
PM Abe’s drive to amend the Constitution: Can he overcome the hurdles?
October 2, 2017Author: Takenaka Harukata
Categories: In-Depth with Nippon.com
Prime Minister Abe is aiming to amend the Constitution of Japan by 2020. But support for his administration has declined sharply, and if he insists on pushing ahead with the amendment process according to his intended schedule, he runs the risk of failing both at revising the Constitution and at holding on to power.
Tags: Abe, Abe administration, amendment, constitution, constitutional revision, Diet, Japan, LDP, nippon.com, Politics, Shinzo Abe, snap election

An expanding role for Japan: An interview with Admiral Dennis Blair
January 19, 2017Author: Nippon.com
Categories: In the News, Sasakawa USA Blog
Developments including Chinese military buildup, the Brexit issue in Europe, and the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President provide Japan with a range of challenges going forward. As Japan responds to these concerns, Admiral Dennis Blair sees the nation’s relationship with the United States remaining a bulwark in the Asia region and expects it to increasingly take a leading role in such areas as defense, diplomacy, and the world economy.
Tags: adm dennis blair, admiral dennis blair, allies, China, Defense, Dennis Blair, free trade, in the news, Interview, JSDF, nato, nippon.com, North Korea, Okinawa, q&a, TPP, trade, Trans-Pacific Partnership, un security council, us bases in japan, us-japan alliance, us-japan relations, video

Fostering a New Generation of Women Leaders
June 23, 2016Author: Nippon.com
Categories: In-Depth with Nippon.com
Japan recently brought into force a new law aimed at closing the gender gap in the nation’s workforce by bringing more women into mid- and upper-management positions. To prepare women for civic and private leadership roles, a program run in cooperation with the US-Japan Council and other partners provides young female college students unique opportunities to learn from prominent leaders in both Japan and the United States.
Tags: nippon.com, Tomodachi Initiative, US-Japan Council, USJC, Women Empowerment, Women Leaders, womenomics

Japan Forfeits 30 Years to the Gyrations of the Yen
April 29, 2016Author: Tsuchiya Hideo
Categories: In-Depth with Nippon.com
What was once called Japan’s lost decade has now persisted for much longer than 10 years. Despite hopes that the policies of Abenomics would generate a virtuous circle of recovery, turmoil overtook the world economy before they could do so. The yen appreciated, stock prices fell, and it does not seem likely that the negative interest rate of the Bank of Japan will resuscitate the economy.
Tags: Abenomics, Bank of Japan, black monday, BOJ, currency, deflation, dollar, domestic, Economy, exchange, exchange rate, exports, fiscal policy, industry, inflation, interest rates, Japan, lending, moetary policy, money, nippon.com, public works spending, Shinzo Abe, stock, stock prices, strong yen, yen

Preparing for the Big One: New Earthquake Measures Unveiled for Tokyo Metropolitan Area
April 29, 2016Author: Nippon.com
Categories: In-Depth with Nippon.com
On March 29 the Japanese government rolled out a new emergency response plan in the event of a major earthquake rattling Tokyo and the surrounding metropolitan region. The strategy outlines procedures for mobilizing disaster relief personnel, transporting emergency aid, and other vital measures following a major temblor.
Tags: aid, chiba, diaster, disaster response, disaster training, earthquake, earthquake safety, earthquake training, emergency, emergency plan, emergency responders, evacuation, fire, firefighting, Japan, Kanagawa, kanto, medical, mobilization, nippon.com, police, recovery, relief, rescue, Saitama, shelter, Tokyo, tokyo metropolitan area, training