政治
広島でのG7サミット終了【G7 Summit Wraps up in Hiroshima】
The G7 Summit in Hiroshima, attended by global leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, concluded on Sunday. Key discussions included military aid for Ukraine, energy security, and the global food crisis, partly due to Russia’s actions. Concurrently, a Quad framework summit was held.
岸田首相の演説先で爆発物【Security Concerns Surge Amid Attacks on Japanese Politicians】
A series of violent incidents targeting Japanese politicians, including an episode where an explosive device was thrown near Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has raised concerns about security measures and political safety, especially during election campaigns when VIPs are most vulnerable. Improved security is needed to address these challenges.
日本がコロナの分類引き下げと制限緩和へ【Japan to downgrade COVID-19 status and ease restrictions】
Japan will downgrade COVID-19’s legal status to Class 5 on May 8, easing restrictions on social and economic activities. The Prime Minister said the government would continue to bear the cost of medical services, and no mandatory mask-wearing rules will be imposed. Non-residents may enter without PCR tests or quarantine.
一軒の苦情で長野の公園が閉鎖【Single household’s complaints lead to Nagano park closure】
Officials announced that a public park in Nagano City will be shut down, after years of complaints from residents of a house adjacent to the park. The household claimed that the noise of dozens of children playing was unbearable, and that children trespassed on their property and damaged it.
法務大臣が無神経な失言の後に辞任【Justice minister resigns after tasteless gaffe】
The resignation of a Kishida appointee, justice minister Yasuhiro Hanashi, highlights both the cabinet’s unpopularity and the tendency of Japanese government officials to make ill-advised remarks. Hanashi appeared not to take his duties seriously, after commenting that he makes headlines only when he approves executions.
岸田総理が統一教会の調査に着手【Kishida launches Unification Church investigation】
As the approval rating for Prime Minister Kishida’s administration hit its lowest level yet amid outrage over the ruling party’s covert ties to the Unification Church, Kishida ordered a probe into the church, which is accused of enriching itself while impoverishing followers. Halting the religious organization’s operations in Japan is among the options on the table.
岸田内閣の支持率が急落【Approval rating of Kishida Cabinet plunges】
Support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet plummeted from 52 percent to 36 percent in a single month, with ties between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church cited as a primary reason. In addition to these connections, which were spotlighted after the fatal shooting of former PM Shinzo Abe, failing COVID countermeasures also drove the drop in support.
異例の国葬が示す故安倍晋三氏の偉大さ【Rare state funeral shows stature of the late Shinzo Abe】
Japan was stunned when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot on July 8. Current PM Fumio Kishida has announced plans for a state funeral, an honor only given to one other postwar leader, Shigeru Yoshida, who also served a long term and was noted for domestic and diplomatic accomplishments.
