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☆ Japan prosecutors indict Yamagami for murder of ex-Prime Minister Abe -Yomiuri
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Japanese prosecutors on Friday indicted the man suspected of killing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Yomiuri newspaper reported. Nara District Public Prosecutors Office indicted Tetsuya Yamagami, 42, on murder charges as well as for violating gun laws after concluding a roughly six-month psychiatric evaluation, the newspaper reported. The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954 and famous for its mass weddings, relying on its Japan followers as a key source of income. The approval rate for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government had fallen to record laws amid revelations about connections between the church and many LDP lawmakers. In November, Japan launched a probe into the church that could threaten its legal status following the assassination of Abe.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ Ex-BOJ deputy Yamaguchi emerging as next c.bank head contender -Sankei
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Former Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Hirohide Yamaguchi, a vocal critic of Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's stimulus programme, is emerging as a strong candidate to become next head of the central bank, the Sankei newspaper reported on Thursday. Yamaguchi had been considered a less likely candidate compared with deputy governor Masayoshi Amamiya and former deputy Hiroshi Nakaso. But Yamaguchi is attracting more attention as a strong candidate as Kishida's administration distances itself from Abenomics, the Sankei said, adding that Kishida's choice of new BOJ governor will become clear as early as next month. A career central banker with deep experience in monetary policy drafting, Yamaguchi served as deputy governor for five years until 2013. Since retiring from the BOJ, Yamaguchi has warned of the rising cost of prolonged easing and criticised Kuroda's stimulus as relying too much on the view that central banks can influence public perception with monetary policy.

☆ Fourth Japan minister exits PM Kishida's four-month-old cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japan's Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba visits at Yasukuni Shrine on the 77th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Japanese reconstruction minister Kenya Akiba tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday, becoming the fourth minister to leave the cabinet created by Kishida in August. Three other ministers have quit in close succession due to scandals, some involving funding and ties with the Unification Church. "It was a difficult decision to make, but I tendered my resignation to the prime minister as I felt I must not hamper the debates in parliament," he added. Akiba will be replaced by former reconstruction minister Hiromichi Watanabe, Kyodo News reported on Tuesday.

☆ Japan PM Kishida to replace reconstruction minister Akiba - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will replace reconstruction minister Kenya Akiba with former financial services agency minister Tatsuya Ito, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday. Akiba would be the fourth minister to be let go from the cabinet of Kishida, whose approval ratings have remained low after the killing of former premier Shinzo Abe revealed close connections between ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers and the church, which critics say is a cult. Reporting by Rocky Swift Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan PM Kishida to replace embattled reconstruction minister Akiba - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is battling low approval ratings, will replace a government minister for the fourth time since he created his current cabinet in August, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday. Discussions on a replacement for Kenya Akiba, minister responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of areas hit by Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, are still underway, the broadcaster said. NHK initially reported that Akiba will be replaced by former financial services agency minister Tatsuya Ito, but later corrected that report to say a successor has not been picked. That's all I can say," Kishida said on Monday when asked whether he planned to replace Akiba. Kishida also plans to replace Mio Sugita, his Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs, Kyodo reported on Monday citing multiple unidentified government sources.

☆ Japan prosecutors to indict suspected Abe assassin - Kyodo
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Japanese prosecutors have decided to indict the man suspected of shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kyodo news agency and other Japanese media reported on Saturday. The decision follows psychiatric examination of the suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed 42-year-old. Abe was killed with a handmade gun during an election campaign in July. Yamagami's detention for mental examination will end on January 10, and Nara prosecutors will likely indict him by January 13, according to Kyodo. Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Image inspired by The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’ album cover, showing celebrities who died in 2022, is annual artwork produced by British artist
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An image showing dozens of celebrities who have died in 2022 is inspired by the cover art for The Beatles’ 1967 album, ‘Sgt. It is a piece of work produced annually by a British artist and it includes different popular figures each year. However, the picture shows this year’s take on the annual project and includes celebrities who have died from numerous causes in 2022. British artist Chris Barker posted the image on Instagram (here and here), the latter of which includes the caption, “#sgtpepper2022 update. The artwork is an annual project produced by an artist and includes celebrities who have died from numerous causes in 2022.

☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

☆ Japan to consider revising Abe-era deflation fighting mandate - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan next year will consider revising its decade-old blueprint for fighting deflation, sources said, as financial markets bet that a weak yen and rising consumer prices will force the central bank to finally drop its ultra-loose monetary policy. The pledge has served as the backbone of Kuroda’s radical monetary stimulus and justification for keeping Japan’s interest rates ultra-low, even as other central banks tighten monetary policy to combat stubbornly high inflation. Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday that the government is set to revise the joint statement to make the BOJ’s inflation target a more flexible goal, with some leeway. SHIFTING FOCUSA revision to the joint statement would mark the final nail in the coffin for former premier’s Abenomics stimulus programme, which relied heavily on Kuroda’s massive stimulus to pull Japan out of deflation. Analysts say any revision that waters down the status of the BOJ’s 2% inflation target could serve as a trigger for phasing out Kuroda’s stimulus programme.

☆ Japan govt to consider revising joint statement with BOJ - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TOKYO (Reuters) -The Japanese government will consider revising next year a joint statement it signed with the Bank of Japan (BOJ) in 2013 that commits the central bank to meeting a 2% inflation target as soon as possible, sources told Reuters. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File PhotoThe revision, if made, would be done after a new BOJ governor is appointed in April, they said, a move that may heighten the chance of a tweak to incumbent governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s ultra-loose monetary policy. There is no consensus within the government on what changes could be made, as much will depend on the views of the new BOJ governor, said four government and ruling party officials with knowledge of the matter. “Given we’ll have a new BOJ governor, there will likely be a new statement,” one of the government officials said. Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday that the government is set to revise the joint statement to make the BOJ’s inflation target a more flexible goal, with some leeway.

☆ As Kuroda bows out, Bank of Japan's rising hawks eye end to unloved yield cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

PUBLIC DISCONTENTAfter a tumultuous year for the world's third-largest economy, Japan's central bank and its leadership face a critical moment. While ruling out the need to ditch the yield cap now, Takata recently said he saw positive developments in wage growth. "The BOJ must start worrying about the possibility of inflation accelerating more than expected," he told Reuters, adding the BOJ may abandon its yield cap as early as next year. Such a reaction was seen in March when the BOJ was forced to pledge unlimited bond buying to defend its yield cap from speculative market attacks. "That's why the BOJ won't provide advance signals and remove the yield cap in a single step."

☆ Japan lawmaker in Taiwan says China threat needs more military spending
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TAIPEI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Japan needs to increase its military spending in the face of the "grim reality" of the threat from China and North Korea, a senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party said on Sunday during a visit to Taiwan. Although Chinese-claimed and democratically-governed Taiwan and Japan do not have formal diplomatic ties, they have close unofficial relations and both share concerns about China, especially its increased military activities near the two. Hagiuda pointed to China's massive increase in military spending, as well as North Korean missile tests, as reasons for Japan to raise its defence budget. Japan hosts major U.S. military bases, including on Okinawa, a short flight from Taiwan, which would be crucial for any U.S. support during a Chinese attack. Addressing a think-tank in Taiwan last December, the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan and the United States could not stand by if China attacked Taiwan, and Beijing needs to understand this.

☆ New Japan law targets Unification Church fundraising abuses
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Hideyuki Teshigawara, general manager of reform promotion headquarters of the Japan branch of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, bows at the beginning of a press conference in Tokyo on Sept. 22, 2022. Japan's parliament on Saturday enacted a law to restrict malicious donation solicitations by religious and other groups, which mainly targets the Unification Church, whose fundraising tactics and cozy ties with the governing party caused public outrage. A revised national security strategy, which is expected to be released later this month, would allow Japan to develop a preemptive strike capability and deploy long-range missiles. "Our ongoing project will involve a major change to our national security and finance policies," Kishida said. The suspect who fatally shot Abe at an outdoor campaign rally in July told police he targeted the former prime minister because of his links to the Unification Church.

☆ Japan Clamps Down on Moon Church’s Fundraising
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Miho Inada | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The new Japanese law bars religious groups such as the former Unification Church from taking advantage of followers’ anxieties or fears in soliciting money. TOKYO—Japan’s Parliament on Saturday passed a law that bars high-pressure fundraising tactics, a measure aimed at the church founded by the late Rev. Moon Sun-myung. The law’s final approval came just five months after the July 8 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe triggered a reappraisal of the former Unification Church, which until the killing had ties to many ruling-party members while drawing little public attention.

☆ Trump pushes back against claims Mar-a-Lago security will be boosted after Nick Fuentes controversy: 'We're not going to have my guests strip searched'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump campaign officials are considering ramping up security at Mar-a-Lago, AP reported Wednesday. Security at Mar-a-Lago is under scrutiny after Ye was not vetted before his meeting with Trump. But Trump dismissed the report on Thursday, saying security at the resort is "strong." Despite being the only one on the guest list, Ye arrived at Mar-a-Lago with several guests including Fuentes and far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos. The dinner prompted stinging criticism from fellow Republicans, given some of Fuentes' previous comments, and also led to Trump campaign staff discussing introducing new security measures, the Associated Press reported.

☆ Travel warnings: What other nations tell their citizens about US violence
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

After all, the rate of gun-related deaths in the United States has been going up in recent years. CNN Travel keeps a periodic check on what the governments of the United States’ neighbors and closest allies tell their citizens about coming here. It also tells its citizens that “violent crime, including gun crime, rarely involves tourists, but you should take care when traveling in unfamiliar areas. In many states, it is legal for United States citizens to openly carry firearms in public. “Violent crime has targeted individuals and groups from the LGBTQIA+ community and those with diverse ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.

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☆ Japan PM Kishida's approval hits new low after ministers resign
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's public support slipped to a new low in a poll published on Sunday, as a series of cabinet resignations has compounded anger over the ruling party's ties to a controversial religious group. Support for Kishida's cabinet fell to 33.1% from 37.6% a month ago in the Kyodo news poll, his lowest in the agency's surveys since he took office in October 2021. Exacerbating the government's problems, scandals have forced three cabinet members from office since last month. The Kyodo poll found 62.4% of respondents disapproving of how Kishida had handled the resignations of Economic Revitalisation Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa, Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi and Internal Affairs Minister Minoru Terada. Kishida's approval failed to get a boost from a $200 billion economic support package to ease inflationary pains fuelled by the yen's plunge to 32-year-lows.

☆ Japan govt begins Unification Church probe amid anger over ties with ruling party
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japan's government on Tuesday launched a probe into the Unification Church, the first step in a process that could strip the group of its legal status amid public anger over its links to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling party. The government will give the church until Dec. 9 to answer questions about its finances and organisation, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Keiko Nagaoka told a regular news conference. Once the government investigation is over it will be up to a court to decide whether to remove the Unification Church's legal standing and with it the tax exemptions that registered religious organisations enjoy in Japan. Widespread links between the church and lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) came to light after former premier Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during an election campaign in July. Reporting by Tim Kelly and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Japan is a country of more than 127 million people, but it rarely sees more than 10 gun deaths a year. Culture is one reason for the low rate, but gun control is a major one, too. Japan, a country of 127 million people and yearly gun deaths rarely totaling more than 10, is one such country. Japan is a country with regulations upon regulationsJapan's success in curbing gun deaths is intimately linked with its history. The government has since loosened the law, but the fact Japan enacted gun control from the stance of prohibition is important.

☆ Japan PM Kishida plans to sack internal affairs minister Terada, Yomiuri reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to sack internal affairs minister Minoru Terada, Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, the third cabinet minister to leave in under a month in a fresh blow for Kishida's battered support ratings. Kishida told a news conference in Bangkok on Saturday he would make a decision on Terada as needed, adding "cabinet ministers must fulfill their obligations to explain." The suspected killer has said his mother was bankrupted by the church and has blamed Abe for promoting it. The LDP has acknowledged many lawmakers have ties to the church but that there is no organisational link to the party. Further damage came from the resignation of justice minister Yasuhiro Hanashi last week for comments seen as making light of his work responsibilities, specifically signing off on executions.

☆ Third Japanese cabinet minister in a month resigns in blow to PM
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Japan's internal affairs minister resigned on Sunday in connection with a funding scandal, becoming the third cabinet member to leave in less than a month in a severe blow to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's already shaky support. Internal affairs minister Minoru Terada tendered his resignation to Kishida after media reports the premier was preparing to sack him. Kishida said he had accepted Terada's resignation in order to prioritise parliamentary debate, including discussions on a second extra budget for the fiscal year ending in March. Asked about the fact that three ministers have resigned since Oct. 24, Kishida said he would like to apologise. Hanashi and Terada's resignations are likely to be especially painful because they were members of Kishida's faction in the LDP.

☆ BOJ inflation target to be scrutinised at government forum
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - A government-affiliated think tank will host a forum next month to discuss the Bank of Japan's 2% inflation target and the "challenges ahead", the organisation said on Monday. Participants include Columbia University professor Takatoshi Ito, who was a proponent of setting an inflation target when the BOJ had none until 2013, and University of Tokyo academic Tsutomu Watanabe, a former BOJ official known for his analyses on Japan's price trends. Three months later, Abe's hand-picked BOJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda deployed a massive asset-buying programme to meet his pledge of achieving 2% inflation in roughly two years. But stubbornly low inflation and a fragile economy forced the BOJ to maintain a massive stimulus until now, keeping Japan's central bank an outlier among global peers that have been tightening monetary policy to combat soaring inflation. With prolonged easing crushing bank profits and distorting the yield curve, some lawmakers have called for tweaking the joint statement and making the 2% inflation target a long-term goal with some room for flexibility.

☆ Japan's PM Kishida plans to sack justice minister - media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has firmed up his intention to sack his justice minister, media reported on Friday, raising the possibility of a second minister leaving the cabinet because of a scandal in less than a month. Hanashi has come under widespread criticism over comments reported in the media in which he made light of his duties, specifically signing off on executions, which he referred to as "tedious". Hanashi's office declined to comment when asked about the media reports that the prime minister was preparing to sack him. Kishida has struggled to overcome revelations of deep and longstanding ties between the ruling party and the church in following the July assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Economic revitalisation minister Daishiro Yamagiwa resigned on Oct. 24 due to his ties to the religious group.

☆ Japan lives at the bleeding edge of good enough
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says he will put innovation and scientific research at the “centre” of his policy push. That has meant pushing the $1.3 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund to get involved funding startups while removing policy bottlenecks. In the United States nearly a third of venture capital came from pensions whereas in Japan it is only 3%, according to a Nikkei report. However, the blunting of Japan is due more to its failure to deploy existing tools and best practices than invent new ones. Investing in the future makes for riveting speeches, but Japan Inc will get more from reinventing itself than inventing new things.

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