The Tokyo District Court has ordered the Unification Church, heavily criticized for its coercive tactics in soliciting donations, to be stripped of its religious corporation status that exempts it from taxes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/25/japan/crime-legal/unification-church-court-order/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #unificationchurch #shinzoabe #mext #taxes
Tokyo District Court expected to present its decision on the request to dissolve told the Unification Church in Japan on Tuesday, according to sources. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/23/japan/crime-legal/court-decision-unification-church/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #unificationchurch #japanesecourts #mext #shinzoabe
The Unification Church has come under intense scrutiny in Japan since a former prime minister was assassinated, but it could soon fall even further from grace. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/15/japan/society/unification-church-dissolution/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #unificationchurch #shinzoabeassassination #shinzoabe
The House of Representatives Budget Committee agreed to conduct a closed-door hearing on Thursday regarding a slush funds scandal with Junichiro Matsumoto, a former accountant for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/02/18/japan/politics/ex-ldp-accountant-hearing/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #corruption #shinzoabe #junichiromatsumoto
Prime Minister Ishiba’s first summit with U.S. President Trump went smoothly, meeting Japan’s low diplomatic expectations with no gaffes, no policy missteps while showing some personality. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/02/12/japan/japan-prime-ministers-diplomatic-roles/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #shigeruishia #shinzoabe #junichirokoizumi #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations
Despite numerous past meetings between U.S. and Japanese leaders, Shigeru Ishiba's relationship with Donald Trump is expected to be awkward, lacking the rapport he had with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/02/04/japan/ishiba-to-finally-meet-trump/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #shigeruishiba #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations #shinzoabe
Baggage inspections were carried out at 99% of stump speech sites during the Lower House election last October, following a failed attack on former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2023. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/02/04/japan/crime-legal/baggage-checks-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #fumiokishida #wakayama #npa #japanesepolice #terrorism #shinzoabe #2024lowerhouseelection
The recent upheaval in Japanese politics highlights a shift from a long-standing, predictable system to a more uncertain and evolving political landscape. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/01/30/japan/new-normal-in-japanese-politics/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #shigeruishiba #ldp #fumiokishida #shinzoabe #diet
China has increased provocations against Japan under Shigeru Ishiba's weak leadership, exploiting political instability to push its agenda, including military incursions, cyberattacks and other forms of coercion. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/01/14/japan/ishiba-china-provocations/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #shigeruishiba #shinzoabe #fumiokishida #china #chinajapanrelations #defense
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday met with Akie Abe, the widow of assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump’s wife said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/12/16/japan/politics/akie-abe-donald-trump/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinzoabe #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations #akieabe #shigeruishiba
The widow of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known for his close relationship with Donald Trump, reportedly plans to travel to Florida this weekend in the hopes of arranging a meeting with the U.S. president-elect. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/12/12/japan/politics/akie-abe-trump-meeting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #akieabe #shinzoabe #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations #shigeruishiba
Gender bias and media scandals have hindered the chances of several women from becoming the first female prime minster. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2024/11/26/japan/derailing-of-potential-women-prime-ministers/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #takakodoi #makikotanaka #yurikokoike #yukoobuchi #sanaetakaichi #ldp #shinzoabe #fumiokishida #shigeruishiba
Former LDP member Hiroshige Seko's decision to seek a Lower House seat as an independent candidate in Wakayama — taking on the son of party heavyweight Toshihiro Nikai — has bewildered constituents and catapulted his district into the national spotlight. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/10/25/japan/politics/seko-nikai-ldp-wakayama/ #japan #politics #ldp #2024lowerhouseelection #hiroshigeseko #nobuyasunikai #toshihironikai #cdp #jcp #shinzoabe #wakayama
Shigeru Ishiba has been on the outside of the ruling party for years. Now, the maverick is in charge. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2024/09/29/japan/japans-new-leader-anti-abe/ #commentary #japan #ldp #shigeruishiba #diet #cabinet #shinzoabe
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba may be popular among the public and local chapters of the Liberal Democratic Party, but when it comes to fellow lawmakers within the ruling party, it's an entirely different story. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/09/24/japan/politics/ishiba-shigeru-ldp-candidate-diet-hates-local-chapters-love/ #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #ldp #kiichimiyazawa #ichiroozawa #taroaso #shinzoabe #fumiokishida
Suspected ties between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church continue to haunt the party ahead of its Sept. 27 presidential vote following the emergence of a picture of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a senior official of the group. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/09/18/japan/politics/ldp-unification-church/ #japan #politics #ldp #unificationchurch #cdp #shinzoabe
Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a ruling ordering the Hokkaido government to pay ¥550,000 in damages after prefectural police forcibly removed a heckler during a stump speech by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2019. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/08/20/japan/crime-legal/japan-supreme-court-damages-order/ #japan #crimelegal #japanesecourts #hokkaido #sapporo #shinzoabe
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s decision not to run in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership race next month came as a result of poor poll numbers and deepening friction with party veterans. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/08/15/japan/politics/kishida-out-analysis/ #japan #politics #fumiokishida #taroaso #yoshihidesuga #yoshiromori #tarokono #toshimitsumotegi #shigeruishiba #shinjirokoizumi #sanaetakaichi #takayukikobayashi #shinzoabe #ldp #diet
The recent shooting of former U.S. President Donald Trump has sent shock waves throughout the U.S. while also reminding Japan of its own share of similarly violent — albeit extremely rare — attacks on high-profile politicians. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/07/16/japan/politics/trump-shooting-japan-reax/ #japan #politics #shinzoabe #fumiokishida #shinzoabeassassination #2024uspresidentialelection #donaldtrump #us #pennsylvania
Two years after the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Liberal Democratic Party conservatives are still soul-searching, and whether they’ll be able to play a decisive role in the September party leadership race remains to be seen. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/07/11/japan/politics/ldp-conservatives/ #japan #politics #ldp #shinzoabe #sanaetakaichi #shigeharuaoyama
