Latest news with #Koike
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Poll Shows Japan's LDP Most Popular in Upcoming Tokyo Assembly Election; High Prices, Wage Growth Remain Key Issues
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Tokyo metropolitan assembly The Liberal Democratic Party is the most popular party in the upcoming Tokyo metropolitan assembly election, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun poll, with 20% of respondents saying that they would vote for the party. The survey was conducted by phone and online to analyze the situation regarding the June 22 assembly election. Local political party Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites first group), for which Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike serves as a special adviser, came second in the poll, with 10% expressing support for the party. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People each received 7%, while the Japanese Communist party and Komeito were each supported by 4%. Thirty-one percent of respondents gave no response. Compared to the previous poll conducted between May 16-18, support for the LDP, the largest party in the assembly, increased to 2 points, maintaining its lead. Support for Tomin First no Kai rose 3 points, while DPFP's ranking dropped, down 3 points. Support for Gov. Koike increased 3 points to 58%. When respondents were asked about issues they found important, with multiple answers allowed, the top response was 'measures to address high prices and promote wage increases' at 78% (the same as in the previous survey), followed by 'healthcare and welfare policies' at 51% (53% in the previous survey), 'crime prevention and security measures' at 47% (50% in the previous survey), and 'politics and money' at 43% (46% in the previous survey). Regarding the issue of politics and money, the LDP did not give official endorsements to six former secretary generals of the assembly's LDP faction who were involved in the political funds scandal in which the LDP faction failed to report income from fundraising parties. When asked whether information on social media about political parties and candidates was important in deciding who to vote for, 8% said 'very much' and 35% said 'somewhat,' a total of 43%. By age group, 58% of those aged 18-29 and 62% of those in their 30s said it was important, while more than half of those in their 40s and older said it was not important. The survey was conducted on eligible voters in Tokyo between Friday and Sunday, and there were 1,463 respondents.
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
292 Candidates Vying for 127 Tokyo Assembly Seats; Many Eyes on Whether LDP Can Remain Biggest Group
The Yomiuri Shimbun Voters listen as a candidate gives a street speech in Chofu, Tokyo, on Friday. Official campaigning kicked off Friday for the June 22 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, with much attention being paid to whether the Liberal Democratic Party can remain the assembly's largest force. As of 1:20 p.m. on the day, 292 candidates had filed their candidacies for the 127 seats being contested, the most people running since the number of seats was set at 127 in 1997. Much attention is being paid to whether the LDP will be able to maintain its position as the largest party in the assembly, as it is facing a headwind over issues of politics and money. The results will likely influence the upcoming House of Councillors election due to take place in July. Whether the LDP, the Tokyo-based regional party Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites first group) and Komeito, all of which support Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, will be able to maintain their joint majority is drawing attention. Another focus in the election will be whether the Democratic Party for the People and the Path to Rebirth, a regional political party led by Shinji Ishimaru, a former mayor of Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, will each gain their first seat. Key issues in the race include economic concerns such as high prices and wage hikes, as well as the evaluation of Koike's running of her administration. Political reform will also be a focal point after some LDP members in a party group in the assembly were found to have failed to record required information in their political funds reports. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is also president of the LDP, forwent giving a street speech on the first day of official campaigning. Shinji Inoue, chairperson of the Tokyo federation of LDP branches, spoke to the public in Shibuya Ward on behalf of the party leader, saying: 'We deeply regret and will fulfill our duty to explain the [political funds] matter. The future of Tokyo will be challenging. We must do our utmost to curb rising prices.' In front of Ikebukuro Station, Koike gave a speech for a candidate endorsed by her party. 'Policy is a lifeline, and Tomin First's stance is to build the pillar of that policy,' the governor said, citing achievements in child-rearing support, such as effectively free high school tuition. Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, was outside JR Nakano Station. 'We will not tolerate wasting taxpayers' money. I want [our party's candidates] to act as watchdogs for taxpayers and bark in the Tokyo assembly,' he said. 'We will work with politics at the national level to propose concrete policies focused on the lives of Tokyo residents and see them implemented.' Candidate registration began at 8:30 a.m. at the Election Administration Commission in all 42 electoral districts. The numbers of officially endorsed candidates from major political parties are as follows: LDP 42; Tomin First no Kai 37; Komeito 22; Japanese Communist Party 24; CDPJ 20; Japan Innovation Party 6; Seikatsusha Network 3; DPFP 18; Reiwa Shinsengumi 3; Sanseito 4; Conservative Party of Japan 1; Social Democratic Party 1; and Path to Rebirth 42. Minor-party or unaffiliated candidates totaled 69. The numbers of seats held before the start of the official election campaign period were as follows: LDP 30; Tomin First 26; Komeito 23; JCP 19; CDPJ 12; JIP 1; Seikatsusha Network 1, and unaffiliated 11. There were four vacancies. The LDP has decided not to endorse six members who have served as secretary general of the party's political organization in the Tokyo assembly for having failed to include required information in their political funds reports. In response to the political funds scandal, Komeito has decided to forgo endorsing LDP candidates as it did in the previous race. Tomin First coordinated its candidates with the DPFP in some electoral districts. The JCP and the CDPJ, which oppose Koike's administration, also coordinated their candidates for the election. According to the commission, there were 11,551,505 eligible voters in Tokyo as of Thursday.
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Birth Rate Remains Stubbornly Low Despite Efforts; Expert Recommends Reducing Working Hours, Work-Style Reform
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo Despite years of extensive efforts to combat Japan's chronically low birth rate, the latest statistics indicate that there has been little tangible impact. According to the nation's 2024 vital statistics, the number of babies born to Japanese citizens in Japan fell below 700,000 for the first time, and the total fertility rate, or the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, slipped to a record low of 1.15. The annual number of babies born had dipped below 800,000 only as recently as 2022, and a sense of panic is spreading among central and local governments as cash handouts, making high school education free and a slew of other policies have failed to reverse these declines. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike wore a grim expression Wednesday after the figures compiled by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry were released, but pledged to continue tackling the issue. 'I feel that we need to battle on at this time,' Koike said. 'We'll continue implementing policies.' The Tokyo metropolitan government has declared that efforts to combat the low birth rate are a high-priority issue, and has led the nation in rolling out a string of policies such as free nursery care and giving households with children aged up to 18 a handout of ¥5,000 per month. Despite these steps, the fertility rate for women living in the capital has been below 1 for two consecutive years and sank to 0.96 in 2024. 'We're trying all kinds of policies, but the situation remains severe,' a senior metropolitan government official said. Ishikawa Prefecture's fertility rate recorded a drop of 0.11 percentage points from 2023, the biggest fall among the nation's 47 prefectures. The prefecture has attempted to stem the decline through such measures as promoting businesses that support a balance between work and raising children. 'We'll accept the latest results and use the examples of other local governments as a reference for future policies,' an Ishikawa prefectural government official in charge of child policies said. Tokyo a magnet for young people The Yomiuri Shimbun The number of couples who got married in 2024 increased for the first time in two years. Although about 480,000 couples tied the knot, this figure remains well below the almost 600,000 couples who did so in 2019. The number plunged the following year as the COVID-19 pandemic erupted. The average age at which a woman married for the first time ticked up 0.1 years from 2023. The average age at which women gave birth to their first baby was 31.0, about five years older than 1975's average age of 25.7. The influx of young women to Tokyo and other major urban centers from rural areas has been identified as a major driver of these trends. According to Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry statistics, the fertility rate fell especially sharply in the Tohoku region. A striking number of municipalities in Tohoku recorded that the number of women in their 20s and early 30s who moved away in 2024 eclipsed the number of men in those age brackets who departed. In major cities, many young people said they could not consider getting married because they were too busy with their job or were employed as nonregular workers. 'Rural areas must come up with ways to increase employment opportunities that encourage women to choose to live there,' said Kanako Amano, a senior researcher on demographics at the NLI Research Institute. 'I urge local governments in major cities to concentrate resources on ensuring stable employment that allows young men and women to consider getting married and having children.' Taking kids to the office Amid these gloomy statistics, some companies have produced positive results by changing the way their employees work. People Co., a toy manufacturer based in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, encourages employees to bring their children with them, so they can work while their children play at the office. Nine of People's about 45 employees were raising children in 2019, and that figure has soared to 17 this year. Kyoto University Prof. Haruka Shibata, an expert in sociology, said calculations based on data collated from other nations indicated that expanding child-rearing allowances could nudge up the fertility rate by about 0.1 percentage points. However, reducing the working hours of men in full-time, regular employment by two hours each day could increase the rate by 0.35 percentage points. The Children's Future Strategy approved by the Cabinet in 2023 also stated that reducing long working hours would lead to people having enough time to devote to child-rearing and household chores. 'The government should discuss steps such as reducing legal working hours, and beef up national policies that could change the way people work,' Shibata said.
Gulf Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Tokyo to waive basic water bills to combat extreme heat
Japan will waive basic water bills will for Tokyo residents this summer to combat the impact of extreme heat, the government said. Last summer was the joint hottest on record in Japan as extreme heatwaves fuelled by climate change engulfed many parts of the globe. 'The basic fee will be waived for four months,' Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters Tuesday, adding that households would save an average of 5,000 yen ($35). The government aims to reduce the inflation burden on households, and encourage the use of air conditioning to prevent heatstroke. 'We hope to create an environment where Tokyo residents can live safely even in the expected heatwaves,' Koike said. Every summer, Japanese officials urge the public, especially elderly people, to seek shelter in air-conditioned rooms to avoid heatstroke. Senior citizens made up more than 80 percent of heat-related deaths in the past five years. Pensioners are harder hit by rising electricity bills, and some elderly Japanese believe that air conditioning is bad for health. The Tokyo government has budgeted 36.8 billion yen to cover around 8 million households -- or a population of 14 million. Water costs above the basic fees will be charged as usual. In an unrelated development, Japan's agriculture minister was forced to resign on Wednesday because of political fallout over his recent comments that he 'never had to buy rice' because he got it from supporters as a gift. The resignation comes as the public struggles with record high prices of the country's traditional staple food. Taku Eto's comment, which many Japanese saw as out of touch with economic realities, came at a seminar Sunday for the Liberal Democratic Party, which leads a struggling minority government. The gaffe could be further trouble for the party before a national election in July. A major loss could mean a new government or could mean Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba would have to step down. 'I made an extremely inappropriate remark at a time when consumers are struggling with soaring rice prices,' Eto told reporters after submitting his resignation at the prime minister's office. Agencies
The Star
21-05-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Tokyo to waive basic water bills to combat extreme heat
TOKYO: Japan will waive basic water bills will for Tokyo residents this summer to combat the impact of extreme heat, the government said. Last summer was the joint hottest on record in Japan as extreme heatwaves fuelled by climate change engulfed many parts of the globe. "The basic fee will be waived for four months," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters Tuesday (May 20), adding that households would save an average of 5,000 yen ($35). The government aims to reduce the inflation burden on households, and encourage the use of air conditioning to prevent heatstroke. "We hope to create an environment where Tokyo residents can live safely even in the expected heatwaves," Koike said. Every summer, Japanese officials urge the public, especially elderly people, to seek shelter in air-conditioned rooms to avoid heatstroke. Senior citizens made up more than 80 percent of heat-related deaths in the past five years. Pensioners are harder hit by rising electricity bills, and some elderly Japanese believe that air conditioning is bad for health. The Tokyo government has budgeted 36.8 billion yen to cover around 8 million households -- or a population of 14 million. Water costs above the basic fees will be charged as usual. - AFP
