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Tokyo Report
Can Japan Thread the Needle on the Israel-Hamas Conflict?
By William M.Z. Fujii
The geopolitical picture increasingly resembles that of 1973 – a traumatic experience that Japan wants to avoid reliving.
Japan’s Catch-22 Situation Over the Israel-Hamas War
By Takahashi Kosuke
Tokyo is caught between a diplomatic rock and an economic hard place.
Japan’s Top Court Strikes Down Required Sterilization Surgery to Officially Change Gender
By Mari Yamaguchi
The ruling does not address the constitutionality of requiring gender-transition surgery in general to obtain a state-sanctioned gender change.
Japan’s Fishing Sector Struggles After China Seafood Ban
By Thisanka Siripala
Japan is ramping up efforts to counter China’s seafood ban amid the controversial wastewater release from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Can Kishida Turn the LDP Into a Friend of Labor?
By Jio Kamata
The LDP is hoping to capitalize on rifts within the Japanese Trade Union Confederation and the opposition ranks.
What Next for Japan’s Digital Agency After the My Number Misfire?
By Luke Cavanaugh
As the cliché in digital government goes, technology is almost the least important indicator of success in the space.
Japan’s Government Will Seek to Revoke Legal Status of Unification Church
By Mari Yamaguchi
Decades of cozy ties between the church and Japan’s ruling party, revealed in the investigation of Abe’s 2022 assassination, have triggered public outrage.
Japan Announces Economic Stimulus to Combat Cost of Living Crisis
By Thisanka Siripala
Japan’s escalating consumer inflation is compounded by stagnant wages and a sliding yen.
Japan’s New Cabinet Has a Record Number of Women. So What?
By Soyoung Kim
A “record” of five women out of 19 ministers, most from political dynasties, is hardly something to celebrate.
East Asian Tensions and the Lessons From Hanoi
By ISOZAKI Atsuhito
Vietnamese diplomacy offers some useful reminders for key actors in a troubled region.
Japan’s Defense Industry Is Hindered by Self-Imposed Constraints
By Hiroshi Sazanami
It’s been nearly a decade since Japan widened the scope for arms exports, but there is little to show for the policy change.
Japan’s Hydrogen Rush in Australia
By Daisuke Akimoto
Hydrogen resources in Australia are indispensable for Japan’s decarbonization strategy, and Japanese businesses are racing to enter the market.