Japan’s politics take on a new twist later this month. The once-invincible Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, LDP, now the largest opposition party, will meet to choose a new leader. The winner could end up as the next Prime Minister of Japan in the next few months, which makes for an interesting race. TOKYO...
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The Dear Leader’s passing leaves many questions to be answered, including ones which are vital to Japan’s defense TOKYO (majirox news) – With so much Japanese printer’s ink having been expended on the threat posed to Japan by North Korea, the reports a few hours ago of the “Dear Leader,” Kim Jong Il’s, demise...
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NEW YORK (majirox news) — Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said, “Japan is determined to raise the safety of nuclear power generation to the highest level in the world,” but did not touch on trying to reduce dependence on nuclear power generation during a speech to a UN high-level meeting on nuclear security here on...
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TOKYO (majirox news) — Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is planning to visit China in early October for talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, the government said Sept. 7. Noda spoke to Chinese Premier Wen Jinbao by phone on Sept. 6 and promised he would visit China at the soonest possible opportunity that was mutually...
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TOKYO (majirox news) — Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced his Cabinet Sept. 2, appointing relative unknowns to key posts and ignoring ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) stalwarts. Noda appointed Jun Azumi as Finance Minister and Koichiro Gemba as Foreign Minister in the 16-member Cabinet. Both are relatively unknown, but are believed to be...
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TOKYO (majirox news) — Of the roughly 40 national leaders to have addressed the United Nations General Assembly yearly over the past three years, Japan is the only one to have a different person speak each time, UN records show. And Japan is poised to extend its record if new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda,...
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TOKYO (majirox news) — Prime Minister Naoto Kan kept his word to stand down upon passage through the Diet of a series of bills related to recovery from the March 11 disasters when he resigned as leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on Aug. 26. Kan’s replacement as DPJ president will...
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TOKYO (majirox news) — Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara announced that he will stand for leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Aug.23. Maehara leads most opinion polls as voters’ preferred choice to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who is expected to stand down by the end of the month. Maehara...
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()TOKYO (majirox news) — Parts of the 20-kilometer (12.42 mile) Evacuation Zone around the radiation-leaking Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are close to being declared uninhabitable and the ban on entering the area maintained, possibly for decades, according to the Yomiuri newspaper on Aug. 21. Prime Minister Naoto Kan is poised to explain the situation...
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TOKYO (majirox news) — Executive members of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are unanimously opposed to forming a Grand Coalition with the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) once Prime Minister Naoto Kan has left office, it was learned Aug. 17. “A Grand Coalition is an exceptional case in exceptional times,” LDP President...
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