Politics | Page 7

Absentee lawmaker expelled from Japan's Upper House
NHK - Mar 15
Japan's Upper House has stripped a member of the chamber of his status as a lawmaker for failing to attend a single Diet session.

Japan OKs bill to reform sexual offense charge, raise age of consent
Kyodo - Mar 14
Japan's Cabinet approved a bill Tuesday to recognize a sexual violation even in the absence of physical violence or coercion and raise the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16, as part of reforms to the country's Penal Code.

Japanese lawmaker GaaSyy refuses to return home for apology at Diet
NHK - Mar 08
A member of Japan's Upper House who has been asked to apologize in the Diet for his continued absence from its sessions has refused to do so.

Japan's large-scale COVID-19 vaccination sites to be shut down this month
NHK - Mar 07
Japan's defense ministry plans to shut down large-scale coronavirus vaccination venues in Tokyo and Osaka operated by the Self-Defense Forces at the end of the month.

Seoul announces plan to compensate victims of Japan wartime forced labour
AFP - Mar 06
South Korea announced plans Monday to compensate victims of Japan's forced wartime labour, aiming to end a "vicious cycle" in the Asian powers' relations and boost ties to counter the nuclear-armed North.

Japan to introduce GPS trackers to prevent international bail jumping
Kyodo - Mar 03
Japan's government decided on Friday to enable courts to order the use of GPS trackers to prevent international bail jumping in the wake of the case of former Nissan Motor Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn and other incidents of criminal defendants escaping the country.

Japan foreign minister skips G-20, putting parliament first
Nikkei - Mar 02
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is not attending the two-day Group of 20 foreign ministers' meeting that began in India on Wednesday, instead prioritizing budgetary hearings in parliament.

Marriage ban not LGBTQ discrimination: Japan PM
taipeitimes.com - Mar 02
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is not discriminatory, as constitutional freedom of marriage only envisions heterosexual unions.

Japan and New Zealand pledge to strengthen cooperation in Indo-Pacific
South China Morning Post - Feb 28
The foreign ministers of Japan and New Zealand attended a meeting in Tokyo to discuss strengthening cooperation based on the “shared concern about security trends in the Indo-Pacific”.

Japanese lawmaker GaaSyy agrees to apologize in Diet session
NHK - Feb 28
A member of Japan's Upper House who has been skipping Diet sessions has agreed to attend a Diet session for the first time to read out an apology.

Former Japanese soldier declares war on sexual abuse in the military
South China Morning Post - Feb 28
Since she was a child, Rina Gonoi had dreamed of joining the Japanese military. What she could not have expected was the daily sexual harassment she would endure after finally making it happen in 2020, according to her account.

Japan plans to acquire up to 400 Tomahawk missiles from US
NHK - Feb 28
The Japanese government plans to acquire up to 400 US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles to help boost counterstrike capabilities.

Japan and Albania vow stronger sanctions against Russia
Japan Times - Feb 23
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, on Wednesday affirmed that their countries will work together in strengthening sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Will GaaSyy Continue to Betray Hopes of Those Who Elected Him?
The Japan News - Feb 23
If a lawmaker continues to be absent from all Diet sessions and shows disrespect for the legislature, it is no surprise for them to face disciplinary action. The NHK Party and GaaSyy, whose real name is Yoshikazu Higashitani, a member of the House of Councillors, must take the discipline seriously.

Suspicious metal ball found on Japanese shore
meghalayamonitor.com - Feb 22
The Japanese police have restricted access to Enshuhama Beach in the city of Hamamatsu, Japan's prefecture of Shizuoka, after a suspicious ball about 1.5 meters in diameter, believed to be made of metal, was found on the shore, media reported on Tuesday.

Japan govt. to review coronavirus measures other than mask-wearing
NHK - Feb 21
Japan's health minister, Kato Katsunobu, says the government will review measures other than mask-wearing that were put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.