2025-03-12 22:42:00
At the LDP's general meeting of House of Councillors members, Senator Masashi Nishida expressed his view that the party is not able to compete in the House of Councillors election this summer under its current structure, and that a new party president to replace Prime Minister Ishiba should be selected after the new fiscal year budget bill is passed.
2025-03-12 21:01:00
On the 12th, the day when all responses to the spring labor offensive arena are made, a "Government-Labor-Management Conference" was held, bringing together the government, the business community, and the labor community. Prime Minister Ishiba expressed his intention to mobilize all policies to work on fair price transfers and productivity improvements in order to spread the trend of wage increases among large companies to small and medium-sized enterprises as well.
2025-03-12 19:57:00
At a special committee meeting of the House of Representatives on political reform, the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Japan Restoration Party, which are calling for a ban on corporate and group donations, called on the Democratic Party for the People to support the plan if the opposition parties unify their proposals. In response, the Democratic Party for the People proposed that a forum for ruling and opposition party consultations should be set up in order to reach a compromise with the ruling party.
2025-03-12 19:32:00
On the 12th, the day when all responses to the spring labor offensive arena are made, a "Government-Labor-Management Conference" was held, bringing together the government, the business community, and the labor community. Prime Minister Ishiba expressed his intention to mobilize all policies to work on fair price transfers and productivity improvements in order to spread the trend of wage increases among large companies to small and medium-sized enterprises as well.
2025-03-12 19:17:00
In preparation for the House of Councillors election in the summer, a group of Constitutional Democratic Party lawmakers has launched a new study group with the aim of including a reduction in the consumption tax in the party's campaign pledges, and has confirmed that they will compile recommendations and submit them to Representative Noda as early as April.
2025-03-12 19:16:00
A cross-party meeting was held to discuss optional separate surnames for married couples, with many members of the Diet expressing their calls for the legalization of the use of maiden names as common names, on the grounds that inconveniences could be eliminated if it were made clearer legally that maiden names could be continued in the same way as surnames registered on family registers after marriage.
2025-03-12 18:27:00
Komeito leader Saito met with Prime Minister Ishiba along with lawmakers who attended the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons held this month, and called for the Japanese government to participate as an observer in future conferences.
2025-03-12 18:24:00
At the LDP's general meeting of House of Councillors members, Senator Masashi Nishida expressed his view that the party is not able to compete in the House of Councillors election this summer under its current structure, and that a new party president to replace Prime Minister Ishiba should be selected after the new fiscal year budget bill is passed.
2025-03-12 16:15:00
Regarding the handling of the provisional gasoline tax rate, Japan Restoration Party Secretary-General Iwatani stated that given the difficult situation facing the people due to high prices and other factors, action is needed as soon as possible, and that he intends to seek in upcoming discussions with the ruling party that the rate be abolished by this summer.
2025-03-12 16:12:00
Regarding bills related to pension system reform, the Liberal Democratic Party has called on opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, to hold discussions, but the opposition parties are refusing to hold prior consultations and are demanding that deliberations be held after the bills are submitted to the Diet, so negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties are ongoing.
2025-03-12 15:43:00
Voting will take place on March 23rd for the Fukuoka Prefectural Governor Election. The election was announced on the 6th, with four candidates, both incumbents and newcomers, running. NHK analyzed each candidate's speeches using a method called "text mining" to interpret what they were trying to say. We will also be showing uncut videos of the candidates' speeches and their responses during interviews. *During the election period, we will be updating a series of videos in the latter half of the article, in which reporters explain the "interpretation of candidate questionnaires."
2025-03-12 15:37:00
The Liberal Democratic Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's House of Councillors Diet Affairs Committee chairmen met and agreed to hold intensive discussions in the House of Councillors Budget Committee on the afternoon of the 14th.
2025-03-12 15:36:00
Prime Minister Ishiba met with the mayor of Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, which was hit by forest fires, and received a request for financial support for recovery and reconstruction. Prime Minister Ishiba conveyed the government's intention to respond as much as possible.
2025-03-12 14:56:00
Regarding the handling of corporate and group donations, Deputy Leader of the Democratic Party for the People, Furukawa, stated that discussions need to be accelerated in order to reach an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties by the end of this month, and expressed the view that a new forum should be created to discuss specific details.
2025-03-12 14:36:00
At the LDP's general meeting of House of Councillors members, Senator Masashi Nishida expressed his view that the party is not able to compete in the House of Councillors election this summer under its current structure, and that a new party president to replace Prime Minister Ishiba should be selected after the new fiscal year budget bill is passed.
2025-03-12 14:16:00
A meeting of directors of the House of Representatives Budget Committee was held to discuss the review of the high-cost medical care system, and the ruling and opposition parties agreed to invite Prime Minister Ishiba to attend on the 13th to question him, stating that it is necessary to confirm with the government the reasons for the change in policy.
2025-03-12 14:11:00
Regarding bills related to pension system reform, the Liberal Democratic Party has called on opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, to hold discussions, but the opposition parties are refusing to hold prior consultations and are demanding that deliberations be held after the bills are submitted to the Diet, so negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties are ongoing.
2025-03-12 13:57:00
Chairman of the House of Representatives' Budget Committee, Yasuzumi, and Chairman of the House of Councillors' Budget Committee, Tsuruho, met to discuss the review of the high-cost medical care system. Yasuzumi said he needed to confirm the reasons for the change in policy with the government, and requested that a budget committee meeting be held in the House of Representatives on the 13th, even though the budget was currently being deliberated in the House of Councillors. Tsuruho agreed, on the condition that this would not be a precedent.
2025-03-12 13:51:00
Regarding the handling of corporate and group donations, Deputy Leader of the Democratic Party for the People, Furukawa, stated that discussions need to be accelerated in order to reach an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties by the end of this month, and expressed the view that a new forum should be created to discuss specific details.
2025-03-12 13:42:00
In the Diet, a bill for tax reform that would revise the "1.03 million yen annual income barrier," set an income limit, and raise the tax-free limit to 1.6 million yen has entered deliberation in the House of Councillors. While the opposition parties pointed out that the system has become complicated, Prime Minister Ishiba asked for understanding, saying that the bill aims to ensure fairness and not give preferential treatment to high-income earners.
2025-03-12 13:00:00
At the LDP's general meeting of House of Councillors members, Senator Masashi Nishida expressed his view that the party is not able to compete in the House of Councillors election this summer under its current structure, and that a new party president to replace Prime Minister Ishiba should be selected after the new fiscal year budget bill is passed.
2025-03-12 12:28:00
The government has decided to set a new target of increasing rice exports, including packaged rice, to 350,000 tons by 2030. It is believed that the aim is to increase rice production, including for export, and to flexibly manage the situation by diverting rice to domestic use when domestic supply becomes tight.
2025-03-12 12:22:00
Regarding the handling of corporate and group donations, Deputy Leader of the Democratic Party for the People, Furukawa, stated that discussions need to be accelerated in order to reach an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties by the end of this month, and expressed the view that a new forum should be created to discuss specific details.
2025-03-12 10:53:00
Foreign Minister Iwasaki left for Canada on the morning of the 12th to attend the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. He will stress the importance of the G7 uniting on the situation in Ukraine and share the view that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force are unacceptable.
2025-03-12 09:55:00
(Prime Minister Ishiba's Activities March 11, 2025) 07:41 Departs from the official residence on foot 07:42 Arrives at the official residence 07:56 Meeting of relevant ministers on the acceptance and coexistence of foreign human resources (until 08:07) 08:16 Cabinet meeting (until 08:29) 08:32 Meets with Minister of State for Economic Revitalization Akazawa Akimasa, Deputy Secretary-General of the Cabinet Secretariat Headquarters for the Realization of New Capitalism Kawanishi Yasuyuki, and Director-General of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau Fujiki Toshimitsu (until 08:59) 09:00 Meets with Director-General of the National Security Secretariat Okano Masataka, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro, and Director-General of the Latin America and Caribbean Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Noguchi Yasushi (until 09:10) 09:11 Meets with Director-General of the National Security Secretariat Okano, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro, and Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kanai Masaaki (until 09:15) 09:16 Meeting with Director-General of the National Security Council Okano, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Funakoshi, and Director-General of the European Affairs Bureau Kitagawa Katsuro (until 09:25) 09:27 Meeting with participants of the Asia-Oceania Ambassadors' Conference (until 09:50) 10:17 Departure from the Prime Minister's Office 10:30 Arrived at JR Tokyo Station 10:38 Departure from JR Tokyo Station on Yamabiko No. 57 12:11 Arrived at JR Fukushima Station 12:16 Departure from JR Fukushima Station 12:38 Arrived at the robotics research facility "Kikuchi Seisakusho Ozasou Research Institute" in Fukushima City. Tour 13:10 Roundtable discussion on regional revitalization (until 13:50) 13:58 Departure from the same facility 14:08 Arrived at the complex "Parce Iizaka" in the same city 14:10 Meeting with Fukushima Governor Uchibori Masao (until 14:25) 14:40 Prefecture-sponsored ceremony for the Great East Japan Earthquake and recovery. Greetings. Flower offering (until 15:56) 16:01 Interviews with media companies (until 16:08) 16:09 Departure from Fukushima Station 16:37 Arrival at JR Fukushima Station 16:59 Departure from Fukushima Station on Yamabiko 62 18:25 Arrival at JR Tokyo Station 18:31 Departure from Tokyo Station 18:49 Arrival at Tsunamachi Mitsui Club, a members-only club in Mita, Tokyo. Discussion with former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ichiro Miyashita, Chairman of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Takeshi Kunibe and other Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation officials 20:46 Departure from Fukushima Station 20:55 Arrival at the Prime Minister's Residence
2025-03-12 05:26:00
Regarding bills related to pension system reform, the Liberal Democratic Party has called on opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, to hold discussions, but the opposition parties are refusing to hold prior consultations and are demanding that deliberations be held after the bills are submitted to the Diet, so negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties are ongoing.
