Japan's ruling coalition agreed Thursday to seek a supplementary budget of more than 2.5 trillion yen ($20 billion) for fiscal 2022 to cushion the impact of surging energy and food prices spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to instruct officials to start drafting an…
The government is expected to formally adopt the package as early as April 26. But Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling coalition remains apart over how to finance the package.
For years, Japanese voters opposed calls for a stronger defense against the country’s nuclear-armed neighbors. Now, public opinion is shifting, even as obstacles remain to meaningful action to bolster the country’s security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has caused many in Japan to re-examine the chances of armed conflict over East Asia’s unresolved territorial disputes. Polls show voters are worried that a failure to halt Russia could embolden China to take action against Taiwan or to seize disputed East China Sea islands administered by Japan. Tokyo also has a simmering island spat with Moscow.
Almost two-thirds of respondents to a