🇯🇵 Japan · Politics
79 storiesWhite House press secretary Zakaria to leave after five days amid law licence row
White House press secretary Katie Zakaria is leaving the post five days after taking it on 12 October, following criticism that she was introduced as an attorney without holding a US law licence. Asahi Shimbun reported, citing multiple US m…
Fukuoka assembly approves inquiry into alleged payments linked to leadership posts
The Fukuoka prefectural assembly approved an Article 100 investigative committee to examine alleged payments linked to speaker and deputy-speaker posts, TBS NEWS DIG reported early on October 17. The decision followed prolonged arguments ov…
White House press secretary admits she did not pass a bar exam after lawyer claims
Katie Zakaria (ケイティ・ザカリア), the new White House press secretary, said on 15 October that she has not passed a bar exam. The Wall Street Journal had reported on 14 October that she failed the California bar after law school, although Presiden…
Japan's parties agree to open Lower House debate on food tax cut bill on 20 October
The Liberal Democratic Party and the Lower House group Chudo agreed on 16 October to open plenary debate on the food consumption tax cut bill on 20 October, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attending. The ruling side had first proposed th…
Japan's agriculture minister submits resignation amid budget and election-bus controversy
Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana (簗和生) submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on October 14, Asahi Shimbun reports. He faced criticism over remarks about cutting road budgets in areas that did not support him and free shu…
Arata Takebe becomes Japan's agriculture minister after Yana resignation
Arata Takebe (武部新) took office as Japan's agriculture minister on October 15, replacing Kazuo Yana (簗和生), who resigned amid controversy over budget remarks and election-law allegations. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Takebe's agricultur…
NHK reports Japan PM Takaichi stayed at official residence on Oct 3–4
NHK News reported that Prime Minister Takaichi stayed at the official residence all day on October 3 and October 4, 2026, and left the residence at 09:49 on October 2 before the article was truncated. Jiji Press also published schedule repo…
Japan's agriculture minister denies seeking road budget cuts amid parliamentary scrutiny
Japanese Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana (簗和生) acknowledged that his road budget remarks were inappropriate but denied asking for reductions during parliamentary questioning on October 13. He also faced questions about free shuttle buses fo…
Yokohama mayoral election announced with seven candidates; vote set for Oct 18
Yokohama's mayoral election was announced on Oct 4, and seven candidates filed, including former mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, 54, who resigned after harassment of city staff was found. Outlets said the main issue is whether voters endorse the c…
Former Japanese defense chief Toshitsugu Saito dies at 81
Toshitsugu Saito (斉藤斗志二), a former head of Japan's Defense Agency and seven-term member of the House of Representatives from Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, has died at 81. TBS NEWS DIG and Yahoo! News Japan reported, citing people close to him,…
Tokushima assembly LDP faction moves to censure Governor Gotōda over remarks
The Liberal Democratic Party faction in the Tokushima prefectural assembly, the chamber’s largest, has moved to submit a censure motion against Governor Naozumi Gotōda, saying his remarks and conduct are a problem, and plans to put it to th…
Japan farm minister retracts budget-cut remarks, apologises, denies resignation
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yana retracted and apologised on Oct 5 for remarks that he had “greatly cut” road budgets of municipalities whose mayors did not support him in the February lower house election. He denied lobbyi…
Eiko Kimura submits resignation from Inochi no To
Japanese upper house lawmaker Eiko Kimura said October 9 that she had submitted a notice to leave Inochi no To (いのちの党), formerly Reiwa Shinsengumi. The party said it had not accepted the notice and would discuss it after the weekend.
Tokyo High Court overturns ruling that voided Nasu mayor's election win
The Tokyo High Court on October 8 overturned the Tochigi prefectural election commission's ruling that had invalidated incumbent Yukihiro Hirayama's win in the March mayoral election in Nasu town. The commission had re-examined disputed bal…
Okinawa governor demands measures from defense minister over Marine arrest
Okinawa Governor Genta Kojya met Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Oct. 7 and handed him a written request for effective, fundamental measures to prevent a repeat of incidents involving U.S. military pers…
Japan's Diet opens 69-day session with food tax cut, seat reduction in focus
Japan's 222nd extraordinary Diet session was convened on 5 October and is set to run 69 days to 12 December, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivering a policy speech the same day. The government's priority is a bill cutting the consump…
Japan PM Takaichi pledges strong economy and fiscal sustainability in Diet speech
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the Diet on October 5 that her cabinet would pursue a strong economy and fiscal sustainability at the same time, and sought passage of a bill to cut the consumption tax on food, saying it would be funded w…
Japan PM Takaichi: political support must not sway budget allocation
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae told the House of Representatives on Oct 7 that bringing political support or non-support into budget allocation is only natural, and said she would ensure appropriate allocation is thoroughly carried out. She …
Takaichi keeps agriculture minister Yana in post despite road budget remark
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on 8 October in the House of Councillors that she will keep agriculture minister Kazuo Yana (簗和生), who had said he cut road budgets for municipalities whose heads did not back him in the February lower hou…
Brazil election goes to October 25 runoff; Flávio Bolsonaro leads Lula
Brazil's presidential election went to a runoff after no candidate won a majority of valid votes in the October 4 first round, the election authority said. Rightist Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, led incumbent leftist President Lula, 80, wit…