Mark E comments

@Ricky, @Yubaru

As Japan ushers in Shigeru Ishiba as its new Prime Minister, the nation must grapple with the weight of his past—a legacy marked by mismanagement, questionable ethics, and public embarrassments. While Ishiba's rise may represent continuity for the LDP, his record inspires little confidence in leadership for the challenges of tomorrow.

Take, for example, Ishiba's ill-fated debut on the international stage at the APEC Summit. Footage of him seated, checking his phone, and only half-heartedly greeting world leaders such as Justin Trudeau and Anwar Ibrahim caused a firestorm of criticism. For a country renowned for its emphasis on decorum, this display was not only discourteous but an affront to Japan's reputation as a model of hospitality and manners. His demeanor at the event, including watching cultural performances with arms crossed, left the impression of a disengaged and tone-deaf statesman—a poor reflection of Japan on the global stage​

(ref: Japan Today, ​Manila Standard)

Closer to home, Ishiba’s years as an LDP stalwart are riddled with fiscal irresponsibility, including the now-infamous "massage chair scandal." While serving in public office, Ishiba saw fit to acquire two luxury massage chairs for his workspace using taxpayer funds, sparking outrage over the misuse of public money. Such extravagances are emblematic of an entrenched political class more focused on personal comfort than the needs of the Japanese people.

The LDP, under Ishiba’s leadership, must confront not only his track record but the broader implications of a stagnant political system that allows figures with histories of waste and inefficacy to helm the nation. Ishiba’s ascent to the Prime Minister's office is a culmination of decades of party loyalty rather than evidence of vision or competence.

As Japan faces economic headwinds, demographic challenges, and an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, it is imperative that its leaders embody the values of responsibility, respect, and innovation. Ishiba, with his embarrassing APEC missteps and fiscal indiscretions, has yet to prove he can rise to the occasion. His premiership should be met with scrutiny, not blind optimism.

"...Pictured are all the factory workers waving to Putin and Kim..."

It would improve the view immensely, if they They took down that Lawson everyone is complaining about… ;)

Chinese coast guard vessels entered waters that Tokyo considers its territory.

Japan Today, please correct the sentence to read...

Chinese coast guard vessels entered Japanese territory.

By not recognizing facts you are giving credence to Chinese claims.

Oh, and BTW the insurance rates are climbing rapidly due to the significantly higher costs of repair/replacement of the EV/hybrid vehicles. 

Better not tell my Insurance company that dropped my rates going from a I.C.E. Nissan to a 2024 Nissan EV. The reason this is incorrect is because there are a considerable number of safety features in new Nissan EVs that prevent front and rear collision by an EV driver. My EV have stopped on there own saving me from a couple low-speed collisions already. The tech works and saves everyone money.

get some decent teachers who are paid a decent wage!

in Japan? lol

for an ALT?! LMFAO

it'll happen when the Tigers win back to back NPB championships aka never

Meanwhile the Bank of Japan had previously said it would consider raising interest rates only once inflation hit 2%.

BOJ:

Do they understand that even a modest increase could send the USD (and energy prices for Japanese importers) lower helping to reduce supply driven inflation? Its like amateur hour at the Finance Ministry aka Bank of Japan.

Although the FDA “generally recognizes” propylene glycol as safe, the EU had no hesitation to place a ban on the chemical because of the harmful side effects in large doses, such as the case of this man who experienced central nervous system depression after ingesting too much whiskey that contained propylene glycol.

I can't imagine much marine life surviving long in that.

Until today, I didn't even know the Metro systems had websites.

And a closer look reveals they also still have FAX machines.

In all seriousness though, I'm concerned at how prepared Japan actually is regarding cybersecurity given the previous minister had NO experience operating a computer.

Japan sent out invitations to the world with an RSVP by August. Over half apparently haven’t responded.

Likely because they don't want to be chaperoned in a group tour ;)

¥1.6 billion is no persimmon seeds and peanuts, but we have more urgent problems to solve. Save your breath and leave these petty topics for the minor parties.

We’re stuck and can’t raise interest rates because the book value of existing bonds would drop. Leaders don’t tighten the belts and take the hit like Xi can.

You see though, this sort of unwanted and unwarranted use of public funds is EXACTLY what got Japan in debt to begin with. No one including the media is holding the LDP to account for all their spending and it is going to cripple the country.

Yes but the results would have been the same for the most part.

As was said, Anyone alive when this happened will remember it was TEPCO and TEPCO alone that caused this by refusing to use sea water to cool the reactor. Instead they felt they could have their cake and eat it too.

it’s no surprise that the government isn’t liable because the government wasn’t liable at the time. I remember clear as day that they even told TEPCO to do something to secure the safety of the reactor.

Classic Japanese logic.

has the city done anything to improve social distancing on trains and subways in the capital? As far As I’ve seen, trains are as packed as ever , but we can’t sit OUTSIDE to watch fireworks. SMH

Mocheake,

Yes, the tech has already been invented by a Japanese researcher and former Nissan engineer. It uses Resin and is 25x more compact/lighter so essentially it could allow the cars to drive further/faster.

Eastman,

your assessment is pretty accurate. Another reason Japan won’t go to Russia for oil is because Russia snubbed Japan a decade ago when Japan was lobbying for a pipeline to be built to Vladivostok as opposed to Harbin. LDP pride took a serious hit and ever since, Japan shunned Russian oil and LNG offers. SMH … so yes Pride is another stupid factor.

factchecker:

It's a great time to not be a car owner.

EV cars can still charge for the same price both at home and on the roads.

sakurasuki:

Does someone will be satisfied with this inflation now? It's been waiting for years in Japan all this time.

demand driven-inflation and supply-driven inflation are two very different beasts. This, scarier of the 2 inflation types, is the latter.

Cricky:

The article fails to mention the 50% government Tax on fuel sales. If the government lowered the Tax by 5% or more that’s would ease things overnight.

100% agree! Sadly for us plebs the LDP is a political machine for all the big businesses they and their supporters own stock in.

If they are paying taxes to Japan they deserve a vote much like the PR living in Japan.

Tora,

The electricity bill for an average household will increase by 283 yen for TEPCO, 292 yen for Chubu Electric Power Co and 55 yen for KEPCO.

Is this per day? Per week? Per month? Let's assume is it per month. So my bill is 5400 yen (if it is about the household gas bill per month). It will become 5683 yen. 

If this is all they are able to increase prices by, it shows how little leeway they actually have. Proof that your average household is struggling WAY more than authorities are letting on (as per usual).

no, there is also a per KW usage going up by 40% in the evenings when usages is the highest from 11yen/kWh to 15.4

¥1688 per person per year is the cost of this expenditure. An increase of 5%. If my wage increased 5% or my taxes decreased by 5%, I’d be fine with it. Otherwise the LDP can screw off.

Japan aspires to a world free of nuclear weapons as the only country to have suffered the devastation of atomic bombings.

And yet won’t join the treaty.

argh! Don’t you hate it being someone’s lapdog?! You want to go out for a walk, but master won’t open the door. You want to eat, but you don’t have opposable digits to open the cupboard and get it yourself. You want to rid the world of animal cruelty but the master that crippled you twice won’t let you tell anyone and handicapped your constitution making it almost impossible to have an assertive military that can preemptively attack under cases of imminent threat. Hashtag $uckstobejapan

So many arm-chair economists in here its unbelievable.

So long as the BOJ and govt force the Yen to stay low (over 100yen/$1 USD there will be no inflation. If inflation hits and the Yen isn't allowed to increase in value we are going to see a sharp snap down and things will go the way of Turkey/Argentina/Zimbabwe. It would be great if the BOJ would let the Yen mature in value but people should be grateful we aren't seeing the Yen drop to pre-bubble 300yen/$1 rates.

voiceofokinawaToday  12:07 pm JST

North Korea, on the other hand, says "eight have died and the other four never entered the country." North Korea's claims may be right, but it must be clarified under what circumstances death occurred. 

Remains returned to Japan were DNA tested and showed they were not the remains of the individuals stated by North Korea. Its no wonder NK can't be trusted.

If you give people a cash handout in Japan it generally ends up in the bank, and does very little in the way of economic stimulus. It has been shown to happen time and time again.

Fact: parents are more likely to use the handouts than pensioners.