Case of Vincent Fichot Highlights Need for Joint Custody in Japan
Vincent Fichot’s hunger strike has highlighted the lack of a joint custody system in Japan for parents who are divorced or separated.
Vincent Fichot’s hunger strike has highlighted the lack of a joint custody system in Japan for parents who are divorced or separated.
In this series of articles, we examine the Japanese government’s push to transform the private sector into a technological powerhouse.
Japan’s Ministry of Finance will soon release the budget for the fiscal year that begins next April. The spending package has taken on added significance with the new coronavirus pandemic weighing on the economy. The budget will also offer a look at how seriously the Suga administration is pursuing its stated priorities, such as advancing digitization and advanced communications.
I was fortunate to spend an entire week in close-quarters with America’s 41st president during his first visit to Japan after leaving office.
Suga to have a digital agency up and running by the end of 2021. Each ministry previously tackled digitization independently, leading to varying levels of success and end products, and no standardized administrative framework. The new agency will coordinate and unify efforts to modernize government services.
In June the Japanese Diet passed legislation governing the creation and management of smart cities — urban centers that use cutting-edge technology to improve livability and convenience.
International travel has ground to a standstill because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To slow the spread of the virus, since April 2020 Japan, more than other G7 nations, has implemented stringent entry requirements for foreign nationals.
The new cabinet was formed by Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on September 16, 2020. With a lot of familiar faces at familiar posts, the Suga cabinet contains few surprises. It is a clear indication of Suga’s commitment to maintain Abe-era policies and priorities.
Despite his victories, Abe’s success could never match his ambition, and he leaves office with several objectives unfulfilled. Nonetheless, he leaves Japan changed in ways both big and small.
Langley Esquire Vice President Yutaka Matsuzaki reflects on more than 20 years’ experience as a policy secretary in the Diet, with lawmakers that include former Minister of Justice Yasuoka Okiharu and former Representative Koike Yuriko, currently the Tokyo Metropolitan Governor.
Understanding and accessing the civil service is crucial to successful government relations in Japan. Career bureaucrats at the government agencies and ministries are among the most influential policymakers in the country.
In 1982, Timothy Langley was featured on CBS Morning News as the first foreigner to become an aide to a Japanese Diet member, Taro Nakayama.