected. Linda said he was told there were "reasonable doubts" about the authenticity of his documents and his intention to leave Germany, leading to his visa refusal. "That was not fair at all to me because they gave me feedback just three to four days before the conference, so there is no way I could appeal," the 28-year-old said in a phone call. Although the majority of global diseases occur in poorer countries, where around 80% of the world's population live, only 4% of health summits were held in these regions, according to a 2021 paper by Harvard Medical School researchers that reviewed more than 100 conferences spanning three decades. Between 1997 to 2019, just 39% of health conferences analyzed had attendees from developing countries, said the study published in BMJ Global Health journal. While Linda was able to attend the conference virtually, he said that option required stable and affordable internet, something not available to people in many parts of the world. He said conference organizers should work more closely with authorities to get visas approved so more people can have their voices heard. Geneva-based group International AIDS Society (IAS), which runs the International AIDS Conference, said it has been switching its host city since 2023 after many delegates were unable to attend the year prior in Canada due to visa issues. Large conferences have to prioritize finding safe and welcoming spaces for "the most marginalized among us," an IAS spokesperson said. Sudanese medical student Saida, who was refused a visa to attend a medical workshop in Italy this month, said it was ultimately up to Global South citizens to keep demanding change. "You have to speak up ... This is a pattern that we see happening and that's something that needs to be changed," said Saida, who also asked that her surname not be published.
Japan Times
9 hours ago
- Japan Times
Ishiba clings to leadership after election setback
'Responsibility' has been the theme of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's 17 days on the campaign trail. Now, after an election where his ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition lost its majority in the Upper House by a thin margin, it has become an ostensible reason for him to cling to his leadership — at least, for the moment. 'As the first party in parliament, we have to fulfill our responsibility with the public so as to prevent politics from stagnating or drifting away,' Ishiba told a news conference he held as LDP leader Monday afternoon. Citing ongoing negotiations with the United States over the 25% 'reciprocal' tariffs imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump and the complex economic and security outlook, Ishiba told reporters he has no intention of stepping down. However, in the wake of another setback after last October's debacle in the Lower House election, his political capital has plunged. In the Upper House election, the LDP failed to reverse the momentum of mounting headwinds anticipated by the poor showing in June's Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly poll. Throughout the campaign, the LDP tried to play the part of the 'responsible party,' portraying itself as the only force able to steer the country out of the troubled waters it finds itself in. Depicting the opposition as a cluster of irresponsible forces who can't be trusted with the helm of the country, the LDP attempted to appeal to the electorate with its alleged experience and sound judgment. The party's recipe for the future, though, failed to resonate with a public vexed by the soaring cost of living and tired of over a decade of LDP leadership. The insistence shown in protecting the country's coffers and defending the consumption tax 'to the end' — in the words of LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama — backfired at the polls, as did the promise of ¥20,000 cash handouts. As shown in the resounding victories achieved by the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito , especially in urban districts, the LDP faded in comparison to the expansionist menus presented by the opposition. The election debate largely stayed inward-oriented, with voters showing little interest in topics such as security and the ongoing tariff negotiations. Ishiba's attacks on the alleged 'irresponsibility' of a fragmented opposition largely fell on deaf ears. On the defining issue of the campaign — policies related to the foreign community — the LDP was forced to adapt to an agenda defined by opposition parties. All in all, the party couldn't escape the fate that often awaits incumbents in times of burgeoning dissatisfaction with the status quo. Ishiba's own track record ended up exacerbating that dissatisfaction. In his nine months in office, Ishiba — who seemed to have plenty of plans for the country when he reached the party leadership — proved unable to leave his own distinctive mark on the role. Perhaps surprisingly, the party showed its trademark pragmatism to successfully navigate an insidious session of parliament — clinching ad-hoc deals with the opposition in exchange for policy concessions. However, that laborious process left the party anemic, unable to reboot and rehabilitate its standing after last year's Lower House defeat. Handicapped from the start of his mandate and lacking a strong power base within the party, Ishiba could do little to change the course of the election. For a moment, the popular Shinjiro Koizumi's appointment as agricultural minister in late May seemed to have turned the tables and given Ishiba some breathing room. That too, however, proved short-lived. After voters signaled their frustration toward the current administration at the polls, the ball is now in the LDP's court. The next few weeks will be crucial to determine the future of the administration — and potentially of the composition of the coalition. The thin margin of the coalition's defeat — the coalition is only three seats short of the 125 needed for a majority — leaves potential room for maneuvering in the Upper Chamber. On top of that, the Aug. 1 deadline on tariff negotiations might grant the prime minister some breathing room, allowing him to stay on in the name of continuity and the need to avoid a political vacuum at a sensitive time for the nation. The weakened state of party factions means that, even if internal maneuvers to oust Ishiba were to occur, the old playbook may no longer apply. That being said, in one way or the other, Ishiba will be forced to take 'responsibility' for the party's underperformance in the poll. Although last year's Lower House defeat took place only weeks into his mandate, this time the prime minister has fewer excuses, particularly given the impasse on tariffs. Reports say the party will soon call a plenary meeting with members of both the Lower and Upper House. Lawmakers long critical of Ishiba will have a chance to vent their frustrations and potentially coalesce. While he denied any enlargement of the coalition at this stage, he voiced his intention to create a framework for policy cooperation with the opposition. 'We will hold sincere discussions with opposition parties on policy issues of particular urgency,' Ishiba said. He also added he hasn't made up his mind on a potential reshuffle of his government or the party leadership. So far, all the potential interlocutors — namely the DPP and Nippon Ishin no Kai — have ruled out the possibility. DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki said his party will watch the coming developments within the LDP before making the next move. Should Ishiba step down, the party will enter a new phase of instability, and it's unclear whether a new leader could gain the trust of fellow lawmakers. Last September's presidential election showed there's no shortage of aspiring leaders, starting with Koizumi. It took Ishiba — famously the lone wolf, popular with the public but with few friends in the party — five attempts to attain the long-yearned party leadership. He won't go down that easily. 'The road ahead will be thorny,' Ishiba admitted. 'But we will deepen discussions with other parties and run the country with a sincere heart.'
