2025-05-15 21:00:00
Regarding the handling of the consumption tax, the executives of the LDP's Tax System Research Council met and confirmed that they will hold a study session for party lawmakers next week to exchange opinions on the impact of lowering the tax rate and practical issues. With the House of Councillors election in sight, discussions within each party are becoming more active.
2025-05-15 20:50:00
Practical levels of the ruling and opposition parties met to discuss measures against online casinos, and it was agreed in principle that a proposed amendment compiled by the ruling party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which includes a ban on the establishment of casino sites, will be submitted to the current Diet and aimed for its enactment.
2025-05-15 20:35:00
Regarding the handling of corporate and group donations, the four opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which are calling for a ban, have expressed the view that discussions in a special committee of the House of Representatives should be resumed as soon as possible, with the aim of reaching a conclusion within the current Diet session.
2025-05-15 20:14:00
Regarding the Specified Skilled Worker System, which accepts foreign nationals recognized as having specialized skills, the government plans to consider adding three new fields, such as logistics warehouses, to the list of fields eligible for acceptance, taking into account the worsening labor shortage.
2025-05-15 19:32:00
The Wakayama Prefectural gubernatorial election following the death of Governor Kishimoto was announced on the 15th, with two new candidates running. NHK analyzed the candidates' speeches using a method called "text mining" to interpret what they appealed to voters. *In the latter half of the article, we will provide you with uncut videos of the candidates' speeches on the day of the election announcement.
2025-05-15 19:16:00
Regarding the US tariff measures, the government held a meeting of a task force headed by Minister for Economic Revitalization Akazawa and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi to discuss strategies for the third ministerial negotiations.
2025-05-15 19:12:00
Regarding the handling of the consumption tax, the executives of the LDP's Tax System Research Council met and confirmed that they will hold a study session for party lawmakers next week to exchange opinions on the impact of lowering the tax rate and practical issues. With the House of Councillors election in sight, discussions within each party are becoming more active.
2025-05-15 18:49:00
Regarding the US tariff measures, JA Zenchu Chairman Yamano asked Minister for Economic Revitalization Akazawa to take firm action, citing spreading anxiety in production sites. In response, Minister Akazawa conveyed his intention not to engage in negotiations that would sacrifice agriculture.
2025-05-15 18:11:00
Regarding the treatment of the consumption tax, senior members of the LDP's Tax System Research Council met and confirmed that they will hold a study session for party lawmakers next week to exchange opinions on the impact of lowering the tax rate and practical issues.
2025-05-15 17:52:00
A bill to introduce "active cyber defense" to prevent cyber attacks before they occur was put to a vote in the House of Councillors Cabinet Committee and passed with a majority in favor from both the ruling and opposition parties. It is expected to be passed by the House of Councillors plenary session on the 16th and become law.
2025-05-15 17:21:00
In response to concerns that stockpiled rice is not being distributed sufficiently, the government has decided to extend the deadline for buying back the same amount of rice from businesses that have sold it from the current "within one year in principle" to "within five years in principle." The aim is to ease businesses' concerns about the buyback and make it easier to distribute stockpiled rice.
2025-05-15 17:10:00
The Wakayama Prefectural gubernatorial election following the death of Governor Kishimoto was announced on the 15th, with two new candidates running. NHK analyzed the candidates' speeches using a method called "text mining" to interpret what they appealed to voters. *In the latter half of the article, we will provide you with uncut videos of the candidates' speeches on the day of the election announcement.
2025-05-15 17:09:00
As the number of foreigners settling in Japan increases, nuisance behavior has become an issue in some areas, and the Liberal Democratic Party has set up a special committee to begin discussing how they can coexist.
2025-05-15 17:06:00
In response to concerns that the stockpiled rice released by the government is not being distributed sufficiently to supermarkets and other outlets, the government has decided to extend the deadline for buying back the same amount of rice from businesses that have sold the stockpiled rice from the current "within one year in principle" to "within five years in principle." This is intended to ease businesses' anxieties about the buyback and encourage easier distribution of stockpiled rice, as well as to ease concerns that the government's buyback will lead to rice shortages in the future.
2025-05-15 16:49:00
At a meeting of the House of Representatives Constitutional Review Committee, the Liberal Democratic Party proposed the establishment of a committee to draft the text of a constitutional amendment proposal. In response, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan indicated that it could not accept the proposal, citing the lack of legislative facts.
2025-05-15 16:31:00
Regarding the issue of factional political funding, at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee directors, the opposition argued that the LDP should also support the move, given that former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Shimomura, a senior member of the former Abe faction, has indicated his intention to call for an expert witness. However, the LDP reiterated its opposition, and it was decided that further discussions would take place.
2025-05-15 15:16:00
Regarding "confidential births," in which pregnant women give birth without revealing their identities to anyone other than medical institutions, Kumamoto City Mayor Onishi met with Minister of State for Children's Policy Mihara and requested that legislation be considered to institutionalize this and that consultation systems be improved.
2025-05-15 15:04:00
At a general meeting on the 15th, the government's Tax Commission confirmed that it would begin full-scale discussions on specific measures to revise the basic deduction in line with inflation, with a view to revising the "annual income barrier." With the tax reform scheduled for the end of the year in mind, the commission plans to organize issues such as indicators for determining price fluctuations.
2025-05-15 14:36:00
A bill to amend the law to raise the amount of the salary increase paid to teachers in lieu of overtime pay was passed by a majority vote at the House of Representatives plenary session on the 15th and sent to the House of Councillors. After discussions between the ruling and opposition parties, amendments are being made to include a reduction target for teachers' overtime work.
2025-05-15 13:56:00
Regarding the pension system reform-related bills, whose submission to the Diet has been postponed, the Liberal Democratic Party proposed at a board meeting of the House of Representatives Rules and Administration Committee that the government will make a cabinet decision on the bills on the 16th and submit them to the Diet, and then hold discussions on them at the plenary session on the 20th of next week.
2025-05-15 11:13:00
It has been officially decided that a debate between Prime Minister Ishiba and the leaders of the three opposition parties will take place on the afternoon of the 21st next week.
2025-05-15 08:47:00
(Prime Minister Ishiba's Activities May 14, 2025)
2025-05-15 05:48:00
The Japanese and US governments are coordinating to hold working-level talks next week regarding the Trump administration's tariff measures. The Japanese government wants to find common ground with the US and finalize the date for the third ministerial negotiations.
2025-05-15 00:09:00
Regarding the handling of the consumption tax, President Tamaki of the Democratic Party for the People told reporters, "If we were to simply lower the consumption tax rate to a uniform 5% on an annual basis, we would need financial resources of about 10 trillion yen. This is basically premised on doing it when the economy is in a downturn, so if we were to cover the cost with a new tax increase at that time, it would be a tax increase for the sake of tax cuts, and would be meaningless as an economic stimulus measure." He went on to say, "I want to use all possible sources of funding to lower the consumption tax, such as issuing deficit bonds, investment gains from special accounts including the so-called foreign exchange special account, or using non-essential fund balances."
