Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has told other political party leaders that arrangements are underway to hold telephone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump following his tariff moves. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/05/japan/politics/ishiba-trump-us-japan-tariffs-call/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations #tariffs #trade

The Liberal Democratic Party gained the upper hand this week in a battle to protect corporate and group donations, driving a wedge between opposition parties. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/04/japan/politics/ldp-gains-upper-hand/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #cdp #dpp #shinjirokoizumi #shigeruishiba

As Liberal Democratic Party members implicated in a slush funds scandal return from their one-year suspensions, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's already-unpopular administration faces more political headaches. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/03/japan/politics/ldp-suspensions-end/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #shigeruishiba #suspension #politicalfunds

Business was already tough for auto parts maker Asahi Tekko, but with U.S. car tariffs due to bite this week, its president has a simple message for Donald Trump: "Give me a break." https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/04/02/companies/trump-tariffs-japan-auto-sector/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #usjapanrelations #tariffs #trade #donaldtrump #shigeruishiba #carmakers #cars #tradewar

Japan has some good options and some credible leverage if it bargains with the United States over new tariffs set to take effect later this week, one economist argues. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/04/02/economy/tariff-japan-cards/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #usjapanrelations #tariffs #trade #donaldtrump #shigeruishiba #carmakers #cars #tradewar

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may have let out a sigh of relief after the budget finally cleared parliament earlier this week, but he has no time to rest as more challenges await. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/01/japan/politics/post-budget-parliament-deliberations/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #ldp #cdp #komeito #dpp #nipponishinnokai #diet

Japan's Upper House has passed a revised budget bill for fiscal 2025 and sent it back to the Lower House for approval by the end of Monday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/31/japan/politics/japan-set-to-pass-budget/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #budgets #upperhouse #diet #shigeruishiba

Concerns over the stability of the minority government of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito is fueling talk of a possible new arrangement, and maybe even a new prime minister. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/31/japan/politics/leadership-scenarios/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #ldp #cdp #dpp #nipponishinnokai #komeito #diet

U.S. Secretary of State Pete Hegseth visited Ioto, the far-flung Japanese island known widely as Iwo Jima, on Saturday for an event honoring those who died in bloody fighting there 80 years ago during World War II. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/29/japan/politics/us-japan-ioto-iwo-jima-ceremony/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #iwojima #ioto #defense #us #usjapanrelations #usmilitary #wwii #history #sdf #defenseministry #gennakatani #petehegseth #shigeruishiba

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent his condolences to Myanmar and Thailand after a huge earthquake killed at least 150 people, his office said Saturday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/29/japan/politics/ishiba-myanmar-thailand-quake/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #myanmar #thailand #myanmarjapanrelations #thailandjapanrelations #earthquakes #shigeruishiba

With just days to go before the end of the current fiscal year, Japan's parliament has yet to pass the budget for fiscal 2025. Is this a big problem? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/28/japan/politics/budget-march-passage/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #budgets #shigeruishiba #ldp #cdp #2025upperhouseelection #upperhouse

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to take thorough measures to protect local jobs from the Trump administration’s 25% tariff on U.S. car imports, which he said will have a "very big” impact on the nation’s economy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/03/28/economy/ishiba-job-protection-tariffs/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #shigeruishiba #donaldtrump #tariffs #carmakers #jobs #japaneseeconomy #us

Instead of releasing a statement to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II this year, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will convene a panel to reflect on lessons learned from the war. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/27/japan/history/ishiba-war-statement/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #shigeruishiba #wwii

Even as the clock ticks down on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's efforts to pass the fiscal 2025 budget this month, his time is instead being spent apologizing for recent remarks about an anti-inflation package. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/27/japan/politics/ishiba-budget-negotiations/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #budgets #ldp #cdp

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's four-day state visit to Japan has brought Brazil and Japan's strategic partnership to new heights as the countries mark 130 years of diplomatic relations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/27/japan/politics/japan-brazil-summit-meeting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #braziljapanrelations #luizinacioluladasilva #shigeruishiba #trade #investments #environment

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is planning measures to ease the impact of inflation on consumers that draw on policies already incorporated in the current and upcoming fiscal year budgets. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/25/japan/politics/ishiba-price-measures-plan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #japaneseeconomy #inflation

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to Japan this week, is expected to build trade ties with Tokyo following the recent emergence of fresh U.S. tariffs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/24/japan/politics/brazil-lula-japan-state-visit/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #luizinacioluladasilva #shigeruishiba #braziljapanrelations

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s approval ratings continued to drop over the weekend as he faces backlash over doling out ¥1.5 million worth of gift vouchers to his fellow Liberal Democratic Party parliamentary members. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/24/japan/politics/ishiba-support-rate-tanks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #surveys #ldp #cdp #dpp #politicalfunds

Japan has protested a statement made by China describing a discussion held between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, according to Japan’s top government spokesperson. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/24/japan/politics/japan-protests-ishiba-wang-meet/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #shigeruishiba #wangyi #yoshimasahayashi #takeshiiwaya

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday signaled his readiness to speak before a Diet political ethics panel over his controversial distribution of gift vouchers to new LDP lawmakers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/22/japan/politics/ishiba-diet-panel/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #ldp #diet #politicalfunds