Even among young people who say they lean to the left, 30% voted for LDP hmmm

I feared this based on the last week, but LDP are going to get possibly a supermajority from the election, giving an unproven Takaichi the reigns when she's barely set out policies (and what she has are economically and socially volatile) and there's bubbling new scandals

例え自分が投票した候補が落選したとしても、「もう終わった」ではありません。 「選挙で選ばれた＝全権委任された」ではないし「民主主義＝選挙が全て」でもありません。 今後もデモや署名など、意思表示の様々な方法を駆使し、選ばれた人間がそれにどう向き合うか、大切なのは「これから」。

Ok, this Japan election campaign I’ve been too busy with finishing my dissertation and personal matters to even care, but god does it look bleak… just gonna get a whisky and go to bed

I'm back again! With Japan going to a general election in a few weeks, my current hometown is also holding a mayoral election next Sunday. Among the six candidates, there are two right-wing racist nuts... And your run-of-the-mill LDP guy as well of course. mainichi.jp/articles/202...

Yay, Finland makes Japanese views!! Oh… fuck. フィンランド「つり目」騒動、与党会派代表らが投稿議員の処分検討へ digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Japan plans to increase tax on Electric Vehicles (EV) from next year. A new tax based on vehicle-weight will be started, which will be higher for EVs as they in general weight more than gasoline vehicles. I cant help but feel this is orchestrated by the anti-EV lobby. news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/n...

I know this is very speculative but I wonder if this could have been influenced by pressure from the gov't, as the very same Tokyo High Court made the opposite decision just a year ago. Of course, it would be impossible to prove that Takaichi put pressure on court, but its still quite fishy.

Supporters of marriage equality in Japan faced a setback on November 28th that surprised many. After a series of favorable court rulings across the country, the Tokyo High Court ruled that the lack of recognition of same-sex marriage was constitutional. buff.ly/HlG6HWe

If we want to see something positive in Takaichi, it seems voters are jumping back from Sanseito to LDP. On the other hand, Ishin also seems to have got a boost from joining the coalition. digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Don’t shout ”Bravo” too soon! The Nagoya Philharmonic is asking concert-goers to keep their Bravos to themselves until the performance is finished, saying shouting bravo at wrong time is bad manners. Please be careful 早すぎる「ブラボー」はNG？名フィルが異例の投稿、物議かもす - 毎日新聞 mainichi.jp/articles/202...

As one of his final acts as PM, Ishiba delivered a personal statement regarding his views on Japans war guilt, discussing the weakness of Japans pre-war political system that led to the war and stating the necessity of a strong democracy to guard against authoritarianism mainichi.jp/articles/202...

Hmm, with Komeito out (if they vote against her), Takaichi must get both DPP and Ishin onboard to get enough votes. If they blindly go along, what even is the point of these parties. Interesting days ahead. digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

So, in the end Komeito leaves the coalition, ending 26 years of cooperation with the LDP. The parties will also stop cooperation in elections. Wow digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Wow, Komeito seems to be moving towards leaving coalition with LDP. Question is, what is the role of the Komeito if they leave the coalition. And they will probably be replaced by DPP and Ishin. Will they cooperate with CDPJ? mainichi.jp/articles/202...

Stock market seems to be increasing a lot after Takaichi's win during the weekend. At the same time, Yen is dropping, almost at 150 to the dollar now. news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/n...

Interesting insight about the future of ROK-Japan relations, relations improved considerably during Ishiba’s short stint in power. However, question is if Takaichi will squander this progress. If she sticks to her old positions I think it’s inevitable, but lets see digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Takaichi wins, with Koizumi falling surprisingly short in the lawmaker votes - he didn't even win all of Hayashi's votes. Probably in part down to lawmakers not wanting to ignore the constituency votes, but also a pretty clear sign of a party running scared of populist challenges from its right.

Takaichi wins, we are so cooked

Hmm, Takaichi wins the party member vote quite convincingly, but seems centrist vote got quite split between Koizumi and Hayashi. I think its more likely Koizumi will win but anything can happen.

Tbt when this post is how I found out Ishiba won

First vote of LDP leader election is imminent at 1pm, JST digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Takaichi is hallucinating again. This time, she said "lately, police are forced to release many foreigners guilty of crimes as they aren't able to find enough translators (free translation)". Senior police and prosecutors say they have never heard of any such case digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

In the current census, same-sex couples are still discriminated against as they are not able to answer they are “married”. Households with same-sex couples that call themselves “spouses” are automatically changed to “other family”. www.asahi.com/articles/AST...

「誤回答」になる同性カップル　国勢調査の「論理チェック」見直しを：朝日新聞 www.asahi.com/articles/AST... ←「同性カップルが「配偶者」と回答すると、総務省に「他の親族」に修正される。総務省の説明では、不完全な記入や誤記入を判断して修正する手続き、「論理チェック」の一貫」（有料記事）

Ok, is the new NHK app really annoying, or am I becoming old and grumpy??

The LDP is considering restoring the famous ”Anti-war” speech held by Saito Takao in Japans Imperial Diet on February 2nd, 1940. One month after the speech, Saito was expelled from the diet, and the speech was censored in the plenary minutes. www.47news.jp/13227206.html

Asahi poll of LDP MPs intended vote in the leadership election finds Koizumi in the lead while Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi takes a surprise second place. Takaichi in third place 自民総裁選、議員票首位は小泉氏、追う林氏、高市氏は3位　朝日調査 digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

F**k this. Japan draws up guidelines to allow revocation of permanent residencies based on failing to pay tax 税金不払いの永住許可取り消し「悪質ケースに限定」　入管庁が運用案 digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

＜社説＞多党時代考　民主主義の経費　いつまで続く二重取り：東京新聞デジタル www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/438257 ←「共産党以外の各党は総額約315億円の政党交付金に頼り、各党本部収入の大きな部分を占める。政党政治への国家の介入を避けるには政党交付金を減らし、小口の個人献金を増やすべきだが、それができないなら企業・団体献金を廃止するのが筋ではないか」

Lately, many Japanese municipalities are starting to implement restrictions on solar energy projects. A controversial recent case was in Kushiro, Hokkaido, where there was widespread opposition to a solar energy plant planned to be built on vulnerable wet-marks. mainichi.jp/articles/202...

In the LDP leadership race, right-wing candidate Takaichi Sanae claimed foreigners had been kicking Nara’s beloved deer, but a local tourism spokesman said no such cases have been found digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

I just read the skeet and honestly thought it was about the Japanese LDP and how Aso is moving behind the scenes etc… Then I realized it was about UK libdems 🤦

This article about leprosy shows another dark story about eugenics in pre-and post-war Japan. After it was found Japan had very high rates of leprosy in the early 1900’s, the state started a program to forcefully sterilize those who carried the disease (cont.) digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Fact check: false. This ruling means that at least one person has changed legal gender without any assessment of their genitals, and will likely result in other such cases. It's not like the topic of same-sex marriage, where action from the Diet is necessary to enact change.

Well, there it is. Sinclair is digging in for a fight, so please help push back -- find stations in your area, watch their local news to see what ads they run, then write those advertisers to tell them you're boycotting as long as they're on a Sinclair station. List here: sbgi.net/tv-stations/

Sapporo Family Court rules that Japan's rule requiring transgender people to have gender-affirming surgery (GAS) to change legal gender is "unconstitutional", violating the 13th article of the constitution, which guarantees freedom from bodily invasion. digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Hmm, in new Asahi shimbun poll, Takaichi is actually the most popular candidate to lead LDP (and become prime minister) among the Japanese public, with 28% against Koizumi's 24%. Among LDP supporters, though, Koizumi leads with 41% against 24% for Takaichi. digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

I know this is just electoral strategy to try to get Sansei voters back, but it just shows how f**king stupid Ishin are. Ishin introduces plan to allow to cancel naturalizations. Do they not understand the UN charter on Human Rights prohibits making people stateless www.jiji.com/sp/article?k...

I wrote a piece about the recent trends in Japanese politics for ECPRs The Loop. (Pretty short sided of me to talk about current Ishiba cabinet, he was out before the piece was even published 🥲) theloop.ecpr.eu/more-women-m...

First Colbert, now Jimmy Kimmel, American comedy staples being taken off the air, what autocrats and dictators fear most is being made fun of.

➡️ Has #Japan really swung to the right? 🔥 @rnords.bsky.social explores how the collapse of one-party dominance has fuelled European-style #Populism — and opened the door to wider social change. #Sanseito #SoheiKamiya 👉 bit.ly/4pwYHJ2

I like the title of this article “Sanseito’s statement on the 80th anniversary of the end of the war - denies Nanking massacre - a fantasy made to make them feel better about themselves (free translation)” 参政党の「戦後80年談話」、南京事件否定…　事実見ず気持ち良くする「物語」 - 毎日新聞 mainichi.jp/articles/202...

Charlie Kirk, who was almost unknown in Japan over a week ago, is being incorporated into Abe Shinzo assassination conspiracy theories.

Komeito loses half of its support in new Kyodo poll, dropping to 2.2 percent. Will be interesting to see how LDP election shapes the future of the coalition.

NTV (日テレ) called Charlie Kirk’s killer an “anti-fascist” activist. I have gone through a lot of news and have found no evidence of this, I have also seen speculation he might have been a groyper, but this also seems more speculative. Am I wrong or is this again Japans news making up stuff??

Former President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen is visiting Japan for a personal trip. Chinese government complains… What right do China have to make claims over what people can visit Japan, a fully sovereign nation, have they no shame??? mainichi.jp/articles/202...

致死率75％・ワクチンなし…アジアで広がる「ニパウイルス」を第1級感染症に指定　韓国疾病管理庁　-Chosun Online 朝鮮日報　www.chosunonline.com/site/data/ht...

Big political drama in small-town Japan: Ito mayor Takubo Maki (pop. ~62,000) dissolved the city assembly after a no-confidence vote over her forged academic record. Apparently Japan’s “presidential” local govt' system lets mayors play at being South American dictators. mainichi.jp/articles/202...

99 complaints of sexual harassment!! And they reelected him!! Though it is to the local council, but still… (I don’t really like Japan Times lately but that’s where I saw the story) www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09...