North Korean tourists take in glimpses of Chinese prosperity
KOHEI FUJIMURA
DALIAN, China -- People who appear to be North Korean have been taking China sightseeing tours on the Yalu River, which acts as a border between the countries. In early June, Nikkei witnessed the comings and goings of a boat on such an excursion.
The cruises are a statement of sorts from the Kim Jong Un regime, infamous for closing its country off from most of the rest of the world. Since April, Kim appears to be confident enough to allow some North Koreans to take in glimpses of a more prosperous country.
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Japan Today
an hour ago
- Japan Today
Ishiba vows to stay on as PM after bruising election defeat
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a press conference at the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Tokyo on Monday. By John Geddie and Tim Kelly Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed to remain in office on Monday after his ruling coalition suffered a bruising defeat in upper house elections, prompting some of his own party to deliberate his future as the opposition weighed a no-confidence motion. The embattled premier told a news conference he would remain in office to oversee tariff talks with the United States and other pressing matters such as rising consumer prices that are straining the world's fourth largest economy. Analysts say his days may be numbered, having also lost control of the more powerful lower house in elections last year and shedding votes on Sunday to opposition parties pledging to cut taxes and tighten immigration policies. "The political situation has become fluid and could lead to a leadership change or the reshuffling of the coalition in coming months, but Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will likely stay to complete the tariff negotiations with the U.S. for now," said Oxford Economics' lead Japan economist Norihiro Yamaguchi. Facing a voter backlash over rising consumer prices, investors fear his administration will now be more beholden to opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending that the world's most indebted country can ill afford. Markets in Japan were closed for a holiday on Monday, although the yen strengthened and Nikkei futures rose slightly, as the election results appeared to be priced in. Yields on Japanese government bonds sold off sharply ahead of the ballot as polls showed the ruling coalition - which had been calling for fiscal restraint - was likely to lose its majority in the upper house. Adding to the economic anxiety, Ishiba's lack of progress in averting tariffs set to be imposed by its biggest trading partner, the United States, on August 1 appears to have frustrated some voters. "Had the ruling party resolved even one of these issues, it (its approval rate) would have gone up, but we didn't feel anything and it seems like the U.S. would continue to push us around," Hideaki Matsuda, a 60-year-old company manager, said outside Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku station on Monday morning. Japan's chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa departed for trade talks in Washington on Monday morning, his eighth visit in three months. POPULIST POLITICS Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled Japan for most of its post-war history, and coalition partner Komeito won 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs. The leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDPJ), Yoshihiko Noda, said on Sunday he is considering submitting a vote of non-confidence in the Ishiba administration as the result showed it did not have voters' trust. The CDPJ returned 22 seats in the ballot, finishing second. Some senior LDP lawmakers were also quietly voicing doubts over whether Ishiba should stay, according to local media reports on Monday. Among them was former Prime Minister Taro Aso, leader of a powerful faction within the ruling party, who said he "couldn't accept" Ishiba staying on, Japan's TV Asahi reported. Senior party members including Aso met on Sunday evening to discuss whether Ishiba should resign, Sankei newspaper reported. The far-right Sanseito party clocked the biggest gains of the night, adding 14 seats to one elected previously. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Nikkei Asia
21 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan election live: Ruling coalition at risk of losing majority
TOKYO -- The Japanese public voted on Sunday to determine the makeup of the nation's upper house, in a crucial vote for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose coalition is fighting to hold on to its majority -- one that it lost in the lower chamber last autumn. The race is set to be very unpredictable, with issues such as inflation, tax and immigration having dominated the campaign. Here are some of our recent articles on this key election: - What the upper house election means for Japan: 5 things to know - Why the bond vigilantes are right about Japan's election - Japanese PM Ishiba has so far failed to resonate with voters - Japan ruling coalition at risk of losing upper house in election: Nikkei poll - Immigration becomes election issue in Japan amid tough economy - Sanseito brings far-right populism to Japan - Japan's rice price shock exposes PM Ishiba to voter anger as election looms Here's the latest: (Japan time) Sunday, July 20 8 p.m. Voting ends. The ruling bloc is at risk of losing their upper house majority, national broadcaster NHK projected immediately after polls closed. 7:37 p.m. The latest data on voter turnout is out. As of 6 p.m., the national figure stood at 26.65%, down 0.71 percentage points from the 2022 upper house election. 7:13 p.m. Some errors have been made at polling stations, according to national broadcaster NHK. In Tokyo's Ota ward, 25 voters were handed the wrong ballot sheets. In Saitama Prefecture's Kasukabe city, there was a similar error involving ballot sheets for constituencies and proportional representation being mixed up. The affected votes could become invalid. 7:00 p.m. Just an hour to go now. 6:54 p.m. Japan's lead tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa on Sunday told reporters that the election results will not affect talks with the U.S., according to Kyodo News. The upper house vote comes amid Tokyo's continued efforts to reach a trade deal with Washington, which has slapped a 25% "reciprocal" tariff that goes into effect on Aug. 1. 6:30 p.m. Here's a few photos from today: 6:15 p.m. The national voter turnout as of 4 p.m. stood at 22.42%, 0.57 percentage point lower than the previous upper house election three years ago, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. For Tokyo, it was 22.87% -- 2.6 percentage points down. According to government data, an estimated 26.18 million people participated in early voting, a record high and over 6.5 million more than in the previous upper house poll. 6 p.m. Just two hours now until voting ends. Exit polls and projections by major broadcasters will start coming in at 8 p.m., and will be updated frequently during the course of the evening as votes are counted.
Nikkei Asia
2 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
Northrop 'in talks with Japan' about cutting-edge air defense system
Northop Vice President Kenneth Todorov says the system can maintain overall defense capacity even as some equipment is destroyed. (Photo by Sotaro Yumae) SOTARO YUMAE FAIRFORD, U.K. -- Northrop Grumman is talking to Japan about introducing its latest air defense system as the security environment in Asia becomes increasingly tense, Kenneth Todorov, vice president at the U.S. defense company, told Nikkei. Todorov was interviewed at the Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world's largest military aircraft air shows, that opened Friday here in southern England.
