Politics of Japan

Japan ruling party aims to cut corporate tax to international levels

Thomson Reuters — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:05:39 +0000

Thomson Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling party said on Thursday that it is aiming to reduce the country's corporate tax rate so that it is more in line with international levels.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party also said it would implement appropriate debt management policy to maintain fiscal discipline and prevent a sharp decline in Japanese government bond prices.

The LDP made the proposals in a document on policy ahead of upper house elections expected on July 21.

G-8 leaders call for action to nurture recovery as summit kicks off

Kyodo News International — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:31:16 +0000

Kyodo News International

The leaders of the Group of Eight countries called Monday for decisive action to nurture a sustainable recovery as they gathered for a summit in Northern Ireland to discuss ways to spur the world economy.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, resolved to end nearly two decades of deflation and revive Japan's economy, explained his economic policies to fellow leaders and in so doing, made his policies, dubbed "Abenomics," an international commitment.

Abe aims at opposition support for constitutional changes

Kyodo News International — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:30:40 +0000

Kyodo News International

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday he will try to persuade lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan to support his bid to amend the Constitution following next month's upper house election.

Abe told reporters in Warsaw he will try to secure the two-thirds majorities of all members in each house of the Diet required to amend the Constitution.

Abe to decide whether to reshuffle Cabinet after election

Kyodo News International — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:00:07 +0000

Kyodo News International

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested Sunday he will decide whether to reshuffle his Cabinet following next month's upper house election.

He also told reporters in Warsaw he will give priority to cutting the investment tax over reducing the corporate tax rate in drawing up a new growth strategy to be released in fall.

Deputy foreign chief Saiki eyed as new top bureaucrat at ministry

Kyodo News International — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:50:05 +0000

Kyodo News International

The government plans to appoint Deputy Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki as new vice foreign minister, the top bureaucrat at the Foreign Ministry, and may finalize the personnel change by the end of this month, a government source said Friday.

Saiki, 60, formerly director general of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, has extensive experience in dealing with the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, an issue championed by current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Official campaigning starts for Tokyo assembly election

Kyodo News International — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:49:42 +0000

Kyodo News International

Official campaigning began Friday for the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election with 253 candidates vying for the 127 seats, in a prelude to next month's upper house election that will be seen as a judgment on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's seven-month-old government.

The main focus of the June 23 contest will be how voters evaluate "Abenomics" -- a catchword for the government's policies aimed at boosting the deflation-mired Japanese economy through bold monetary easing and massive public spending.

Japan PM to explain "Abenomics" policies to other G-8 leaders

Kyodo News International — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:31:26 +0000

Kyodo News International

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will explain his economic policies to fellow leaders of the Group of Eight leading industrialized countries when they meet next week in Northern Ireland, given heightened interest among other G-8 nations in the policies, dubbed "Abenomics," according to Japanese officials.

Over 250 candidates to run in Tokyo metropolitan assembly election

Kyodo News International — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:36:41 +0000

Kyodo News International

More than 250 people are expected to file their candidacy on Friday for the 127-seat Tokyo metropolitan assembly election later this month, a prelude to the upper house election in July when voters will render their opinion on the government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

At issue is whether voters will show approval of the so-called "Abenomics," a set of policies advocated by the prime minister to pull Japan out of deflation through bolder monetary easing and massive fiscal spending.

Abe says Japan needs to study developing offensive military capacity

Kyodo News International — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:30:17 +0000

Kyodo News International

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday it is necessary to study the possibility of enabling Japan to have the capacity to attack an enemy base.

He was responding to a set of proposals submitted by his Liberal Democratic Party for strengthening the nation's defense capabilities with an eye toward North Korea's nuclear and missile development.

Abe's Europe trip aimed at promoting "Abenomics," Japanese exports

Kyodo News International — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:33:19 +0000

Kyodo News International

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Poland, Britain and Ireland from Saturday as he aims to win understanding of his economic policies while promoting Japanese exports, the government said Tuesday.

Abe will join other Group of Eight leaders for a summit in Northern Ireland on June 17 and 18, where he will brief them on his economic policies, dubbed "Abenomics," aimed at overcoming Japan's chronic deflation, amid criticism in some countries that the yen's exchange rate is being targeted to accelerate exports.

Large Japanese firms' sentiment sharply improves in April-June

Kyodo News International — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 04:32:01 +0000

Kyodo News International

The business sentiment of large Japanese companies in the second quarter of 2013 sharply improved from the previous term on the back of higher stocks triggered by hopes of an export rebound fuelled by the yen's slide, a government survey showed Tuesday.

DPJ aims to play up negative side of "Abenomics" in election

Kyodo News International — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:34:53 +0000

Kyodo News International

The Democratic Party of Japan unveiled Monday a final draft of its campaign platform for this summer's upper house election, with the largest opposition party criticizing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policies.

In its platform, the DPJ, which lost power in last December's general election, also attacked the premier and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party for rushing to revise the nation's pacifist Constitution.

LDP eyes legislation to speed up retrieval of WWII remains

Kyodo News International — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:29:58 +0000

Kyodo News International

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is planning to propose new legislation to speed up the retrieval of remains of Japanese soldiers and civilians who died in the country and abroad during World War II, party sources said Saturday.

The LDP aims to submit a bill to an extraordinary Diet session in the fall to accelerate the recovery of the remains of some 600,000 Japanese war dead in hard-fought battlefields such as Iwoto Island in the Pacific, Okinawa and the Philippines, the sources said.

367 scheduled to run in July upper house election

Kyodo News International — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:17:59 +0000

Kyodo News International

A total of 367 people are scheduled to run in the next House of Councillors election expected on July 21, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner New Komeito party aiming to win 129 seats to secure a stable majority in the 242-seat upper house, a Kyodo News tally showed Tuesday.

The LDP headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and New Komeito, which together hold 59 upper house seats that will not be contested in the upcoming election, need to win 70 seats out of 121 seats up for grabs to ensure they have a stable majority.

LDP OKs bill to create Japanese defense forum equivalent to U.S. NSC

Kyodo News International — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:17:25 +0000

Kyodo News International

The decision-making body of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the LDP General Council, endorsed a bill Tuesday that would create a defense coordinating forum equivalent to the U.S. National Security Council, party lawmakers said.

The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will endorse the bill at Friday's Cabinet meeting and file it with the Diet which is currently in the 150-day ordinary session that runs through June 26.