Amid rising rice prices, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi has stirred debate by floating the idea of emergency rice imports. This is not his first confrontation with Japan’s powerful agricultural cooperatives. Nearly a decade ago, Koizumi attempted major reforms of JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives), only to face fierce resistance from entrenched interests within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). (News On Japan)

More than half of female local assembly members in Japan have experienced harassment, according to a Cabinet Office survey released on June 6th. (News On Japan)

Tachibana, head of the NHK Party, has been referred to prosecutors on suspicion of defaming a Hyogo prefectural assembly member during last year’s gubernatorial election campaign, according to investigative sources. (News On Japan)

The number of applications for public assistance in fiscal 2024 rose 3.2% from the previous year to 259,353, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This marks the fifth consecutive year of increase. (News On Japan)

Opposition parties submitted three bills to the Diet on May 30th seeking to introduce a system allowing married couples to retain separate surnames—a topic that returned to parliamentary deliberation for the first time in 28 years. (News On Japan)

Akie Abe, widow of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, visited the Kremlin on May 29th and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, Akie was seen tearfully listening to Putin’s words, reflecting the emotional nature of their exchange. Following the conversation, she was invited to ride in Putin’s official limousine to the Bolshoi Theatre, where the two attended a ballet performance together. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Ishiba met with Montenegrin Prime Minister Spajic in Tokyo on May 28th during the latter’s official visit to Japan, marking what both leaders described as a historic occasion. (News On Japan)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has temporarily halted new applications for discretionary contracts to purchase rice from government reserves, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on May 27th. The decision comes after applications for 2022-harvest rice reached the quota limit of 200,000 tons. (News On Japan)

Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Koizumi announced that 19 companies have applied to purchase a total of 90,824 tons of government reserve rice under a discretionary contract framework. He added that distribution could begin as early as May 29th, with sales expected to start in stores during the first week of June. (News On Japan)

As rice prices hit historic highs, the government is moving to counter rising costs by offering reserve rice to major retailers at a target price of around 2,000 yen for 5 kilograms, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on May 26th. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government will begin selling its stockpile of rice directly to major retailers, aiming to put 5-kilogram bags on supermarket shelves for around 2,000 yen (before tax) as early as early June, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on Monday. (News On Japan)

A revised Family Registry Act requiring kana (phonetic reading) to be included alongside names in the official family registry came into effect on May 26th. Postcards listing the planned kana readings will now be sent by municipalities to all residents across Japan. (News On Japan)

An event commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the 10th Division of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces was held on Sunday, featuring shooting drills and other training exercises as part of the program. The training was open to the public, allowing visitors to observe the drills firsthand. (News On Japan)

The Israeli military has fired warning shots at a diplomatic delegation visiting the West Bank, including a Japanese official, during a tour of the Jenin refugee camp on May 21st. Although no one was injured in the incident, the move has drawn sharp criticism from several countries. (News On Japan)

Following intense criticism over a delayed response to growing political pressure, Prime Minister Ishiba dismissed Agriculture Minister Eto and appointed Koizumi as his successor in an effort to regain control of his administration. (News On Japan)

Although the government released 210,000 tons of reserve rice into the market, only about 10 percent has reached supermarkets and restaurants, equivalent to the nation’s average daily rice consumption. (News On Japan)

Following a wave of disturbing cases in which women were emotionally manipulated into debt and coerced into prostitution through exploitative tactics used by hosts, the revised Entertainment Business Act aimed at cracking down on abusive host club practices passed Japan's Lower House on Tuesday. (News On Japan)

With rice prices continuing to hover at historically high levels and empty store shelves becoming more common, the Japanese government is under increasing pressure to implement consumer- and producer-friendly policies. In response, authorities are revising the bidding system for releasing reserve rice stocks, aiming to make it more accessible to smaller wholesalers. (News On Japan)

Agriculture Minister Taketaka Eto of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party stated during a speech in Saga City on May 18th that he has never purchased rice, explaining, "I receive a lot from supporters—enough that I could practically sell it. That's how much is in my household pantry." (News On Japan)

A peace march calling for the reduction of the burden caused by U.S. military bases was held in Okinawa on May 17th, marking 53 years since the prefecture's reversion to Japan. (News On Japan)