2024-07-29 22:31:00
The Cabinet Office has estimated that the "primary balance," an indicator of fiscal soundness, will be in the black by around 800 billion yen for the national and local governments combined in fiscal 2025. This is the first time that the government has projected a surplus in the fiscal year ahead, as it is aiming for.
2024-07-29 21:34:00
LDP Secretary-General Motegi met with the deputy speaker of the Indonesian parliament during a visit to the country and confirmed that the two parties will work together to respond to China, which continues to strengthen its maritime expansion and economic coercion.
2024-07-29 20:38:00
Constitutional Democratic Party leader Izumi emphasized that he wants to achieve a change of government in the next House of Representatives election and implement policies while learning from the lessons of the previous Democratic Party government. However, he avoided making any clear statement about how he will respond to the party's leadership election in September of this year.
2024-07-29 18:51:00
The government has approved a basic policy for budget requests from each ministry and agency in preparation for the compilation of the fiscal 2025 budget. The government has positioned measures to combat the declining birthrate and raise wages as important policies, and will set aside a special budget of around 4 trillion yen to accept requests.
2024-07-29 18:48:00
The Quad foreign ministers' meeting, a framework consisting of Japan, the United States, Australia and India, was held in Tokyo for the first time in four years. With China's increasing maritime expansion in mind, the ministers agreed to strongly oppose any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force, and to work together to maintain and strengthen maritime order.
2024-07-29 18:18:00
The Quad foreign ministers' meeting, a framework consisting of Japan, the United States, Australia and India, was held in Tokyo for the first time in four years. With China's increasing maritime expansion in mind, the ministers agreed to strongly oppose any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force, and to work together to maintain and strengthen maritime order.
2024-07-29 17:49:00
The government has approved a basic policy for budget requests from each ministry and agency in preparation for the compilation of the fiscal 2025 budget. The government has positioned measures to combat the declining birthrate and raise wages as important policies, and will set aside a special budget of around 4 trillion yen to accept requests.
2024-07-29 17:30:00
The Ministry of Defense signed a contract to transfer the domestically manufactured ground-based interceptor missile "PAC3" to the United States based on the export rules for defense equipment that were relaxed last year. Defense Minister Kihara indicated his intention to continue promoting the transfer of defense equipment in the future.
2024-07-29 17:29:00
Prime Minister Kishida met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and expressed his desire to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance in various areas.
2024-07-29 17:00:00
Defense Minister Kihara met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin and confirmed that they would continue discussions on how forces will cooperate and how to strengthen cooperation, based on the idea expressed at the foreign and defense ministerial meeting on the 28th to restructure U.S. forces in Japan and establish a new "Joint Forces Command."
2024-07-29 16:14:00
The Cabinet Office has estimated that the "primary balance," an indicator of fiscal soundness, will be in the black by around 800 billion yen for the national and local governments combined in fiscal 2025. This is the first time that the government has projected a surplus in the fiscal year ahead, as it is aiming for.
2024-07-29 16:02:00
Regarding the structure of the Science Council of Japan, which will be reformed into an organization independent of the state, a government panel of experts confirmed that it will continue to consider increasing the number of members, stating that a review of the council's scale is also necessary in order to expand the scope of its activities through autonomous management.
2024-07-29 14:13:00
It has been revealed that independent House of Councillors member Muneo Suzuki will visit Russia, where travel advice has been issued, and meet with government officials. Suzuki also visited Russia in October last year and left the Japan Restoration Party, which he was a member of at the time.
2024-07-29 14:09:00
Regarding the confirmation at the Japan-U.S. ministerial meeting of the strengthening of "extended deterrence" to protect Japan using U.S. nuclear forces, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi emphasized that this was a meaningful outcome amid growing nuclear threats around Japan.
2024-07-29 13:07:00
Regarding the government's response to the series of scandals at the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces, as well as the sexual assault incident by a U.S. soldier in Okinawa, the House of Representatives Security Committee decided to hold an off-session hearing on the 30th, requesting the attendance of Defense Minister Kihara and Foreign Minister Kamikawa.
2024-07-29 12:40:00
The government held the first meeting of the Headquarters for Promoting Measures to eradicate discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities, learning from the lessons of the former Eugenic Protection Law. Prime Minister Kishida announced his intention to review past policies, consider measures to improve them, and compile a new action plan.
2024-07-29 11:53:00
The Quad foreign ministers' meeting, a framework of four countries consisting of Japan, the United States, Australia, and India, is being held in Tokyo for the first time in four years. Foreign Minister Kamikawa called for the four countries, which share common values, to cooperate to realize a "free and open Indo-Pacific," with China's strengthening maritime expansion in mind.
2024-07-29 08:56:00
(Prime Minister Kishida's Activities, July 28, 2024) 21:13 Congratulating Kakuta Natsumi on winning the gold medal in the women's 48 kg judo event at the Paris Olympics over the phone (until 21:17) (Prime Minister Kishida's Activities, July 27, 2024) 14:39 Niigata Governor Hanazumi Hideyo calls Sado City Mayor Watanabe Ryugo of the same prefecture. Conveys congratulations on the registration of Sado Island's Gold Mine as a World Heritage Site (until 14:41) (Prime Minister Kishida's Activities, July 26, 2024) 08:27 Departs from the Prime Minister's Office on foot 08:28 Arrives at the Prime Minister's Office 08:35 Meets with Nemoto Takumi, Head of the LDP's Headquarters for Accelerating Reconstruction in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake (until 08:57) 09:06 Meets with Moriyama Hiroshi, Chairman of the LDP's General Affairs Committee (until 09:36) 09:49 Government and ruling parties policy meeting (until 09:57) 10:01 Cabinet meeting (until 10:09) 10:10 Talks with Matsumura Yoshifumi, Minister of Disaster Management (until 10:11) 10:19 Departs the Prime Minister's Office 11:18 Arrives at Machida Sixth Elementary School in Machida, Tokyo. Inspected volunteer activities by users of a day care facility. 11:43 Exchanged opinions with facility staff and users (until 12:10). 12:20 Departed from the same facility. 12:35 Arrived at Kunsaku, a restaurant serving 100% buckwheat noodles in the city. Had lunch with secretary. 13:19 Departed from the same facility. 13:25 Arrived at Maachi Children's Center, a childcare support facility in the city. Inspected. Accompanied by Deputy Minister of Cabinet Office Kudo Shozo and Mayor Ishizaka Joichi. 13:47 Exchanged opinions with high school students. Accompanied by Deputy Minister of Cabinet Office Kudo Shozo, LDP member of the House of Representatives Ogura Masanobu, and Mayor Ishizaka Joichi (until 14:20). 14:30 Interviews with various media companies (until 14:35). 14:37 Departed from the same facility. 15:53 Arrived at the Prime Minister's Office. 16:14 Met with Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru and Administrative Vice-Minister of Defense Masuda Kazuo. Also in attendance is Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa (until 16:37). 17:00 Hayashi, Murai Hideki, Moriya Hiroshi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kuriu Shunichimasa, Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management Kojima Hirofumi, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Mori Masafumi, Deputy Director-General for Policy at Cabinet Office Takahashi Kenji, Director-General for Technology and Security at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Yumoto Keiichi, Director-General for Water and Disaster Conservation at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Fujimaki Hiroyuki, Commissioner-General of the Japan Meteorological Agency Mori Takashi, and Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff Office of the Ministry of Defense Ono Isao (until 17:16). 17:56 Meets with Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Shindo Yoshitaka, Administrative Vice-Minister of the Cabinet Office Inoue Hiroyuki, Cabinet Office Counselor Hayashi Yukihiro, Deputy Director-General for Policy at Cabinet Office Kimura Satoshi and Nomura Yutaka (until 18:12). 18:19 Departs the Prime Minister's Office. 18:41 Arrives at Steak House Hama Roppongi Flagship store in Roppongi, Tokyo. Farewell party for the Prime Minister's interpreter 21:05 Departure from the same place 21:13 Arrival at the Prime Minister's residence
2024-07-29 06:35:00
A meeting of foreign ministers of the Quad, a framework comprised of Japan, the United States, Australia and India, will be held in Tokyo on the 29th. The four countries are expected to confirm that they will work together to resolve issues in the Indo-Pacific region and support other countries in developing cybersecurity and communications networks.
2024-07-29 03:03:00
The US-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations, known as "2+2," were held in Tokyo. In order to improve command and control to facilitate smooth unit cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces and the US military, the US side indicated its intention to restructure the US forces in Japan into a "Joint Forces Command," and it was decided that a working group would be set up in both countries to hold discussions.
