socrateos comments

To mitigate the impact of U.S. tariffs and maintain their market share, Japanese manufacturers will look to expand into other markets—including China. It’s a no-brainer.

What Japan can emphasize to Trump is that it remains one of the most effective tools in countering Chinese dominance globally.

If Trump wants Japan to contribute more financially to the U.S. military presence in the country, then he must also allow Japan to generate sufficient economic strength. Japan should make it clear that any economic policy that undermines the Japanese economy ultimately weakens the U.S. military presence in Japan.

If Trump sees the U.S. military presence in Japan as not merely for Japan’s defense but primarily as a strategic measure against Chinese dominance, then he must ensure that Japan remains strong—both economically and militarily.

Welcom, welcome to Japan!

As the Japanese proverb goes,

来る人もまた来る人も福の神（Those who come, and those who come next, are gods of good fortune.）

Having a war-renouncing Constitution, Japan had long capped its defense spending at about 1 percent of GDP, or around 5 trillion yen, but the country is increasing it in response to security challenges such as China's rapid military buildup and North Korea's missile and nuclear development.

This summarizes the entire article.

Yrral:

... he has no intention to ban nukes

No, this refers to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which Japan is a party to, not the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which Japan has not joined.

Thought police. So we are officially in 1984.

The dictatorship has begun.

Now a court order is expected to strip the group of legal recognition as early as this month, major Japanese media outlets reported.

Now, how can the media know before the judge announces his decision?

@Japan Glimpsed:

"Ishiba - Listen to Voters and not Unelected Bureaucrats = Democracy NOT Bureaucracy!"

The PM did. Missed it?

Indeed. PM Ishiba, unlike Abe, is a pragmatist. He will seek consensus rather than bulldoze over critics. He listens to voices that may not align with his preferences.

kurikuri:

It's barbaric and archiac.

You are completely wrong. Your sense of morality is upside down. What is truly barbaric is a crime that takes the lives of innocent people. The death penalty is a form of justice against such barbaric and inhuman acts. Justice serves to protect innocent people from such brutality.

grc:

The trade deficit will be a drag on growth

On the contrary, when a country is economically successful, it tends to have a trade deficit simply because it has more purchasing power. US has had trade deficit for 50 consecutive years since 1975!

Here is my advice to Prime Minister Ishiba:

Don’t worry about having a “personal relationship” with Trump.

Always focus on the long-term relationship between the two states, Japan and the USA, rather than on personal ties. Trump is merely a small hiccup in U.S. history. Ignore him if necessary.

One of few nominees Tramp got right.

The Mayor of Hiroshima advocates for peace, which is commendable. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Japan strives to protect the lives of the Japanese people through the best possible defense measures. Everything is as it should be, and that is good.

Beijing has criticized NATO’s growing ties with the Indo-Pacific partners, worried that Washington may move to form a NATO-like alliance in the region.

A NATO-like alliance in Asia is part of Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba's vision. Yes, China should be concerned, but it is China's own imperialistic actions that have brought about this situation.

“Amid the increasingly severe strategic environment in the region, Japan places importance on our bilateral cooperation as well as on maintaining and strengthening trilateral cooperation between Japan, the Philippines and the United States,” Iwaya said.

This is the essence of Prime Minister Ishiba’s concept of an “Asian NATO,” a network of security alliances in Asia that operates with or without U.S. involvement.

There's still a long way to go, but this is a small first step toward realizing Ishiba's vision of Asian security alliances ('Asian NATO') against Chinese imperialism.

(1) Japan's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government will examine how to take a "realistic and practical" approach….

(2) "It was an occasion rather for the prime minister to explain his views on defense and security…

It is clear that Prime Minister Ishiba is a realist, which is good for Japan and democratic nations in Asia and around the world. People should know already that when it comes to defense, he envisions something akin to NATO rather than the UN.

Excellent!

Japan’s tax revenue has been increasing in recent years, reaching record highs without raising tax rate. In fiscal year 2022, tax income rose to ¥72.1 trillion ($446 billion) from ¥71.1 trillion in the previous year. Projections for the fiscal year ending March 2025 estimate tax revenues to rise to approximately ¥73.4 trillion, marking the fifth consecutive year of record-high tax revenue. This increase is attributed to strong corporate profits.

Do Palestinian people regret supporting Hamas?

No? No hope.

The spectacle continues, and the Korean people are enjoying it.

I will watch the sunrise and pray at a local shrine with the people in the small village where I was born and raised. Then, I will enjoy mochi and Osechi with my family, just as I did when I was a child.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

deanzaZZR

War Preparations. USA says jump and Japan asks how high

Indeed, the Japan-US alliance poses a significant obstacle to Chinese imperialism and is essential for maintaining peace in Asia.

ibToday::

If you don't play it's not possible to win. No risk no reward.

Gambling is a type of business designed for players, as a group, to lose. Otherwise, the business wouldn’t be sustainable. The total amount of money “won” is always less than the total amount “invested.” Players always lose in the long run.

The circus continues—what an embarrassment!

elephant200:

This is no kidding, Mr Yoon is preparing to do the same thing as Adolf Hitler…

A thoughtless comparison to Hitler belittles the monstrous evils that caused unspeakable suffering to millions of people. Try to refrain from it.

Ishiba is a fourth-generation Christian and the great-grandson of Kanamori Michitomi, a member of the Kumamoto Band and a pastor who was baptized by Niijima Jo, the founder of Doshisha University. Guided by his devout Christian mother, Ishiba attended church from a young age and was baptized at the Tottori Church of the United Church of Christ in Japan during his high school years.

As a Christian politician, he has been invited to Christian gatherings and has spoken about his faith and political philosophy.

"For me, Christian faith has been a given since childhood, and the very idea that God does not exist in this world is simply incomprehensible to me."

"As this nation faces unprecedented decisions, I must not forget to pray that God's will be done, and that even someone as insignificant as I, like dust, may be used for His purpose." (The Christians キリスト教新聞)

(https://xn--pckuay0l6a7c1910dfvzb.com/?p=47451)

Surrounded by rogue nations with nuclear ambitions, Japan today needs to enhance its defense capabilities continuously. It’s good to see the budget has been approved.

Divorce him already.