Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called on Iran to exercise restraint during a Lower House Budget Committee session on March 2nd, as tensions escalated following attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, underscoring Japan’s commitment to diplomatic efforts aimed at calming the situation in the Middle East. (News On Japan)

The name of a Japanese figure involved in a national government project has appeared more than 8,000 times in investigative records related to the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking and other crimes, sparking controversy and raising concerns over the future of the state-backed initiative. (News On Japan)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has submitted to the metropolitan assembly Japan’s first ordinance proposal that would in principle ban the installation of new utility poles, but how far has the effort to remove poles from above ground across the capital actually progressed? (News On Japan)

China has placed 20 Japanese companies and institutions under export controls, in what appears to be a further escalation of countermeasures following remarks by Prime Minister Takaichi concerning a potential Taiwan contingency. (News On Japan)

February 22 marked “Takeshima Day,” designated by ordinance in Shimane Prefecture, and although the prefecture has continued to call for cabinet-level attendance at the annual ceremony, this year as well the only representative from the central government was a parliamentary vice-minister in charge of territorial issues. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who launched the second Takaichi Cabinet on February 18th, signaled strong determination to secure passage of next fiscal year’s budget within the current fiscal year, even as a proposal to drastically shorten parliamentary deliberations has triggered backlash from opposition parties accusing the government of disregarding the Diet. (News On Japan)

The second Takaichi Cabinet was inaugurated on the evening of February 18th following the prime minister’s appointment ceremony and the attestation of ministers at the Imperial Palace, with all cabinet members reappointed. (News On Japan)

One week after the Lower House election that saw a sweeping victory for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, 66 newly elected lawmakers are preparing to make their debut in the Diet, with some already being labeled the so-called “Takaichi Children” in a nod to the party’s strong performance. (News On Japan)

The cabinet led by Sanae Takaichi continues to enjoy strong public support, with its approval rating standing at 72%, according to an opinion poll conducted over two days through February 15, the first weekend following the House of Representatives election. (News On Japan)

Since February this year, French former culture minister Jacques Lanvin resigned from his position due to his involvement in the Epstein case, while British former ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson was dismissed and faced judicial prosecution for the same case. (News On Japan)

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged crew members to abide by laws and regulations while calling on Japan to ensure fair law enforcement after a Chinese fishing vessel was seized in Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Goto, Nagasaki Prefecture, on February 13th. (News On Japan)

A ceremony was held in Kyiv on February 11th where the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) presented generators to Ukraine as the country grapples with worsening electricity shortages following Russian attacks on energy facilities, with citizens struggling to endure severe winter conditions and international assistance for power infrastructure continuing to grow. (News On Japan)

Japan's 51st House of Representatives election was held on February 8 with ballots counted the same day, delivering a sweeping victory for the Liberal Democratic Party, which significantly increased its strength from before the official campaign and secured more than two-thirds of the 465 seats in the chamber on its own, surpassing 310 seats and achieving a landslide win. (News On Japan)

With three days remaining until voting and ballot counting in the Lower House election, Saitama’s 2nd district centered on Kawaguchi City has drawn national attention as a frontline in Japan’s foreign resident policy debate, where multiple candidates are calling for stricter controls. (News On Japan)

At a daycare center in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, where the proportion of foreign residents is particularly high, more than 30% of enrolled children hold foreign nationality, and foreign staff have become an indispensable part of daily operations, even as the question of how Japan should accept foreign residents has emerged as one of the key issues in the Lower House election. (News On Japan)

Foreign workers are now indispensable across Japan, from convenience stores and agriculture to nursing care, and with the House of Representatives election approaching, political parties are sharpening their positions on how the country should manage its rapidly growing foreign population. (News On Japan)

China’s Foreign Ministry has urged Chinese citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan during the Lunar New Year holiday period, citing a rise in crimes targeting Chinese nationals and a series of earthquakes in parts of the country. (News On Japan)

The government on January 23rd compiled a comprehensive set of measures after holding a ministerial meeting on foreign resident policy, stressing the need for “orderly coexistence.” (News On Japan)

With the House of Representatives election officially kicking off on January 27, seven party leaders appeared on Fuji TV’s “Sunday Report THE PRIME” to debate how quickly they could deliver the consumption tax cuts many are promising as a response to rising prices, along with the rationale for the snap dissolution and Japan’s security policy as tensions with China persist. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government decided at a Cabinet meeting on January 23rd to dissolve the House of Representatives, with the Lower House set to be formally dissolved at a plenary session later in the day, effectively launching the election campaign. (News On Japan)