2025-03-10 20:59:00
Former Prime Minister Kishida, Chief Advisor Aso, and former Secretary-General Motegi of the Liberal Democratic Party met on the evening of the 10th and are believed to have exchanged views on issues such as how to run the government as a minority ruling party and how to respond to the House of Councillors election this summer.
2025-03-10 20:53:00
The policy research council chairmen of the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito Party and the Japan Restoration Party met and agreed to set up consultative bodies to focus on three themes: social security reform, free high school tuition, and tax system. The first meetings will be held in March.
2025-03-10 20:50:00
The secretaries-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito Party and Japan Restoration Party met to discuss the review of the high-cost medical care system, and the LDP and Komeito parties asked for understanding regarding their decision to postpone raising the upper limit on medical expenses in August of this year.
2025-03-10 20:05:00
Prime Minister Ishiba expressed his hope that significant wage increases will be achieved in this year's spring labor offensive, for which responses are due on the 12th, and emphasized his intention to continue working to improve productivity and reform the labor market.
2025-03-10 19:22:00
These are the approval ratings for each party in March.
2025-03-10 19:14:00
In the Diet, the House of Councillors Budget Committee held an intensive discussion. Regarding the review of the high-cost medical care system, the Japan Restoration Party requested that if the new fiscal year budget proposal is to be revised again, it should be submitted promptly. In response, Prime Minister Ishiba explained that there are various opinions within the ruling party and it has not been decided whether to revise it again, and that he will consider how to respond based on the status of the discussion.
2025-03-10 19:02:00
According to an NHK opinion poll, the number of people who said they "support" the Ishiba Cabinet was 36%, down 8 points from the February survey, while those who said they "do not support" the Cabinet rose 10 points to 45%.
2025-03-10 18:39:00
A meeting was held between the Speakers and Vice Speakers of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors and representatives of each political party to discuss how to ensure a stable succession to the throne, and each party expressed their opinion on whether to allow the adoption of males from the male line of the former imperial family.
2025-03-10 18:29:00
Regarding the cult "Aleph," which changed its name from Aum Shinrikyo, the Public Security Examination Commission has decided to extend the recurrence prevention measures banning the use of its facilities for another six months, citing "the difficulty of grasping the level of danger."
2025-03-10 18:08:00
Regarding the handling of the pension system reform-related bill that the government plans to submit to the current Diet, senior officials from the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Party met and confirmed that they will call for discussions with opposition parties such as the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan to discuss the contents of the bill.
2025-03-10 18:05:00
Regarding the nature of corporate and group donations, each party expressed their opinion at a special committee of the House of Representatives. The Liberal Democratic Party argued that donations should be made more transparent, while the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and others called for them to be banned.
2025-03-10 17:50:00
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Muto, who is visiting the United States, is planning to meet with Secretary of Commerce Rutnick in the early hours of the 11th (Japan time) to directly request that Japan be excluded from the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum products, which are scheduled to take effect on the 12th, as well as the tariffs on automobiles.
2025-03-10 17:27:00
In the Diet, the House of Councillors Budget Committee held an intensive discussion. Regarding the review of the high-cost medical care system, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan questioned whether the increase in the upper limit of the burden would be forced through after the House of Councillors election in the summer. In response, Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized that the increase would not be forced through, and that efforts would be made to listen widely to the opinions of those involved and to gain their understanding.
2025-03-10 17:21:00
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Iwaki met with Secretary-General Waqa of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), which is made up of Pacific island nations and other countries, and agreed to establish a framework for regular discussions of regional situations, taking into account China's increasing involvement in the region.
2025-03-10 16:25:00
The number of applicants for the exam to be held this spring to hire so-called "career bureaucrats" for next year was just over 12,000, down 11.6% from the previous fiscal year, the lowest figure for two consecutive years since the current exam system was introduced.
2025-03-10 12:55:00
In the Diet, the House of Councillors Budget Committee held an intensive discussion. Regarding the review of the high-cost medical care system, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan questioned whether the increase in the upper limit of the burden would be forced through after the House of Councillors election in the summer. In response, Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized that the increase would not be forced through, and that efforts would be made to listen widely to the opinions of those involved and to gain their understanding.
2025-03-10 12:02:00
Regarding the handling of the pension system reform-related bill that the government plans to submit to the current Diet, senior officials from the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Party met and confirmed that they will call for discussions with opposition parties such as the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan to discuss the contents of the bill.
2025-03-10 10:53:00
(Prime Minister Ishiba's Activities March 7th to March 9th, 2025)
2025-03-10 05:29:00
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Muto, who is visiting Washington, D.C., is scheduled to meet with Secretary of Commerce Rutnick, who is in charge of tariffs and trade policy in the Trump administration, on the 10th local time. He plans to directly request that Japan be excluded from the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum products and the tariffs on automobiles, which are scheduled to be implemented on the 12th.
2025-03-10 05:02:00
In response to the postponement of the August increase in the upper limit of medical expenses due to the review of the high-cost medical care system, the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito are planning to revise the new fiscal year budget proposal again and will expedite adjustments such as how to proceed with future deliberations. The two parties will also discuss how to handle the bill related to pension system reform that the government plans to submit to the current Diet.
