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☆ Visits from Japanese and Filipino leaders highlight Biden’s efforts to blunt China’s aggression
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Arlette Saenz | Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Biden’s week also includes an official visit for Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, reinforcing his commitment to cultivating partnerships in the Indo-Pacific in the face of China’s rising economic and military power. The historic leaders summit on Thursday between Biden, Kishida and Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos is expected to produce announcements relating to infrastructure, energy security, digital connectivity and maritime security. Meanwhile, Japan has recently loosened restrictions on the export of military technology – paving the way for deeper collaboration with like-minded allies. The first virtual meeting with the four leaders took place in March 2021 with subsequent in-person summits in the years that followed. Biden and his team also have sought to draw in smaller regional neighbors concerned about China’s military and economic aggression.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kishida, Biden, Jake Sullivan, “, Jill Biden, Kishida Yuko, They’re, Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos, ” Sullivan, ”, John Neuffer, ” Biden, ” Rahm Emanuel, Sullivan, zeroed, Japan’s, Yoshihide Suga, Korea’s, Moon Jae, Yoon Suk Yeol, Rodrigo Duterte, Donald Trump, ” Kishida Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, CNN, Biden White House, Australia, US Steel, APEC, Washington, Semiconductor Industry Association, Clark Air Base, Subic Naval Base, American, White, Kishida, White House, Pacific, PBS Locations: Japan, Philippines, North Korea, Ukraine, Gaza, India, South Korea, China, Manila, ’, lockstep, Netherlands, Taiwan, Beijing, Thursday’s, US, Australia, South China, South, Russia, Kishida, United States, Tokyo, Seoul, David, United Kingdom, Washington, Vietnam, U.S

Kishida made the remarks days ahead of his Wednesday meeting with Biden in Washington, where he will also address a joint session of Congress and participate in the very first trilateral summit between Japan, the United States and the Philippines. Partnership with Japan has long been central to US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, but the defense relationship has expanded under Kishida, who has raised Japan’s profile in global and regional security. That move is not without controversy, especially in China and other parts of Asia that suffered hugely under Japan’s World War II era militarism. Building Japan’s deterrence and response capability is also “essential” for the alliance with the United States, he argued. Since taking office, Kishida has also positioned Japan as a partner to the US not only in Asia, but more globally.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, ” Kishida, ”, Kishida, “, Biden, Donald Trump, White, Trump, Kim Jong Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Biden, Partnership, East China, South Korea –, North, South Locations: Japan, Ukraine, East Asia, Tokyo, United States, Washington, Philippines, Russia, South, Taiwan, China, Asia, East, South China, South Korea, America’s, Europe, North Korea, Moscow, Pyongyang

Asian productions or nominees with a predominantly Asian cast have been making headway at the Academy Awards in recent years. South Korean thriller “Parasite” made history in 2020 as the first non-English language movie to win best picture, alongside three further awards. "The Boy and the Heron" producer Toshio Suzuki speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles on March 11, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesFor others, the award offered Japan a boost after a rough start to the year. Kelts, the Japan-based author, said the second Oscar win showed the Academy had recognized Miyazaki’s artistic genius and that Japanese animation is far from solely entertainment.

Persons: CNN —, Hayao Miyazaki, ”, Huy Quan, Malaysia’s Michelle Yeoh, Heron ”, Ghibli’s, “, Roland Kelts, Miyazaki, Richard Harbaugh, Toshio Suzuki, ‘, ’ Suzuki, Suzuki, ” Suzuki, Richard A, Brooks, Tatsuji Nojima, “ Oscar, Takashi Yamazaki, Fumio Kishida, Yamazaki, ” Kishida, Hideaki Omura, Godzilla’s, Chris Hemsworth, Anya Taylor, Joy, Patrick T, Fallon, Kelts Organizations: CNN, Academy, Sony Pictures, Culture, Oscar Academy, Ghibli, Japan’s, NHK, Getty, Japan, Sunday, Gov, Hollywood, American, Waseda University Locations: Japan, America, Vietnam, ” Tokyo, Hollywood, Los Angeles, AFP, Aichi prefecture, Miyazaki, Japanese, Ishikawa, Tokyo

The two sides issued a joint communique, stating Japan's long-term support in helping Ukraine achieve economic stability. Japan hopes the conference will build momentum for international support for Ukraine as the war drags on and attention has diverted to the Gaza situation. The conference is largely about reconstruction and investment in Ukraine, but it’s also about Japan’s national security. Its support for Ukraine comes amid fear of China’s increasingly assertive military actions in the region. Japan, in cooperation with other Group of Seven members, hopes to link the Tokyo conference to a separate Ukraine reconstruction conference to be held in Germany in June.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, ” Kishida, “, Denys Shmyhal, ”, it’s, Yoko Kamikawa Organizations: TOKYO, “, Ukraine, of, Japan External Trade Organization, Russia, ”, Seven Locations: Japan, Ukrainian, Ukraine, “ Ukraine, Gaza, East Asia, States, Tokyo, Germany

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday he is preparing to take bold economic measures, including an income tax cut for households hit by inflation and tax breaks for companies to promote investment, in what's seen as a move to lift his dwindling public support. “I'm determined to take unprecedentedly bold measures,” Kishida said, pledging an intensive effort to achieve stronger supply capability in about three years. “The results clearly show that many voters are dissatisfied by the government's delayed economic measures to tackle rising prices," said Jun Azumi, a senior CDPJ lawmaker. “Now is the time for me to focus on that, and I'm not thinking about anything else,” Kishida said, denying that his tax cut proposal was related to elections. The tax cuts would be part of a new economic stimulus package he plans to announce by the end of the month.

Persons: —, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, “ I'm, ” Kishida, “, ”, Azumi Organizations: TOKYO, Liberal Democratic Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan Locations: what's, Nagasaki, Sunday's, Kochi, Tokushima, Ukraine, Israel, China

CNN —Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed to strengthen “trilateral strategic collaboration” with the United States and South Korea during the first-ever stand-alone summit between the three nations’ leaders on Friday at Camp David. During the historic meeting, Kishida emphasized the need to strengthen the partnership between the three nations, with heavy emphasis on the growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. “Under such circumstances to make our trilateral strategic collaboration blossom and bloom is only logical and almost inevitable and is required in this era,” he said to the crowd. “The three of us here today declare our determination to pioneer a new era of Japan, US, ROK (Republic of Korea) partnership.”In addition to the shared North Korean missile warning system the three countries have established since last November, Kishida announced new measures to combat aggression in the region. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a joint press conference during the trilateral summit at Camp David on August 18.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, David, Kishida, ”, Yoon Suk Yeol, Joe Biden, Camp David, Evelyn Hockstein, Reuters Kishida, ” Kishida Organizations: CNN, Japanese, “, ROK, ”, Korean, United Nations Security Council, South, Reuters, ’ Locations: United States, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, US, Republic of Korea, Camp

☆ Chipmakers look to Japan as worries about China grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he welcomed and expected more investment from global chipmakers, after meeting top executives on Thursday before a Group of Seven summit. Growing Taiwan and US tensions with China have brought serious challenges to the semiconductor industry. “I am very pleased with your positive attitude towards investment in Japan, and would like the government as a whole to work on further expanding direct investment in Japan and support the semiconductor industry,” Kishida said. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets executives of major global chipmakers ahead of a G7 summit. In particular, Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan is quickly becoming a hotbed for tech investment from companies including TSMC and Fujifilm Holdings Corp (FUJIF).

Kishida said there were four "pillars" to Japan's new Indo-Pacific plan: maintaining peace, dealing with new global issues in cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries, achieving global connectivity through various platforms, and ensuring the safety of the open seas and skies. Japan pledged $75 billion to the region by 2030 via private investment and yen loans and by ramping up aid through official governmental assistance and grants. "We plan to expand the cooperation of the free and open Indo-Pacific framework," Kishida told the Indian Council of World Affairs. China has ramped up its military presence in the Indo-Pacific and rapidly modernised its navy while promoting its Belt and Road Initiative. "Giving voice to the priorities of the Global South is an important pillar of our G20 presidency," Modi said after his talks with Kishida.

☆ Toyota accepts union demands for biggest wage hike in two decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

As one of Japan’s biggest employers, Toyota (TM) has long served as a bellwether of the spring labor talks, which are in full swing at major companies. Toyota and the union federation representing 357,000 Toyota group workers said the base pay rise was the biggest in two decades, though they both declined to provide the percentage increase. Successful talksToyota said its wage increase would also apply to part-time workers and senior contract workers. Takaaki Sakagami, deputy secretary-general of the Federation of All Toyota Workers’ Union, said the union was pleased it had been able to reach a deal with the company quickly. Video game maker Nintendo (NTDOF) said earlier this month that it planned to lift workers’ base pay by 10%, despite trimming its full-year profit forecast.

☆ Japan's leader prioritizes arms buildup, reversing low birthrate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Kishida’s government in December adopted key security and defense reforms, including a counterstrike capability that breaks from the country’s exclusively self-defense-only postwar principle. Japan says the current deployment of missile interceptors is insufficient to defend it from rapid weapons advancement in China and North Korea. Kishida said it’s a “drastic turnaround” of Japan’s security policy, but still remains within the limitations of its pacifist constitution and international law. This month, Kishida took a five-nation tour, including Washington, to explain Japan’s new defense plan and further develop defense ties with its ally the United States. Japan is the world’s third-biggest economy but living costs are high and wage increases have been slow.

☆ Biden, Kishida to discuss Japan ‘stepping up’ security
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The Oval Office meeting and signing ceremony at NASA’s Washington headquarters will cap a weeklong tour for Kishida that took him to five European and North American capitals for talks on his effort to beef up Japan’s security. Japan’s defense spending has historically remained below 1% of GDP. “Japan is stepping up and doing so in lockstep with the United States,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Kishida also discussed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron his hopes to improve security cooperation between Japan and their respective nations. “Those days are gone.”Biden administration officials have praised Japan for stepping up in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Tokyo CNN —Japan is grappling with the biggest drop in living standards in nearly a decade as inflation continues to soar. Japan saw a 3.8% year-on-year fall in inflation-adjusted wages in November, data published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare showed. It’s the biggest fall since May 2014, when a consumption tax hike at the time caused a 4.1% decline, according to data published by the ministry. Companies must generate profits and then properly distribute them to workers,” Kishida said Thursday while speaking at a New Year gathering hosted by Japan’s three major business lobbies. Wages in Japan have largely hovered at the same level over the last decade, according to the latest data published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, the second missile test by the Kim Jong Un regime in two days, in actions condemned as unacceptable by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. “North Korea is continuing to carry out provocative actions at frequency never seen before,” Kishida told reporters Friday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Increased missile testsThe aggressive acceleration in weapons testing and rhetoric has sparked alarm in the region, with the US, South Korea and Japan responding with missile launches and joint military exercises. The tally includes both cruise and ballistic missiles, with the latter making up the majority of North Korean test this year. North Korea isn’t interested talking right now,” Lewis said.

☆ Japanese prime minister orders investigation of Unification Church
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered an investigation Monday into the Unification Church in an apparent move to calm the public outrage over his governing party’s cozy ties with the controversial group, which were revealed in the wake of Shinzo Abe’s assassination. Former Prime Minister Abe was shot to death during an outdoor campaign speech in July. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, told police he killed Abe because of his apparent link to a religious group he hated. An LDP survey in September found nearly half of its lawmakers had ties to the church, including Cabinet ministers. Nagaoka, the culture minister, said she will set up a panel of legal and religious experts next week to discuss a rare investigation into a religious group.

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