Ishiba's art of survival in Japan's fractured politics
By all accounts, Shigeru Ishiba should be bracing for the end of his premiership sometime in the next two months.
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2 hours ago
Ishiba Reiterates Determination to Stay On
News from Japan Politics Jul 24, 2025 22:05 (JST) Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday reiterated his intention to stay in office despite his ruling bloc's bruising defeat in Sunday's parliamentary election. "I want to continue to make every effort to ensure that this agreement is steadily implemented and to dispel concerns among domestic businesses," Ishiba told reporters, referring to the agreement reached in Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations. "It's important for I and the president to implement the agreement steadily," Ishiba said of U.S. President Donald Trump. Japan has as many as 4,318 items for export to the United States, the prime minister said. "I think (business operators) are very worried about what will happen to their export items." END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Times
7 hours ago
- Japan Times
Political turmoil continues as Ishiba's fate hangs in the balance
With voters having delivered their verdict on the administration of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the spotlight is now shifting to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party — where some longtime aspiring leaders are cautiously working to consolidate their positions. While several of the party's local chapters have issued formal demands for the executive leadership to resign, coupled with a growing sense that Ishiba can't remain as head of the party, the weakening of past factional ties is making it difficult for those opposed to the LDP president to join forces. On Wednesday, former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi reportedly met with some of the lawmakers who had supported her unsuccessful bid against Ishiba for the party leadership last September. Later the same day, Takaichi met with former Prime Minister Taro Aso, who had worked to coalesce support around her candidacy during that leadership race. 'The public has shown us we can't win an election with you as prime minister,' Aso is said to have told Ishiba in an unusual meeting attended by two other former prime ministers — Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida — on Wednesday, according to several media reports Thursday. However, Takaichi's ability to garner widespread support within the party might be affected by the defeat of conservative lawmakers such as Masaaki Akaike and Mio Sugita in Sunday's Upper House election. She had already lost some of her closest supporters in last year's Lower House election. The LDP's conservative camp also lost a number of veterans on Sunday, such as Masahisa Sato, the former head of the party's foreign affairs committee, and former Upper House Speaker Akiko Santo. In addition, the bloc seems to be divided between Takaichi and another aspiring leader, former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, who was also unsuccessful in last year's party leadership race. On the other hand, others who are likely also vying for the post — namely farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi — are constrained in their activities by their current roles in government. Discussions over the next few weeks might offer some hint of prospects for the prime minister's future — though Ishiba seems to be in no rush to decide. On Monday, the LDP is expected to formally kick off an assessment of the reasons behind its electoral defeat. Lawmakers will have the chance to let off steam and vent their frustration toward the party leadership — although the form that will take remains unclear at this stage. After that, a short session of parliament will be convened to welcome the newly elected members of the Upper House and elect the chamber's speaker and the chairs of its committees. The thin margin of the electoral loss — the coalition is only three seats short of the 125 needed for a majority — leaves enough wiggle room for political maneuvering. Unlike the session of parliament that opens after the dissolution of the Lower House, the upcoming session doesn't provide for a formal vote on the head of government. That means there's no formal procedure to force Ishiba out in parliament. In August, a somber atmosphere will descend on the country as the 80th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of World War II are marked. Ishiba, whose reflections on the conflict throughout his career are well known , is expected to take part in a number of related events. However, it's still possible that an acceleration of political machinations in the coming weeks could cause further turmoil in the political center of Nagatacho by the Obon holidays in mid-August, when lawmakers traditionally head back to their constituencies, potentially raising the specter of another general election.
Asahi Shimbun
8 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Japan, EU make ‘competitive alliance,' deepen security ties
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, center, meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, in Tokyo on July 23. (Takeshi Iwashita) Japan and the European Union have announced the launch of a new Japan-EU Competitiveness Alliance, pledging deeper cooperation on security and economic issues amid shared global challenges. The announcement came during the 30th Japan-EU Summit, held in Tokyo on July 23, where Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council. 'A strong and stable Japan-EU relationship is indispensable for maintaining a free and open international order based on the rule of law,' Ishiba said at a joint news conference. Von der Leyen echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for even closer cooperation to confront the realities of the time. Following the first Japan-EU summit in two years, the leaders issued a joint statement calling for a stable and predictable economic order that is rules-based, free and fair. They emphasized the need to strengthen supply chain resilience, particularly for critical minerals such as rare earths. This initiative aims to counter China's dominance in rare earth production and its use of export controls for economic coercion. They plan to collaborate on mining and refining technologies and projects in Africa, sharing investment risks, according to Japanese government officials. The cooperation is particularly important given the crucial role that rare earths play in auto manufacturing, a major sector for both Japan and the EU. Identifying a stronger defense industry base as a shared priority for Japan and the EU, the statement announced plans to launch the Japan-EU Defense Industry Dialogue. Both sides also welcomed the start of formal negotiations on the Japan-EU Security of Information Agreement. Japan and the EU affirmed that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific is 'interconnected,' building on last year's Japan-EU Security and Defense Partnership. Both have traditionally depended on the United States for security, but concerns have grown over its shifting stance under President Donald Trump's administration, which has imposed tariffs on allies and expressed skepticism toward multilateralism. In an interview with German media in April, von der Leyen remarked that the West, as it was once known, no longer exists, suggesting that the United States can no longer be regarded as an unshakable ally. Shared concerns over China were also evident. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told The Asahi Shimbun on July 23 that China is a pivotal country enabling Russia's war in Ukraine, pointing to its purchases of Russian oil that help finance Moscow's aggression. Kallas emphasized the importance of cooperation among like-minded partners such as Japan and the EU. In the joint statement, Japan and the EU underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, reaffirming their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. With tensions rising in the area, Japan views closer ties with the EU as a strategic message to deter China, particularly given that the EU-China summit was scheduled for the following day in Beijing. (This article was written by Azusa Kato and Chinami Tajika in Tokyo and Azusa Ushio in Brussels.)
