
Japan's Ishiba vows strong economy, facing tough July upper house election
TAMAYO MUTO
TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has resolved to revive the ruling coalition's sliding fortunes before an upper house election that is less than a month away, following an electoral rout in a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly poll on Sunday.
Ishiba, who has led a minority government since October and has struggled with a sagging support rate, put the economy at the center of his agenda.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Yomiuri Shimbun
18 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
U.S. Auto Tariff on Japan Could Be Lowered to 15% in Mid-September, U.S. Source Says
WASHINGTON — A reduction to 15% of a tariff on imported Japanese automobiles could take effect around 50 days after a bilateral agreement was reached in late July, a U.S. Treasury Department official told The Yomiuri Shimbun on Monday. This means the implementation of the reduction would take place in mid-September. However, it remains to be seen whether the United States will actually reduce the tariff. Washington and Tokyo agreed on July 22 to lower the tariff on cars and auto parts imported from Japan from the current 27.5% to 15%. However, this tariff cut is not stated in U.S. government documents, which raises concerns in Japan about whether the reduction would actually happen. Speaking to The Yomiuri Shimbun, a U.S. Treasury Department official cited the May agreement with the U.K. as a precedent, saying that the agreement with the U.K. took about 50 days before its implementation and that is the only precedent the United States can refer to. The official added that it could take longer, or it could be sooner. On Aug. 7, economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa said the U.S. government had agreed to revise, at a suitable time, a presidential order to include Japan in an exemption from 'reciprocal' tariffs. He also confirmed that a separate presidential order to lower auto tariffs would be issued at the same time. The Japanese government will continue to push for an early implementation of the tariff reduction.

an hour ago
Ex-Japan PM Suga Trying to Exert Influence in LDP
Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, also vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is considering ways to increase his presence ahead of an extraordinary parliamentary session in autumn. "We must rebuild our party," Suga stressed at a meeting with the two other former prime ministers of Taro Aso and Fumio Kishida as well as incumbent Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on July 23 in the wake of the LDP's stunning defeat in the election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament. Aso urged Ishiba, also current LDP chief, to resign, saying the party will not be able to win elections under his leadership. The Ishiba-led ruling coalition has already lost its majority in the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber. But Suga did not show his explicit opposition to Ishiba's continued leadership at the meeting. Later, he told people around him that the party "should give consideration to the social atmosphere." Since the Upper House election loss, mainly LDP members who had belonged to a now-defunct intraparty faction once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have stepped up calls for Ishiba's resignation. On the other hand, opinion surveys by media organizations have found that many people want him to stay in power. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

an hour ago
S. Korean Pres. Lee to Visit Japan for Summit with Ishiba
News from Japan Politics Aug 13, 2025 19:30 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)--South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will visit Japan on Aug. 23-24 to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the Japanese and South Korean governments said Wednesday. It will be Lee's first visit to Japan since taking office in June. During Lee's visit, the leaders will reaffirm their commitment to steadily developing bilateral ties as the two countries mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations this year. They will also share a dinner. Ishiba and Lee have agreed to continue so-called shuttle diplomacy of reciprocal visits to each other's countries. In the upcoming meeting, the leaders will aim to strengthen bilateral relations as well as trilateral ties with the United States, mindful of China's hegemonic moves and North Korea's nuclear and missile development. Lee will visit the United States from Aug. 24 to hold talks with President Donald Trump. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press