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Japan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Japan lawmakers likely to put off decision on imperial family plan
The ruling and opposition parties are highly likely to postpone a decision on ways to secure the number of imperial family members as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan remain far apart on the matter, senior party members said. Leaders of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, who have been mediating informal talks between the two parties, have found it difficult to reach a conclusion before the current parliamentary session is set to end on June 22. Some are calling for an interim report to summarize discussions. The ruling and opposition parties are split over an option of adopting back into the imperial family male members in the paternal line of 11 former branches of the family. They have broadly agreed to allow female imperial family members to remain in the family even after marriage. Still, the LDP is reluctant to give the status of an imperial family member to husbands and children of female imperial family members due to concerns that this could possibly pave the way for people from the maternal line to become emperors. LDP supreme adviser Taro Aso and CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda have held informal talks on the matter since March under the mediation of Lower House Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga and Vice Speaker Koichiro Genba. Aso has insisted that husbands and children of female imperial family members should become part of the family only if the husbands are in the paternal line of the former branches. Noda has proposed leaving any decision to the Imperial House Council. The four members in the talks canceled a meeting on Tuesday. "We'll start over in fall," one of the four said. Nukaga had been aiming to agree on a draft plan among the four members and present it to the overall meeting of lawmakers before the current Diet session ends, but this has become unlikely.
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
Parties fail to reach consensus in imperial succession talks
Diet chamber speakers and representatives of parties and factions attend a meeting based on the law concerning special measures for the imperial household on April 17. (Takeshi Iwashita) Ruling and opposition parties have essentially shelved talks in the Diet on whether to grant imperial family status to spouses and children of female family members, sources said June 3. The parties, discussing how to secure stable succession to the Chrysanthemum throne, decided they cannot reach a 'consensus of the legislature' during the current Diet session, which closes on June 22, the sources said. In the talks so far, the parties agreed that female members of the imperial family should retain their status after marriage. But the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan could not narrow their differences over the treatment of spouses and children of female family members. Taro Aso, the LDP's top adviser, CDP President Yoshihiko Noda and the speaker and deputy speaker of the Lower House have been discussing the issue behind the scenes. The four were scheduled to hold talks on June 3, but the meeting was canceled because no compromise was expected. Noda proposed that the status of spouses and children be determined by the imperial household council, whose members include the prime minister and speaker and deputy speaker of both Diet chambers. However, Aso rejected the proposal, saying a system under which a civilian male can become an imperial family member could lead to acceptance of an emperor who inherited the imperial bloodline from the mother's side of the emperor. The LDP had confirmed its opposition to the proposal at a party meeting in May. An agreement appeared more likely concerning how to deal with the descendants of 11 family branches that lost their imperial status after World War II. The four discussed a system that would allow the imperial family to adopt only male descendants of the 11 branches who inherited the imperial bloodline from the father's side of the emperor. Although they were nearing an agreement on this measure, they decided not to make a conclusion because of the lack of consensus on the other issue. A proposal has now emerged to organize and present the current points of agreement and differences for linkage to future discussions. (This article was written by Anri Takahashi and Takahiro Okubo.)
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Ruling, Opposition Parties to Delay Compiling Plan on Imperial Succession; General Agreement on Female Imperial Family Members Keeping Status
The Yomiuri Shimbun Members of the Liberal Democratic Party and Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan attend a meeting on Imperial succession in April. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan are expected to postpone compiling a plan for stable Imperial succession. The leaders and deputy leaders of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors had hoped to have the plan be completed before the upper house election this summer, according to sources. The two parties apparently decided they needed more time for discussions, as they failed to overcome their differences after several unofficial meetings. The parties mostly discussed two issues: whether to allow female Imperial family members retain their Imperial status after marriage and whether the Imperial family should adopt male descendants of male lines of former Imperial family branches. The parties are generally in agreement on the issue of female Imperial family members retaining their status. However, the LDP opposed the idea of giving husbands and children of female Imperial family members Imperial status. The LDP said it is concerned that it might lead to an emperor from the female line. The CDPJ, on the other hand, seemed positive about the idea of having an emperor from the female line. LDP top adviser Taro Aso and CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda have repeatedly held unofficial negotiations, looking for common ground. Aso argued that Imperial status should only be given to the husbands and children of female Imperial family members if her husband is a descendant from the male line of one of the 11 branch families that lost their Imperial status after World War II. Noda presented a plan to have the Imperial House Council resolve the Imperial status issue. As both parties are in general agreement regarding female Imperial family members retaining their Imperial status after marriage, some said a plan should be compiled ahead of other issues. However, House of Representatives Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga took a more cautious stance and said the issue should be decided at the same time as whether to give husbands and children an Imperial status and pushed to postpone the final decisions.
29-05-2025
- Business
LDP Group to Seek End to Tax Exemption for Foreign Visitors
News from Japan Guide to Japan Politics Travel May 29, 2025 22:16 (JST) Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--A group of lawmakers from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday broadly approved a proposal to review the consumption tax exemption for foreign visitors to the country, including the option of abolishing it. The group, led by LDP supreme adviser Taro Aso, plans to submit the proposal to LDP tax panel chief Yoichi Miyazawa soon. The proposal states that bulk purchases of home appliances and pharmaceuticals by foreign visitors do not align with "the image of a tourism-oriented country that we aim to be." "These purchases are done almost exclusively in metropolitan areas, and it can't be said that they help revitalize regional economies or boost employment opportunities," it continues. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
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First Post
29-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
In Japan, Bangladesh's Yunus repeats June-2026 timeframe for elections amid anguish over delay
During his trip to Japan, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus reiterated his June 2026 timeframe for conducting polls, despite calls from political parties and the country's army to conduct elections by 2025 read more Chief advisor of Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus is considering stepping down, expressing anger and disappointment over the current situation in the country. File image/AFP Bangladesh's Interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus repeated his June 2026 timeframe in regard to conducting elections in the country, despite pressure from the political parties and army to hold polls in 2025. The remarks from the Bangladeshi Nobel laureate came during his trip to Japan. Yunus assumed the role of the country's chief adviser after violent protests toppled the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While speaking to the former Prime Minister of Japan and Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League President, Taro Aso, Yunus said that the country would go to the polls between December 2025 and June next year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What was interesting in his assertion was the fact that the Bangladeshi chief adviser threw the country's politicians under the bus at an international level. While insisting that the elections can only take place after reforms are introduced in Dhaka, Yunus insisted that it is the politicians who are getting 'impatient' with the timeframe. 'The politicians are very impatient, they like to get to their seats of power. So I have been promising them for a long time that elections could be conducted in December 2025 or at the latest, June 2026, that's six months,' Yunus told the Japanese delegation. 'It will depend on how fast you can do the reforms. If the reform process is slow, then it will be late, so people are insisting, 'Tell us when the elections will be',' he added. The timeframe to serve as a roadmap: The Yunus government The assertion by Yunus was repeated by the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, during his briefing to the reporters. 'Prof Yunus told Taro Aso that the election will be held between December and June. He has set a six-month time frame, and the election will be conducted within that period,' Alam was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune. Alam noted that during the briefing, Yunus told Taro Aso that he would soon announce specific dates for the national elections 'as soon as the preparations are complete'. Taro Aso, also a former Japanese Foreign Minister and influential lawmaker, met Yunus at the bilateral meeting room of the Imperial Hotel. While speaking to the reporters, Alam said that the six-month window proposed by Yunus would serve as a roadmap. 'Professor Yunus has provided a special cut-off time here. He has also stated unequivocally that he will not remain in power a single day beyond June," he averred. Amid the criticism, the press secretary made it clear that Yunus's interim government is not 'remaining idle' and is working actively on multiple fronts, The Dhaka Tribune reported. 'A fragile economy has been stabilised. We are now undertaking economic, administrative and legal reforms. Work centred on the Election Commission is progressing steadily,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On Wednesday, Yunus arrived in Tokyo to attend the 30th Nikkei Forum: Future of Asia and hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
