Japan Digest #252

1. PM ABE’S WIN MET COOL RECEPTION

Yomiuri conducted its monthly survey on September 21 through 23 right after PM Abe defeated Rep Ishiba for the Party President election, and made his third term on the 20^th.

PM Abe’s approval rating stayed unchanged at 50% from the previous month, while his disapproval rating went up to 41% from 40%.

46% of those who responded welcomed the fact that PM Abe made his third term, while 41% replied otherwise.

Other findings are as follows 

Do you agree or disagree to LDP’s Constitutional Amendment plan?

Yes 39% (45%)               No 43% (38%)

Do you approve the government policy that solving the Northern Islands territorial issue should be solved first before concluding a peace treaty with Russia?                     Yes  75%           No 14%

Which political party do you approve most?

LDP      40% (40%)

CDPJ   6% (4%)

2.  JAPAN-U.S. NEW TRADE NEGOTIATION STARTS

PM Abe held a meeting with President Trump in New York on September 26 taking the opportunity of attending the UN General Assembly, and agreed on the following points:

l  The two nations begin to negotiate a new trade agreement on goods (TAG).

l  The United States will not impose additional tariff on Japanese cars to be imported to the U.S. during the period of the negotiation of the TAG.

l  Tariff on U.S. agricultural products to be imported to Japan on TAG will not go under the ones that had been originally agreed for the TPP.

l  The two nations make sure to fully implement the sanction resolution against North Korea.

l  The United States continues to cooperate with Japan to solve the North Korean abduction issue.

Reportedly, the TAG negotiation will begin in January next year.

3.  JAPAN-U.S. JOINT EXERCISE OVER EAST CHINA SEA

Yomiuri reported on its front page of the morning paper today that the B52 strategic bombers of the U.S. Airforce and the F-15Js and F-2 fighters of the Japanese Air Self Defense Force conducted a large scale joint exercise over the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan on September 27.

The purpose of the joint exercise is reportedly to check the Chinese advancement in the region.

The B52s took off the Andersen Airforce Base in Guam, flew over Okinawa where they conducted a joint formation flight with the F15J from JASDF’s Naha Air  Base, then went up north off the coast of Kyushu to conduct joint exercise with the F-2s from JASDF’s Tuiki Air Base, and further flew north through the Sea of Japan to conduct some other exercises with JASDF’s fighters.

The scale of the joint exercise is largest ever, Yomiuri reported.

4.  ADOPTION OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME SYSTEM POSTPONED

Considering the benefit of energy saving and the risk of terrible heat in August, especially during the period of 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, the organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games had been studying a proposal to the Diet to adopt a daylight saving time system in Japan in Fiscal 2020.

However, Mr. Toshiaki Endo, Vice Chairman of the committee and a member of House of Representatives told to the media on September 27 that he decided to postpone the proposal to the Diet in time for the adoption in 2020.