Parties, Candidates Compete Fiercely on Social Media During Election; Baseless Information Rampant
The Yomiuri Shimbun has examined the view counts of each political party's official YouTube channel during the election campaign period from July 3 to 19. The view count of Sanseito's official YouTube channel surpassed 50 million in total, far more than the channels of other parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party, which had more than 40 million views.
Meanwhile, on X (formerly Twitter), posts on various issues and policies from the consumption tax to foreign nationals were flying around, but false and inaccurate information was also rampant.
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Kyodo News
12 hours ago
- Kyodo News
FOCUS: Japan may face political turmoil if PM quits soon after election loss
TOKYO - If Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigns soon, the move could herald political turmoil in Japan, as no decisive winner emerged from Sunday's House of Councillors election, in which the ruling bloc suffered a major setback. Having lost its majority in both chambers of parliament it remains unclear whether the ruling Liberal Democratic Party could even produce the next prime minister from within its own ranks, should Ishiba step down. Amid deep ideological divisions, prospects for an opposition-led government are dim, compelling the LDP's next leader to pursue new alliances. Should coalition talks falter, Japan could be thrust into a period of prolonged political turbulence, analysts warn. The ruling bloc was already a minority in the more powerful House of Representatives following last year's general election, held about a month after Ishiba won the LDP leadership race in late September. Frustration over his government's failure to take effective measures to ease the negative impact of inflation on the economy also led to the LDP losing this year's Tokyo metropolitan assembly election one month before the upper house race. A government official said, "Ishiba struck out on three pitches. He's out and it's time to switch sides." Some pundits say Ishiba's reluctance to cut the consumption tax rate to maintain the social security system -- a move believed to favor the elderly -- is viewed by the younger generation as tone-deaf to household struggles, eroding support across ideological lines. The LDP has not clarified whether it will begin discussing a consumption tax cut with opposition parties. Ikuo Gonoi, a politics professor at Takachiho University, said the public "will not be satisfied" unless the ruling party "makes concessions" on the issue. Ishiba, meanwhile, said Japan has reached a crucial trade agreement with the United States, avoiding the worst-case scenario of a 25 percent "reciprocal tariff," but the deal's conclusion may pave the way for Ishiba's exit, the pundits added. While the ruling camp's loss of its majority in both the lower and upper houses has provided a window of opportunity for opposition parties to take power, they have been ideologically fragmented, particularly on national security issues. Even if the LDP-led coalition remains the core of the government, it must seek cooperation from opposition parties to pass individual bills and budgets, at least until the next scheduled upper house election in three years. Ishiba's resignation would force the LDP to hold a leadership race -- either involving rank-and-file members or decided swiftly by lawmakers alone. A shift toward a more conservative, pro-spending figure might be the party's best bet. Sanae Takaichi, a former minister for economic security, is considered a top candidate to succeed Ishiba. She won the most rank-and-file votes in the previous LDP leadership race and would become the party's first female president if elected. Takaichi, known as an advocate of expansionary fiscal spending and hawkish national security policies, could trigger a broader political realignment as Ishiba has alienated conservative supporters from the LDP. If the LDP pivots rightward, the possibility of a grand coalition with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan would diminish, as the largest opposition force holds more left-leaning perspectives on security and diplomacy. But some conservative opposition groups that gained momentum in the latest election -- such as the Democratic Party for the People and the right-leaning populist Sanseito party -- could align with Takaichi's LDP, making a coalition feasible. Even so, it remains to be seen whether Takaichi can become Japan's first female prime minister. As a last resort to expand the coalition, the LDP could tap a partner party leader as premier in exchange for securing a bicameral majority. In Japan, the biggest party in parliament has occasionally handed the prime ministership to the leader of a smaller coalition partner to form a government, most notably after the LDP was briefly ousted from power in 1993. Other potential successors to Ishiba could face difficulties bringing other parties into the coalition, as many are regarded as moderates like him. He has prompted conservative opposition groups to further distance themselves from the LDP. Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who has regained media attention for promoting efforts to curb surging rice prices, is perceived as a close ally of Ishiba, while Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi shares the blame for Sunday's setback as the government's top spokesman. Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Ishiba's predecessor, appears eager to make a comeback, but he has not escaped criticism for losing the conservative support base that Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving premier who was assassinated in 2022, had built. Only Koizumi seems well-positioned to forge a coalition government with the conservative Japan Innovation Party, as he has a "strong affinity" with its leader, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, the group's founder Toru Hashimoto said on a TV program. If the next LDP president fails to join hands with groups other than its long-standing partner Komeito party, the opposition bloc could submit a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet. Given the seat distribution in the lower house, the motion is set to pass. The new leader would then most likely dissolve the lower house and call a snap election, said Masamichi Adachi, chief economist for Japan at UBS Securities, adding, "In any case, political uncertainty is expected to continue for some time."
Japan Today
21 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan may face political turmoil if PM quits soon after election loss
People take part in a rally outside the office of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, urging the embattled leader not to resign in a show of support in Tokyo on July 25, 2025. (Photo not for sale)(For editorial use only)(Kyodo) ==Kyodo By Tomoyuki Tachikawa If Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigns soon, the move could herald political turmoil in Japan, as no decisive winner emerged from Sunday's House of Councillors election, in which the ruling bloc suffered a major setback. Having lost its majority in both chambers of parliament it remains unclear whether the ruling Liberal Democratic Party could even produce the next prime minister from within its own ranks, should Ishiba step down. Amid deep ideological divisions, prospects for an opposition-led government are dim, compelling the LDP's next leader to pursue new alliances. Should coalition talks falter, Japan could be thrust into a period of prolonged political turbulence, analysts warn. The ruling bloc was already a minority in the more powerful House of Representatives following last year's general election, held about a month after Ishiba won the LDP leadership race in late September. Frustration over his government's failure to take effective measures to ease the negative impact of inflation on the economy also led to the LDP losing this year's Tokyo metropolitan assembly election one month before the upper house race. A government official said, "Ishiba struck out on three pitches. He's out and it's time to switch sides." Some pundits say Ishiba's reluctance to cut the consumption tax rate to maintain the social security system -- a move believed to favor the elderly -- is viewed by the younger generation as tone-deaf to household struggles, eroding support across ideological lines. The LDP has not clarified whether it will begin discussing a consumption tax cut with opposition parties. Ikuo Gonoi, a politics professor at Takachiho University, said the public "will not be satisfied" unless the ruling party "makes concessions" on the issue. Ishiba, meanwhile, said Japan has reached a crucial trade agreement with the United States, avoiding the worst-case scenario of a 25 percent "reciprocal tariff," but the deal's conclusion may pave the way for Ishiba's exit, the pundits added. While the ruling camp's loss of its majority in both the lower and upper houses has provided a window of opportunity for opposition parties to take power, they have been ideologically fragmented, particularly on national security issues. Even if the LDP-led coalition remains the core of the government, it must seek cooperation from opposition parties to pass individual bills and budgets, at least until the next scheduled upper house election in three years. Ishiba's resignation would force the LDP to hold a leadership race -- either involving rank-and-file members or decided swiftly by lawmakers alone. A shift toward a more conservative, pro-spending figure might be the party's best bet. Sanae Takaichi, a former minister for economic security, is considered a top candidate to succeed Ishiba. She won the most rank-and-file votes in the previous LDP leadership race and would become the party's first female president if elected. Takaichi, known as an advocate of expansionary fiscal spending and hawkish national security policies, could trigger a broader political realignment as Ishiba has alienated conservative supporters from the LDP. If the LDP pivots rightward, the possibility of a grand coalition with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan would diminish, as the largest opposition force holds more left-leaning perspectives on security and diplomacy. But some conservative opposition groups that gained momentum in the latest election -- such as the Democratic Party for the People and the right-leaning populist Sanseito party -- could align with Takaichi's LDP, making a coalition feasible. Even so, it remains to be seen whether Takaichi can become Japan's first female prime minister. As a last resort to expand the coalition, the LDP could tap a partner party leader as premier in exchange for securing a bicameral majority. In Japan, the biggest party in parliament has occasionally handed the prime ministership to the leader of a smaller coalition partner to form a government, most notably after the LDP was briefly ousted from power in 1993. Other potential successors to Ishiba could face difficulties bringing other parties into the coalition, as many are regarded as moderates like him. He has prompted conservative opposition groups to further distance themselves from the LDP. Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who has regained media attention for promoting efforts to curb surging rice prices, is perceived as a close ally of Ishiba, while Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi shares the blame for Sunday's setback as the government's top spokesman. Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Ishiba's predecessor, appears eager to make a comeback, but he has not escaped criticism for losing the conservative support base that Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving premier who was assassinated in 2022, had built. Only Koizumi seems well-positioned to forge a coalition government with the conservative Japan Innovation Party, as he has a "strong affinity" with its leader, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, the group's founder Toru Hashimoto said on a TV program. If the next LDP president fails to join hands with groups other than its long-standing partner Komeito party, the opposition bloc could submit a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet. Given the seat distribution in the lower house, the motion is set to pass. The new leader would then most likely dissolve the lower house and call a snap election, said Masamichi Adachi, chief economist for Japan at UBS Securities, adding, "In any case, political uncertainty is expected to continue for some time." © KYODO
Japan Today
21 hours ago
- Japan Today
Trump says Japan will invest $550 billion in US at his direction. It may not be a sure thing
A staff member distributes an extra edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reporting that President Donald Trump announced a trade framework with Japan on Tuesday, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Tokyo. The headline reads "U.S., a 15% tax on goods imported from Japan." (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) By JOSH BOAK and MARI YAMAGUCHI President Donald Trump is bragging that Japan has given him, as part of a new trade framework, $550 billion to invest in the United States. It's an astonishing figure, but still subject to negotiation and perhaps not the sure thing he's portraying. "Japan is putting up $550 billion in order to lower their tariffs a little bit," Trump said Thursday. 'They put up, as you could call it, seed money. Let's call it seed money.' He said 90% of any profits from the money invested would go to the U.S. even if Japan had put up the funds. 'It's not a loan or anything, it's a signing bonus,' the Republican president said, on the trade framework that lowered his threatened tariff from 25% to 15%, including on autos. A White House official said the terms are being negotiated and nothing has been formalized in writing. The official, who insisted on anonymity to detail the terms of the talks, suggested the goal was for the $550 billion fund to make investments at Trump's direction. The sum is significant: It would represent more than 10% of Japan's entire gross domestic product. The Japan External Trade Organization estimates that direct investment into the U.S. economy topped $780 billion in 2023. It is unclear the degree to which the $550 billion could represent new investment or flow into existing investment plans. What the trade framework announced Tuesday has achieved is a major talking point for the Trump administration. The president has claimed to have brought trillions of dollars in new investment into the U.S., though the impact of those commitments have yet to appear in the economic data for jobs, construction spending or manufacturing output. The framework also enabled Trump to say other countries are agreeing to have their goods taxed, even if some of the cost of those taxes are ultimately passed along to U.S. consumers. On the $550 billion, Japan's Cabinet Office said it involves the credit facility of state-affiliated financial institutions, such as Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Further details would be decided based on the progress of the investment deals. Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, upon returning to Japan, did not discuss the terms of the $550 billion investment. Akazawa said he believes a written joint statement is necessary, at least on working levels, to avoid differences. He is not thinking about a legally binding trade pact. The U.S. apparently released its version of the deal while Japanese officials were on their return flight home. 'If we find differences of understanding, we may have to point them out and say 'that's not what we discussed,'' Akazawa said. The U.S. administration said the fund would be invested in critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, computer chips and shipbuilding, among other industries. It has said Japan will also buy 100 airplanes from Boeing and rice from U.S. farmers as part of the framework, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said would be evaluated every three months. 'And if the president is unhappy, then they will boomerang back to the 25% tariff rates, both on cars and the rest of their products. And I can tell you that I think at 25, especially in cars, the Japanese economy doesn't work,' Bessent told Fox News' 'The Ingraham Angle.' Akazawa denied that Bessent's quarterly review was part of the negotiations. 'In my past eight trips to the United States during which I held talks with the president and the ministers," Akazawa said. 'I have no recollection of discussing how we ensure the implementation of the latest agreement between Japan and the United States.' He said it would cause major disruptions to the economy and administrative processes if the rates first rise to 25% as scheduled on Aug. 1 and then drop to 15%. 'We definitely want to avoid that and I believe that is the understanding shared by the U.S. side,' he said. On buying U.S. rice, Japanese officials have said they have no plans to raise the current 770,000-ton 'minimum access' cap to import more from America. Agricultural Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan will decide whether to increase U.S. rice imports and that Japan is not committed to a fixed quota. Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, has suggested that the Japanese agreement is putting pressure on other countries such as South Korea to strike deals with the U.S. Trump, who is traveling in Scotland, plans to meet on Sundayv with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss trade. 'Whatever Donald Trump wants to build, the Japanese will finance it for him,' Lutnick said Thursday on CNBC. 'Pretty amazing.' Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
