Japan to launch Cabinet team on issues related to foreign residents
The issue has become one of the major topics during official campaigning for the July 20 House of Councillors election, with some minor parties arguing that regulations on foreigners living in Japan should be tightened to "protect the rights of Japanese people."
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Japan Today
17 minutes ago
- Japan Today
LDP lawmaker under fire for saying quake 'fortunately' hit Noto Peninsula
A senior ruling party lawmaker on Wednesday faced a chorus of criticism for suggesting an earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan last year was "fortunate" in showing how improvements can be made in public services. Yosuke Tsuruho, who made the remark Tuesday in a campaign speech for the House of Councillors election on July 20, apologized for the "inappropriate" remark but ruled out stepping down. His comment came at a time when residents in Ishikawa and neighboring prefectures are still struggling to recover in the aftermath of the magnitude-7.6 quake on New Year's Day in 2024 that killed over 600 people. It prompted an immediate backlash from quake-affected residents and lawmakers across party lines. The controversy may deal a blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party ahead of the upper house election, with cabinet approval ratings already weak due to cost-of-living pressures and poor wage growth. The LDP reprimanded Tsuruho, a veteran lawmaker who has headed the powerful Budget Committee of the upper house, where half of the members are set to be replaced in the upcoming election. His seat is not being contested, with his current six-year term having begun in 2022. During a speech at a rally in his home prefecture of Wakayama, western Japan, Tsuruho apparently attempted to stress the need for local government administrative tasks -- such as obtaining residence and other official documents -- to be available outside a person's area of residence, as was possible after the Noto earthquake. While praising the government's efforts to simplify such procedures, Tsuruho said, "Fortunately, there was an earthquake in Noto" that demonstrated rules can be relaxed for obtaining official documents away from the area of one's registered address. Later Tuesday, Tsuruho backtracked with a statement, saying, "I lacked consideration for the victims, and my wording was inappropriate. I apologize and retract the remark." But Tsuruho remained under fire even from within the ruling coalition on Wednesday. Tetsuo Saito, leader of the LDP's long-term junior coalition partner Komeito party, said on social media that Tsuruho's comment on Noto "disregards the feelings of the victims and is absolutely unacceptable." From Ishiba's government, which has touted the priority it places on disaster prevention, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Keiichiro Tachibana said politicians should not make comments that "trample on the feelings of people affected by the disaster." Opposition party leaders, who are seeking to wrestle majority control of the upper house from the ruling bloc, stepped up their criticism. Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said he cannot let the comment pass as a "verbal slip." Asked by reporters about whether Tsuruho should step down, Noda said, "It's something that he should decide." Survivors of the disaster also expressed their displeasure, with many calling Tsuruho's remarks insensitive. Masahiro Takaki, a 65-year-old lacquerware artisan living in temporary housing in Wajima, one of the hardest-hit cities in Ishikawa Prefecture on the Sea of Japan, was one of them. "Lawmakers responsible for national politics should visit the affected areas more frequently and listen to the voices of those still struggling," Takaki said, expressing frustration with what he believes is a lack of empathy. Besides its death toll in the hundreds, including those who later died from related health issues, the quake caused around 160,000 homes across the region to collapse fully or partially. © KYODO
Japan Today
18 minutes ago
- Japan Today
Trump's 25% tariff to reduce Japan's GDP by 0.8% in 2025: think tank
U.S. President Donald Trump's 25 percent "reciprocal" tariff on imports from Japan, if imposed, is projected to reduce the Asian nation's gross domestic product by 0.8 percent in 2025, according to a private-sector estimate. Over the longer term through 2029, the newly set levy that takes effect on Aug. 1 is estimated to cut Japan's GDP by 1.9 percent, the Daiwa Institute of Research said. Together with other tariffs already imposed by Trump, including the 27.5 percent duty on automobiles, the U.S. trade policy could dent Japan's economy by 1.3 percent in 2025 and 3.7 percent in 2029, the think tank said. Koki Akimoto, an economist at the think tank, said the country-specific tariff, if implemented, will likely have a broad impact on the Japanese economy, ranging from lower production levels for exports and reduced capital investment. Under the so-called reciprocal tariffs, Trump's administration has imposed a baseline duty of 10 percent covering imports from almost all countries in the world, aside from sector-based levies. On Monday, Trump set a new rate of 25 percent for Japan, slightly higher than 24 percent initially announced, while leaving the door open for further negotiations. Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at the Nomura Research Institute, projected, in total, Trump's tariffs could reduce Japan's GDP by 0.85 percent in around a year. "If they are applied, the Japanese economy is likely to gradually fall into a recession by next year with a probability of (that occurring at) more than 50 percent," he said. © KYODO
Japan Today
18 minutes ago
- Japan Today
Japan starts deploying Ospreys at new base to beef up southwest defense
By MARI YAMAGUCHI The Japanese army on Wednesday began deploying its fleet of V-22 Ospreys on a newly opened permanent base in southwestern Japan, in the country's latest move to strengthen its defense as tensions in the region grow. The first of the fleet of 17 Ospreys arrived at its new home base of Camp Saga in Saga Prefecture, Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force said, with the rest to come by mid-August. The move is part of Japan's accelerating military buildup, especially in the southwest, meant as a deterrence to China 's increasingly assertive maritime actions in the area. Japan plans to operate the Ospreys more closely with the amphibious rapid deployment brigade at Ainoura, in the nearby naval town of Sasebo, as part of the plan to reinforce the defense of remote southwestern islands, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters Tuesday. 'The security environment surrounding Japan has been increasingly severe, and it is our pressing task to strengthen our island defense capabilities,' he said. The use of the V-22 remains controversial in Japan, especially in the south, due to a series of accidents involving the aircraft. Dozens of protesters stood outside Camp Saga, chanting, 'Get out Osprey!' One of them, Osamu Rikihisa, said, 'You never know when another Osprey crashes again.' In November 2023, a U.S. Air Force Osprey crashed off Japan's southern coast, killing eight people. In October 2024, a Japanese army V-22 Osprey tilted and hit the ground while attempting to take off during a joint exercise with the U.S. military. An investigation found human error to be the cause. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in his election campaign speech Wednesday in Saga, said Ospreys are significantly superior to conventional helicopters and can 'bolster Japan's security and disaster relief operations.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
