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Japan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Osaka governor eager to make another bid for metropolis plan
Hirofumi Yoshimura, the governor of Osaka and leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai, has suggested the possibility of making another bid for a so-called Osaka metropolis plan, an idea rejected twice in local referendums. The long-discussed plan would scrap the city of Osaka and reorganize it into special administrative districts under Osaka Prefecture. Osaka Ishin no Kai, the local party of Nippon Ishin, believes that realizing the metropolis plan will pave the way for making Osaka a deputy capital, which was a pledge made by the national party ahead of last month's Upper House election. Yoshimura is also the leader of Osaka Ishin. "The metropolis and deputy capital plans are our key issues," Yoshimura said at a meeting of the regional party on July 30. "I want to face forward and move ahead with you." The deputy capital plan calls for creating a city that would back up the functions of the capital borne by Tokyo and propel Japan's economic growth. "Unless Osaka Prefecture and the city of Osaka are realigned, the area can't serve as a deputy capital," Yoshimura said, indicating that administrative redundancy needs to be eliminated in order for Osaka to gain that status. The national party plans to compile a bill for the deputy capital plan in the next one to two months and also draw up a new proposal by autumn about how an Osaka metropolis should be structured. These efforts are aimed at portraying the group as a party prioritizing reform at a time when it appears to be losing momentum in its home base of Osaka. But benefits of the metropolis plan are unclear, as the Osaka prefectural and city governments, both of which are led by Osaka Ishin members, have been effectively conducting administration in an integrated way. Yoshimura would also have to answer questions about why he is floating the plan again, having said he will not pursue another bid after it was turned down in a 2020 referendum. "I don't feel like (the metropolis plan) will win a referendum if it is held now," an Osaka Prefectural Assembly member said.
Japan Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Japan and U.S. still far apart in tariff talks, Ishiba cited as saying
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba still sees distance with the U.S. when it comes to trade talks, according to an opposition party leader who met with the leader to discuss U.S. tariffs. Ishiba is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven leaders gathering in Canada starting Sunday. Ahead of that potentially key meeting, the prime minister gathered with opposition party leaders Thursday to canvass their thoughts on the American levies. Speaking to reporters after the gathering, Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara said that Ishiba said there is a large gap between the U.S. and Japanese stances, and that he doesn't have a particular timeline in mind for when the two sides may come to an agreement. "If there's progress before I meet the president, that's in and of itself good,' Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo on Thursday. "But what's important is to achieve an agreement that's beneficial to both Japan and the U.S. We won't compromise Japan's interests by prioritizing a quick deal.' The upcoming summit in Canada is viewed as a potential moment for Japan and the U.S. to reach some kind of an agreement after two months of back-and-forth. Failing to get any kind of deal there could worsen Ishiba's standing ahead of an Upper House election next month as the tariffs threaten to push Japan's economy into a technical recession. Maehara and Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, said that Ishiba also mentioned the U.S. and Japan are discussing Japan's U.S. Treasurys holdings, without elaborating on details. Tamaki told Ishiba that Japan could help U.S. yields stabilize by reinvesting in U.S. bonds — specifically by buying longer-term bonds when current holdings mature. Japan remains the biggest foreign holder of U.S. Treasurys. In early May, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato's remarks that suggested U.S. Treasurys could be used as a negotiating tool drew great market interest, but later Kato appeared to walk back those comments and in particular the idea that Japan might use the sale of U.S. Treasurys in negotiations. While Japanese party leaders continued to discuss the tariffs' impact, Trump appears to be ramping up pressure. The U.S. president said he intended to send letters to trading partners in the next one to two weeks setting unilateral tariff rates, ahead of a July 9 deadline to reimpose higher duties on dozens of economies. For Japan, an across-the-board tariff is set to increase to 24% from 10% on that day barring a deal. Tokyo is trying to earn a reprieve from a 25% tariff on cars and car parts and a 50% levy on steel and aluminum. Ishiba's top trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, is expected to travel to North America later this week for the sixth round of negotiations with his counterparts. Still, in a different debate with opposition party leaders held in parliament on Wednesday, Ishiba hinted at how quickly the situation could change. "The final decision is made by the president. There are many instances when the deal is sealed in that final moment,' Ishiba said when asked by the leader of the largest opposition party how far along trade talks were. "There is no doubt that talks are progressing.'
Japan Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Japan enacts bill to promote AI development and address its risks
Parliament on Wednesday enacted a bill to establish a new law that will promote the development of artificial intelligence while addressing risks associated with the technology. The bill cleared the House of Councilors, the upper chamber, by a majority vote with support from the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling bloc and opposition parties including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Nippon Ishin no Kai. The measure had been adopted by the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, in April. To address mounting concerns over the spread of false and erroneous information generated by AI tools, the new law includes a provision to allow the government to disclose the names of malicious businesses in the event of crime using AI. The law states that if AI is used for malicious purposes, it may "facilitate crimes, leakage of personal information and copyright violations." If a serious incident that infringes on citizens' rights and interests occurs, the government will conduct investigations, advise and instruct related business operators, provide information to the public and take other necessary actions. Companies will be required to cooperate with the government. The law does not include penalty provisions so as not discourage technological development. Existing laws including the Penal Code and the copyright law will be applied, instead. The government will set up a strategic team on AI comprising all Cabinet ministers to strengthen Japan's competitiveness. The team will also draft a government basic policy on AI. Considering the rise in crimes involving pornography created with AI tools, the Cabinet committees of both chambers adopted a supplementary resolution calling for enhancing measures against issues related to deepfakes, or images, sounds and videos that seem realistic but are fabricated.
