https://www.scmp.com/rss/523382/feed The latest news and top stories on Taro Aso, former Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009. He held significant cabinet roles including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance for an unprecedented nine years, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications. He is a Senior Advisor to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and leads the influential Shikōkai faction. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Reports of friction inside Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party suggest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s biggest political challenge may now lie not with the opposition, but within her own party. Despite her strong public standing following February’s general election, reports have grown louder that Takaichi is clashing with the LDP’s influential old guard – notably former prime minister Taro Aso. Japanese tabloids, which are often more willing than the mainstream press to air insider... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350767/why-japans-takaichi-already-facing-resistance-inside-her-own-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350767/why-japans-takaichi-already-facing-resistance-inside-her-own-party?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:30:23 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A former mayor who quit her job amid a scandal over an alleged affair with a married subordinate has staged a political comeback in Japan, in a result analysts say shows how attitudes towards women in public life are shifting. Akira Ogawa, 43, was re-elected as mayor of Maebashi, the capital of Gunma prefecture, on Monday, mere weeks after resigning under intense public pressure. Running as an independent, Ogawa secured nearly 63,000 votes – around 10,000 more than her closest challenger –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339733/japans-love-hotel-mayor-stages-comeback-shattering-political-taboos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339733/japans-love-hotel-mayor-stages-comeback-shattering-political-taboos?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is presiding over a political “house of cards” that analysts say is looking more shaky every day, as he continues to resist growing calls from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to step down. This week, the chorus demanding Ishiba’s resignation grew louder after the LDP released an internal report examining its dismal performance in July’s Upper House election. The party lost 18 seats, leaving it short of a parliamentary majority even with its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324332/japans-house-cards-ishiba-clings-power-hawks-demand-ldp-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324332/japans-house-cards-ishiba-clings-power-hawks-demand-ldp-election?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is grappling with an identity crisis, its decades-long political dominance rattled first by a humiliating electoral defeat and now, the anticipated resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Ishiba, 68, on Wednesday dismissed as “completely unfounded” media reports that he had already decided to step down. But analysts contend that his departure is all but inevitable after the LDP’s second consecutive loss and the collapse of his minority... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319299/japan-pm-ishibas-expected-exit-tips-ruling-ldp-crisis-mode?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319299/japan-pm-ishibas-expected-exit-tips-ruling-ldp-crisis-mode?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:07 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall With his grasp on power slipping, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office despite a stinging electoral rebuke that plunged his ruling coalition into fresh turmoil. The humiliating setback, confirmed late on Sunday, has fuelled doubts about Ishiba’s leadership as rivals within his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) circle and stoked anxiety in the world’s fourth-largest economy, already reeling from rising prices, mounting security threats and the disruptive effects of US... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319039/ishibas-last-stand-japans-ldp-turmoil-sanseito-surge-erodes-pms-grip-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319039/ishibas-last-stand-japans-ldp-turmoil-sanseito-surge-erodes-pms-grip-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:00:12 +0000