Tokyo on Fire!

This week kicked off with an unprecedented live message from Emperor Akihito announcing his wish to abdicate. Attention is brought once again to the Senkakus, with the arrival of over 200 Chinese vessels around the islands creating a charged atmosphere in the region. Abe reshuffled the Cabinet, and many of the members share a commonality. Tensions run high between Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa, which could spell trouble for the Tokyo Games.

Horrific news shook Japan this week when it was discovered that 19 people were stabbed to death in a series of murders in a Kanagawa health care facility. In amongst this drama, PM Abe announced his stimulus package of ¥28 trillion - seems he is dead set on making Abenomics a success! We also take a further look at the Chinese territorial disputes, and delve into the enigma that is the Nippon Kaigi. Stay tuned to find out more!

Chinese protestors are attacking symbols of the US in China (such as KFC) as a form of protest towards the South China Sea territorial disputes. It’s not long to go until the governor elections, and Koike is still going strong. A North Korean defector has been found wandering the streets of a Japanese coastal town, happening to coincide with the week the DPRK shot three missiles into the Sea of Japan. The longest Imperial line in world history may go through some significant changes with the Emperor’s potential abdication, and we discuss the potential outcomes of the extraordinary sessions of the Diet.

This summer has been a busy one in Japan's political department. In this week's episode of Tokyo on Fire, host Timothy Langley and advisor Michael Cucek recap the recent Upper House election and discuss the dynamics that resulted in the "landslide victory" for PM Abe and the LDP. Will the much-contested revision of Article 9 become a reality? We are not counting on it. In other (but related) news, the race to become Tokyo's next governor has begun. Despite there being many contestants, the spotlights are on Yuriko Koike, Hiroya Masuda, and Shuntaro Torigoe. Tune in to find out who we think will win this one.

We start with some shocking news this week: 28 hostages were murdered in the Dhaka attacks last week, 7 of whom were Japanese nationals involved in volunteering. This event has created huge ramifications for Japan’s defence posture and their foreign policy. In terms of national news, we take a further look at the ongoing saga that is the Tokyo gubernatorial elections, and hedge our bets on the outcome of the all-important Upper House elections. Tune in to find out more!

First up in the news this week, LDP member Yuriko Koike put her name forward as a candidate for the Tokyo gubernatorial elections, causing a great deal of consternation. In other shocking news, the policy secretary for the Japan Communist Party, Yasufumi Fujino, was forced to resign after describing the self defence budget as money to “kill people”, causing immediate backlash from other parties. We have created a comprehensive guide of the elections, and it seems that all signs point to a major LDP win. Lastly, the shocking result of “Brexit” could have some unforeseen consequences on Japan’s economy and future referendums - tune in to find out more!

With the Upper House elections just around the corner, the struggle for power has reached an all-time high. Tokyo Governor Masuzoe has announced his resignation from his post, and given his political ruin it seems the potential candidates are reluctant to take his place in the spotlight. The parties in opposition to the ruling coalition have formed an alliance in hopes to crush the LDP in the upcoming Upper House elections. This is a highly challenging task, given that circumstances are pointing to the disempowerment of the Komeito. How will this all pan out? Find out more in this week’s episodes of Tokyo on Fire!

Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe resigned from his position, creating a vacancy in one of the most powerful positions in Japanese politics. With the last two governors of the city resigning prematurely, this post is a poisoned chalice - will there be anyone brave enough to take the plunge? In other news, the campaign for the House of Councillors election officially kicked off on June 22nd. An LDP/Komeito majority will allow future amendments to the constitution to go unchallenged, making this election highly important for the ruling parties. Will they be successful? Finally, in an unexpected twist, revelations on the konbini heist case have revealed the main perpetrators to be members of the Japanese yakuza. Hear about these topics and more on the new episodes of Tokyo on Fire!

This is a week of punishments all around, with sanctions placed on the US Navy following a drunk-driving case, Governor Masuzoe’s spending scandal pointing to a potential ouster, and the overzealous disciplinary methods of a family in Hokkaido all making international news. How will these stories play out in the context of the upcoming July 10th House of Councillors elections?

This was a big week for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, from which he managed to come out miraculously unscathed. His decision to delay the tax hike until late 2019 was met with intense backlash by the opposition parties, prompting a motion of no-confidence against the Cabinet. However, the motion simply "bounced off" Abe, and high-profile events such as the G7 summit and Obama’s visit to Hiroshima have in fact boosted approval ratings for his administration. In other news, an investigation of Tokyo Governor Masuzoe’s personal use of political funds have again brought his antics into the limelight - find out about these stories and more on this week’s Tokyo on Fire!