No-Confidence Motion Unlikely as Japan-U.S. Talks Stall;CDPJ Calls Trump's Tariff's a ‘National Crisis'
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda
Prospects for the submission of a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan have dimmed as the Japan-U.S. summit in Canada on Monday failed to reach an agreement on a review of U.S. tariff measures.
Questioned by reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday regarding the submission of a no-confidence motion, CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda said only that he would make a 'comprehensive judgment.' Noda has previously referred to the ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States as a 'national crisis' and indicated that the progress of the talks would be a key factor in his decision on submitting the motion.
With the latest Japan-U.S. summit failing to reach an agreement, and some new U.S. tariffs whose implementation has been suspended due to take effect on July 9, the 'national crisis' is expected to persist for the foreseeable future. Voices within the CDPJ therefore argue that now is not a time when a no-confidence motion can be submitted, according to a veteran CDPJ member.
Noda told reporters that he intends to thoroughly question Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba about the progress of the tariff negotiations during talks between the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties scheduled for Thursday.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki expressed skepticism about the Japan-U.S. summit's outcome at a press conference, saying: 'My impression is that there was no substantive outcome. Can any agreement be reached by the [July 9] deadline?'
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The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
China's 'panda diplomacy' in focus as zero moment may come in Japan
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- China's "panda diplomacy" is drawing renewed attention with Japan's first zero giant panda moment in over half a century approaching, amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry that could provide an incentive for Beijing to stabilize its oft-strained ties with Tokyo. China's decisions on leasing the bear species abroad are usually revealed in high-level bilateral talks. Foreign affairs experts say a new loan may be announced late fall this year during a possible visit by a Chinese political leader to Japan, though they doubt the gesture will carry the same diplomatic weight as it once did. Since the first black-and-white animal arrived in Japan in 1972 to commemorate the normalization of diplomatic ties, Chinese pandas have become beloved by the Japanese public, bringing major economic benefits as tourist attractions. The two governments have embraced the bamboo-munching iconic animal's role as a symbol of friendship. China last sent pandas to Japan in February 2011, based on a deal struck at a meeting between then Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Tokyo in May 2008. Currently, Japan is home to six pandas, all of which were born domestically but owned by China. Four at the Adventure World leisure complex in the western Japanese town of Shirahama will be handed over to China next Saturday, ahead of the expiration of their loan period in August. The other two at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens are also due to return to China next February. Emi Mifune, a Komazawa University professor well-versed in Chinese diplomacy, believes China will rent out new pandas instead to Japan as Beijing is "in the middle of an escalating confrontation with the United States and needs to mend relations" with Tokyo. China's relationship with the United States has been cooling in recent years, as Washington maintains a hard-line stance toward China, renewed by tariff-fueled trade salvos by President Donald Trump who returned to the White House in January. She also said Beijing's agreement with Tokyo in late May to begin procedures to resume importing Japanese marine products indicates that China is making visible efforts to improve the relationship, something that a new panda allocation would support. China imposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports in August 2023 in opposition to the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. The Asian neighbors have long been at loggerheads over historical and territorial issues, including a dispute over the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. China's increasing military activities in the Indo-Pacific region have only stoked tensions. China has long used the panda as a tool of diplomatic outreach and goodwill toward various nations, including the United States, Russia, Australia and South Korea among others. With an eye on fostering "an atmosphere of improving bilateral ties," China may announce a new panda loan, perhaps during the next meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Mifune speculated. Japan hopes to host a summit with China and South Korea later this year in Tokyo, and Ishiba-Li talks are expected to take place on the sidelines. During a China trip as leader of a business delegation in early June, Yohei Kono, the former Japanese House of Representatives speaker, met with Li and floated the idea of the high-ranking Chinese official bringing pandas with him to Japan. While calling on Japan to promote cooperation to address "challenges posed to the world," such as "U.S. tariff measures," Li told Kono he attaches "great importance" to the panda request as "an important proposal," according to a delegation member. However, on Sept. 3 China will mark 80 years since it declared victory in its 1937-1945 War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, making diplomatic outreach in the approaching period challenging, Mifune said. Mifune also pointed out that China may be unwilling to send pandas to Adventure World in Shirahama during the tenure of the town's pro-Taiwan Mayor Yasuhiro Oe, who took office in May last year in a move that might have led to the four panda's repatriation ahead of schedule. Oe, a former House of Councillors member, has deep ties with Taiwan, with which the Japanese government only maintains unofficial relations. China sees the self-ruled democratic island as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Adventure World has engaged in a collaborative project to breed the animal, now classified as "vulnerable" on the global list of at-risk species, with China since 1994. Masaki Ienaga, a professor at Tokyo Woman's Christian University, said that China has used pandas not as a tool to demand other nations "give ground" on bilateral issues, but as a signal that the attitude toward Beijing in the recipient nation is "right and friendly." "Even if China were to give Japan some pandas, it would not mean that Japan has to do a lot of things for it," but how the Japanese public reacts to the arrival of new pandas will matter to Beijing, he said. Ienaga is also skeptical that a new panda loan will have any tangible impact on the Japanese government's diplomatic posture toward China or Japanese public opinion about its neighbor. "Japanese society no longer really looks at pandas through a political lens," as opposed to in 1972 when the animals were accepted "genuinely as a symbol of friendship," Ienaga added. By Keita Nakamura
Japan Times
4 hours ago
- Japan Times
As Japan warms, avocados emerge as an unlikely savior for farmers
Tsutomu Uchida, 64, wipes the sweat from his face as he walks through a farming plot filled with avocado trees in a port district of Shizuoka. An occasional ocean breeze offers brief respite from the scorching afternoon heat in mid-June as Mount Fuji looms in the distance. 'This kid, right here, is Mexicola, which can be harvested earlier (than other varieties), around September,' Uchida says, affectionately pointing to one of the 19 varieties of avocado he grows there. Most trees are less than 2 meters tall. "Avocado trees are usually much taller, like 5 meters, if you let them grow. I've cut the tops off the trees, so harvesting is easier." The retired businessman with three adult sons has experimented with various cultivation techniques since October 2020, when he started renting this 420 square-meter plot of abandoned farmland formerly used to grow melons and flowers. He hopes to discover which variety of avocado — which is almost exclusively imported in Japan — is suitable for the area's climate. Rising temperatures are putting a severe strain on Japan's crop production, as evidenced by the ongoing rice crisis, for which climate change is a contributing factor. But a growing number of farmers in Shizuoka, traditionally a stronghold of mikan production, are turning their attention to avocados, with recent research showing that, due to human-induced climate change, areas fit for the cultivation of the fruit could dramatically expand across Japan. Workers select freshly-picked avocados at a packing warehouse, in Periban, Mexico. According to Japanese customs data, the amount of avocados imported nationwide grew to nearly 80,000 tons in 2020, from around 3,400 tons in 1988, with the vast majority coming from Mexico. | Reuters A staple of Mexican cuisine has thus emerged as an unlikely symbol of hope for Japan's agriculture sector, which is grappling with warming alongside an aging workforce and flattening profitability. 'We can't move forward by just complaining about the negative impact (of the changing farming environment)," says Yuji Hirano, an official in charge of agricultural strategies at the Shizuoka Prefectural Government. 'We are trying to turn this adversity into an opportunity and make the best of it.' Avocado roots In April, Shizuoka, the nation's No. 3 mikan producer after Wakayama and Ehime, launched a project to help farmers in the prefecture start avocado cultivation, with the goal of making it its new specialty product in the future. For the current fiscal year through next March, the prefecture allocated ¥18 million toward the research and development of avocado cultivation techniques, which are not well established in Japan. It hopes to publish manuals for farmers in three years. But why avocados? Hirano explains that, of about 10 subtropical plants the prefecture considered for a production boost, it found avocados to be the most promising because of explosive growth in demand in recent years. According to customs data, the amount of avocados imported nationwide grew to nearly 80,000 tons in 2020, from around 3,400 tons in 1988. In the 2000s, the media began to label the fruit as a 'superfood' and 'the butter of the forest,' due to its vitamin- and fiber-rich content. Now, avocados are fully integrated in the Japanese diet, from sushi to salads to sandwiches, and are easily found at supermarkets nationwide. About 85% of the imports come from Mexico and 11% from Peru, according to 2020 trade statistics. Hirano adds that the prefecture is also banking on its unique historical connections to the fruit. Records show the U.S. Department of Agriculture brought avocado plants to a horticulture research center in the city of Shizuoka as early as 1915, making it the first cultivation site in Japan. But the plant didn't survive a cold snap that hit the city. Of the 600 known varieties of avocados, about 20 have been brought to Japan as genetic resources and can be legally grown here. | Tomoko Otake Today, a few regions in Japan produce avocados, though on a small scale. According to farm ministry data, 34 tons were produced in 2022, mostly in Saga, Ehime and Wakayama — all traditional mikan strongholds. Domestic avocados fetch far higher prices than imported ones, often costing thousands of yen apiece. Farmers feel there may be a market for 'premium avocados' among gourmet lovers and high-end restaurants, and see them as a lucrative alternative to mikan, a common fruit with low profitability. A forum on avocado farming held last month in Shizuoka Prefecture attracted 120 participants, Hirano says, adding that many people were extremely enthusiastic about the potential for avocado crops and eager to learn more about growing them. Kazuhiro Matsumoto, a professor of horticulture at Shizuoka University who has studied avocado farming for years, gave a lecture at the forum and was also impressed with the enthusiasm shown by those in attendance. 'Some people were excited simply by the money-making potential,' Matsumoto says. 'Others were pained by the fact that the farmlands that they had inherited were left abandoned and wanted to do something about it. There were also some young people who were interested in starting farming from scratch.' Matsumoto cautioned that avocados are far from being easy money, however. 'Growing (avocados) is technically very challenging, and you need to have the perseverance to withstand many setbacks,' he said. Workers select freshly-picked avocados at a packing warehouse, in Periban, Mexico. According to Japanese customs data, the amount of avocados imported nationwide grew to nearly 80,000 tons in 2020, from around 3,400 tons in 1988, with the vast majority coming from Mexico. | Reuters For example, most of the imported avocados currently on the market are of the oval-shaped Haas variety, which is too susceptible to the cold for Japan's climate. Of the 600 known varieties of avocados, about 20 have been brought to Japan as genetic resources and can be legally grown here, Matsumoto says, noting that farmers in each region need to pick the variety that is best suited for the local climate. The biggest challenge is to find ways for the plants to survive the coldest days of the year. Even as the climate warms, Japan is still susceptible to the occasional cold snap in the winter. 'If you experience just one day recording minus 6 degrees Celsius, the entire crop could be ruined,' Matsumoto says. Mikan farmers switching to avocados will also face a financial risk, says Toshihiko Sugiura, who has studied adaptation strategies at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization. 'It normally takes about five or six years before the first avocado harvest, which means the farmers will lose means of income during the transition.' Matsumoto says that, since Shizuoka farmers are already producing a wide variety of crops, they should try to maintain diversity and explore sustainable ways to farm. Shizuoka's proximity to Tokyo works to their advantage, too, he says. 'Beyond selling just avocados, Shizuoka should try to market avocado farming and build deeper relationships with consumers, inviting people to come to the prefecture to grow them together and developing green tourism or new food products,' he says. Mikan crisis Meanwhile, mikan, which boasts the largest cultivation area among Japan's fruit crops, is increasingly challenged by the warming climate. Mikan flowers today bloom earlier than before, but it takes more time for the fruit to mature, as carotenoid pigments, which produce its signature color, do not accumulate until temperatures drop, says Sugiura. Because of this, the fruit's peel tends to age, which causes the pith (the white layer inside citrus fruits) to separate more easily from the peel. Essentially, this means the harvested fruit can get easily damaged during transportation, hurting the farmers' bottom lines, Sugiura says. Mikan (mandarin oranges) are sorted at a facility in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture. Traditional growing areas for the popular fruit are under threat as Japan's climate warms. | Jiji Unlike rice, which can be grown nationwide, fruit trees have lower climate adaptability, and their production areas tend to be region-specific — for mikan, that means production is best in warm southwestern regions of the country. As warming accelerates, current production areas may become unsuitable for farming, Sugiura says. Mikan is particularly sensitive to temperature, and its optimal average annual temperature range is narrow — between 15 C and 18 C. 'You may think that a temperature difference of 1 C may not mean much,' Sugiura says. 'But for mikan, it makes a world of difference.' Apples, optimally grown in regions with an average annual temperature between 6 C and 14 C, are another crop that is being severely impacted by climate change. In March, Sugiura's team released projections for areas suitable for mikan and avocado production, concluding that the optimal areas for avocados will increase by up to 3.7 times by the middle of the century and by up to 7.7 times by the end of the century. Avocados are fully integrated in the Japanese diet, from sushi to salads to sandwiches, and are easily found at supermarkets nationwide. | Getty Images The report also says the future of mikan production in Japan largely depends on which climate change scenario the world will tread. If warming is held to an increase of 1.4 C by 2100 compared with pre-industrial levels, a low emissions scenario that some leading scientists say is already impossible, 80% of the current production area will be maintained. On the other hand, if warming progresses in line with a high emissions scenario and reaches 4.3 degrees by 2100, none of the current mikan production areas will survive, according to the projection. Community revitalization Uchida, for his part, sees avocados as a tool to encourage more people to move to his hometown of Miho, a small community with a population of 8,000. He has found some varieties grow better than others and is pinning his hopes on Mexicola. This variety is resilient to cold and also matures earlier in the year, he says, believing the variety may give farmers a competitive edge over other avocado growers in Japan. When he started, Uchida was advised by other farmers to grow tomatoes and edamame, which are both dominant local crops. But Uchida was not interested in replicating what others were doing, choosing the less traveled path of avocado farming. A forum on avocado farming held last month in Shizuoka Prefecture attracted 120 participants and many were enthusiastic about the potential for avocado crops. | Tomoko Otake Uchida is also testing other tropical plants such as vanilla, passion fruit and sugarcane, acquiring know-how from horticulture magazines, social media and through trial and error. 'Some young people told me they are interested in farming but they can't see a future where they can make a living,' Uchida says. 'So I thought, 'Why don't we find things we can actually make a living from?'' Climate change is a serious concern, he says, with extreme summer heat limiting his farming time to early morning hours. But it could also present an opportunity, he notes. 'I feel we need to use heat to our advantage and change what we grow.'
Kyodo News
5 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 22, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 17 minutes ago - 10:30 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Trump says U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military has completed a "very successful attack" on three nuclear sites in Iran. Trump said on social media that all planes had moved out of Iranian airspace, amid continued tensions in the Middle East. ---------- Voting under way in Tokyo assembly race, prelude to national election TOKYO - Voting is under way Sunday in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election, regarded as a curtain raiser for this summer's House of Councillors race, with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba struggling to steer a minority government on the national political stage. With no party holding a majority in the 127-member assembly, Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party is aiming to retain its seats despite approval ratings for his Cabinet sometimes dipping below 30 percent, widely viewed as the "danger level" in Japan. ---------- U.S. asked Japan to raise defense spending to 3.5% of GDP TOKYO - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has asked Japan to raise its defense spending to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product, a request that will likely prompt Tokyo to call off a planned high-level meeting with Washington, a Japan-U.S. diplomatic source said Saturday. The request was made recently by Elbridge Colby, U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, the Financial Times has reported, citing people familiar with the matter. ---------- 2 SDF planes leave Japan for Djibouti for possible Mideast evacuation TOTTORI, Japan - Two Self-Defense Forces planes departed Japan on Saturday for eastern Africa to stand by for a possible evacuation of Japanese nationals from the Middle East amid mounting safety concerns over the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The C-2 transport planes left Miho Air Base in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, carrying about 120 personnel, according to the Defense Ministry. They will stand by at a Self-Defense Forces base in Djibouti, with no specific airlift plans at present as major airports in Israel and Iran remain closed. ---------- India PM Modi eyes visit to Japan in August for bullet train deal TOKYO - The Japanese and Indian governments are arranging for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Japan in late August for talks with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, diplomatic sources said Saturday. The two leaders are expected to agree on India's adoption of a next-generation shinkansen bullet train being developed by East Japan Railway Co. for a high-speed rail project underway in western India, the sources said. ---------- Chinese ships seen near Senkakus for record-tying 215th straight day NAHA, Japan - Chinese coast guard ships were spotted near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea for the 215th consecutive day, the Japan Coast Guard said Saturday, matching the longest streak since Japan put the islets under state control in 2012. The group of uninhabited islets, which China claims and calls Diaoyu, has long been a source of friction between the Asian neighbors. ---------- Nadeshiko Japan defender Minami signs for Brighton TOKYO - English Women's Super League club Brighton on Saturday announced the signing of Japan defender Moeka Minami from AS Roma. The 26-year-old center-back, who has been a Nadeshiko Japan member for two World Cups and two Olympics, joins compatriot and striker Kiko Seike at Brighton. Video: MSDF helicopter carrier Ise, destroyer Suzunami make port call in Manila
