Japan Update – LDP Secures Seats & more – 25 April 2023

th of April: 2023

On Sunday the 23rd, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, headed by Prime Minister Kishida, secured four of the five Diet seats in the midterm elections. All eyes were on whether the public supported the government's steps to reduce the adverse effects of rising prices and its plan to increase spending for defense and child-rearing measures, which have fanned fears about possible tax hikes. Kishida's leadership, meanwhile, has been called into question over dubious ties between LDP lawmakers and the controversial Unification Church, in addition to a series of resignations because of scandal-tainted ministers late last year. Amid all of these, Kishida's LDP had hoped to retain three seats in the first parliamentary elections since July last year. However, his Cabinet's approval ratings rose after Kishida’s recent diplomatic successes and secured four of them.

use members expire in October: 2025

Japanese nationals are evacuating from Sudan due to escalating fighting between the country's military and a paramilitary force, triggering a humanitarian crisis. Some are joining a United Nations convoy headed to Port Sudan, while three Japanese Air Self-Defense Force aircraft have arrived in Djibouti for evacuation efforts. The situation in Sudan remains volatile, with a tenuous cease-fire failing to hold, leading to other countries like the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia evacuating their nationals as well. As of Wednesday the 19th, they have been evacuating sixty-three Japanese citizens, including embassy staff in Sudan.

On that note about the Self Defense Force …

The Ground Self-Defense Force (or GSDF) helicopter dropped off the radar on the 6th of April near Miyakojima Island in Okinawa Prefecture. There were ten personnel onboard including Lieutenant General Yuichi Sakamoto, commander of the 8th Division. The 8th Division is in charge of the defense of Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures and is one of the rapid deployment divisions that would be dispatched to the southwestern islands in case of contingencies.

On Friday the 21st, six of the helicopter personnel have been confirmed dead so far including Sakamoto On Thursday the 20th, the GSDF Chief of Staff General Morishita Yasunori already appointed Shinichi Aoki as the new commander. Morishita said the GSDF will do everything it can so that all the personnel can be returned to their families.

Speaking of accidents …

n derailment that occurred in: 2005

On Sunday the 23rd, The Group of Seven (or G-7) agriculture ministers issued a joint statement at the end of their two-day meeting in Miyazaki prefecture. They condemned Russia for its war against Ukraine and its impact on global food security, including price spikes in grains, fuel, and fertilizers.

The ministers also pledged to assist Kyiv in reviving its agriculture industry.

They discussed challenges such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to global food systems and the need to make them more resilient and sustainable.

They also announced a separate action plan called the Miyazaki Actions, which addresses recent challenges such as conflicts and pandemics while focusing on longer-term objectives like reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reversing biodiversity loss. The plan includes efforts to diversify supply chains, enhance local, regional, and global food systems, and make sustainable use of domestic agricultural resources while facilitating trade.

On that note about pandemics…

A group of experts in Japan has warned of a potential "ninth wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic in the future, which could be larger than the previous eighth wave. The experts, including Takaji Wakita who heads an advisory panel to the health ministry, highlighted the need to continue taking measures to protect the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, such as booster vaccinations and infection prevention efforts in nursing homes and medical institutions. They also noted that Japan's aging population may result in a higher mortality rate compared to other countries. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato expressed concern about the potential further spread of infections in the coming summer months.

On Friday the 21st, a health ministry panel in Japan approved the manufacturing and marketing of an oral abortion pill for the first time. A British pharmaceutical company developed the pill. And if it gets official approval, it will be available for sale as early as spring. Currently, abortions in Japan are limited to surgical procedures, and the approval of the oral abortion pill is expected to be a new option that could potentially reduce physical and mental stress on women. The medication can be used to terminate pregnancies of up to sixty-three days of gestation.

Yokosuka City has begun a trial use of the artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, across all of its offices, with the aim of improving efficiency. During the one-month trial, ChatGPT will be used for tasks such as creating bulletins, summarizing meeting records, editing documents, soliciting proposals for new projects, and gaining advice for policy-making. According to city officials, Confidential data will be excluded, and entered data will not be used for training ChatGPT. If the trial proves successful, Yokosuka plans to officially adopt ChatGPT to improve its municipal operations. Other government ministries and agencies in Japan, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, are also considering using ChatGPT for various purposes. Officials emphasize the importance of appropriately handling confidential information and developing rules for AI usage in government operations.

Japan's immigration authorities have proposed expanding the scope of a skilled worker visa, which could potentially allow holders to stay in the country indefinitely. It is marking a major shift in Japan's foreign labor policy. The move is in response to calls from the business community to address an ongoing labor shortage in the country. If approved, the proposal could be implemented as early as June. The current system called Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, grants working rights in twelve sectors for up to five years. Proficient laborers in construction and shipbuilding can currently extend their stays by earning the No. 2 status, but the government is considering expanding it to nine more sectors. The No. 2 status allows for family members to join and has no limit on visa renewal. As of February, around 146,000 foreigners were staying in Japan under the No. 1 visa, but only ten held the No. 2 resident status, according to the Immigration Services Agency.

Aaaand that’s it for this week. Remember you can buy our 100% unbleached organic cotton, grown and ginned in Texas, spun and knit in the Carolinas, sewn and printed in Missouri t-shirts. The most environmentally friendly t-shirt you’ll own. To get one, check the link in the show notes!

Mata Ne!