Robert Nordström

【速報】石破内閣の支持率36.8%　前月調査より4.0ポイント上昇　JNN世論調査 | TBS NEWS DIG (1ページ) 石破内閣の支持率が前月の調査から4.0ポイント上昇し、36.8%だったことが最新のJNNの世論調査でわかりました。不支持率は前月の調査から3.1ポイント下落し、60.5%でした。また政党支持率では▼自民党の支持が前月… (1ページ)

Some good news for Ishiba, a new TBS poll finds his approval rating up 4 points from last month, and the number of respondents wanting him to resign now lower than those wishing him to stay. Pretty crazy if he actually pulls this one of …
newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2...

郡和子氏が3選　仙台市長選で3氏を破る　子育て支援などの強化訴え：朝日新聞 仙台市長選は3日に投開票され、現職の郡和子氏（68）が、いずれも新顔で地域FM局社長の野田紀子（76）、元航空自衛官の菅原武大（60）、元住宅設備会社員の松本剛（48）の3氏を破り、3選を確実にした…

(Links to info on Sendai race:

郡和子氏が3選　仙台市長選で3氏を破る　子育て支援などの強化訴え
digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

仙台市長選挙 現職の郡和子氏 3回目の当選確実 新人抑え | NHK | 選挙 www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...
)

In Sendai, Kori Kazuko won a third term as mayor. She is a clear progressive, and has in the past been associated with Greens Japan, running on a platform of diversity. The article doesn’t mention if she received support from local LDP, but she doesn’t seem to have faced serious competition.

In Yokohama, Yamanaka Takeharu handily won reelection tonight. In 2021, he won a hard-fought race against LDPs Okinogi Haciro. This time, he received support from from the local LDP chapter as well as opposition parties, making him an Ainori candidate
www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...

In the mayoral races in Yokohama and Sendai, the incumbent mayors won reelection tonight. Both were seen as progressive in their initial runs defeating LDP candidates, but seem to have been Ainori in these elections. Still, good news for two major Japanese urban centers.

Om man ser närmare på deras ideologi handlar det inte bara om att bygga om samhället enligt traditionella könsnormer, de strävar även efter ”genetisk renhet”, en idé som grundar sig i nazistisk rashygien.

同好会規約のような参政党案が「ありがたい」　憲法専門家の視点 | 毎日新聞 「われらは、全世界の国民が、ひとしく恐怖と欠乏から免かれ、平和のうちに生存する権利を有することを確認する」 　何の前文の一節かお分かりだろうか。 　7月20日に行われた参院選では、参政党が憲法をゼロからつくる「創憲」を掲げたことで、図らずも現行の日本国憲法にも光が当たることとなった。

In this article, constitutional scholar Ito Makoto gives two reasons why Sanseito's "ridiculous constitution" was a good thing:
(1) It made people see the Constitution as "their own";
(2) It highlighted how good the current one is by comparison.

I do not agree...
mainichi.jp/articles/202...

Fair enough, but constitutional revision has been on the agenda for so many times the last decade by for example Abe, I don’t see why this is the time they become invested… I’m honestly more afraid some uneducated voters may actually be swayed by Sanseito arguments that human rights are un-Japanese

Just for some context; here are (some of) the fundamental rights not included in Sanseito's "Draft constitution"

- Equality before the law (Art. 14)
- Ban of slavery and cruel punishments (Art. 18)
- Freedom of thought (art. 19)
- freedom of religion (art. 20)
- freedom of speech (art. 21)
(cont.)

- freedom of movement; and to change citizenship (art. 22)
- right to a fair trial (art. 32)
- right to a lawyer (art. 34)
- the right to remain silent (art. 38)

So; they want to make Japan into an dictatorial police state. If their voter like these values so much, they should move to North Korea.

Just for some context; here are (some of) the fundamental rights not included in Sanseito's "Draft constitution"

- Equality before the law (Art. 14)
- Ban of slavery and cruel punishments (Art. 18)
- Freedom of thought (art. 19)
- freedom of religion (art. 20)
- freedom of speech (art. 21)
(cont.)

...the fact that many voted for them shows that some may be supportive of living under a nightmarish neo-Meiji Constitution with almost no civil rights. These thoughts must be ignored and exposed for their total lack of merit, and not be considered as part of mainstream discussion on Con. revision

On the second point, I cannot see how having a decision on removing fundamental democratic rights in any way is helpful to the democratic discourse at all. While most voters probably see the Sanseito's draft as totally ridiculous, ...

Therefore, I don't think Sanseito's little populist document in any way has contributed to anything to the debate on constitutional revision in the broader population. It is only used as red meat for their far-right support base.

To ito's first argument; Constitutional revision was already pushed so hard by the Abe government, it is hard to see that people did not already realize constitutional amendment is in their hands. Despite having the numbers in both houses of the DIet, even then constitutional revision failed.

The Sanseito again brought up the tired idea that the current Constitution was "forced upon" Japan by the American occupying forces. While there is some truth to this argument, the 1947 Constitution has been upheld by the Japanese themselves for almost 80 years, which is why it has not been amended.

同好会規約のような参政党案が「ありがたい」　憲法専門家の視点 | 毎日新聞 「われらは、全世界の国民が、ひとしく恐怖と欠乏から免かれ、平和のうちに生存する権利を有することを確認する」 　何の前文の一節かお分かりだろうか。 　7月20日に行われた参院選では、参政党が憲法をゼロからつくる「創憲」を掲げたことで、図らずも現行の日本国憲法にも光が当たることとなった。

In this article, constitutional scholar Ito Makoto gives two reasons why Sanseito's "ridiculous constitution" was a good thing:
(1) It made people see the Constitution as "their own";
(2) It highlighted how good the current one is by comparison.

I do not agree...
mainichi.jp/articles/202...

*population 🤦

Ratio of serious car accidents caused by foreign drivers hits record 2.1% A total of 258 of such accidents, which caused death or serious injury, occurred in the first half of 2025, according to National Police Agency data.

And the proportion of the popilation that is foreign born is… checks notes… more than three percent??
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07...

性や出産、自分で決める「SRHR」認知25％　世代間でギャップ | 毎日新聞 国際NGO「プラン・インターナショナル」は30日、性や出産などについて自分で決める権利「セクシュアル・リプロダクティブ・ヘルス/ライツ（SRHR）」に関する調査結果を発表した。この権利を「重要」とした人が57％に上った一方で「日常で（自分の権利が）尊重されている」と感じる人は35％にとどまった。

性や出産などについて自分で決める権利『SRHR』認知25％　世代間でギャップ
mainichi.jp/articles/202...
「避妊、中絶など自分の体のことを決められていない現状がある。また上の世代もアップデートする仕組みが必要」

The real reason people say Musk is stupid is that every time he talks about any area that a particular person knows about, he reveals that he doesn’t understand the most basic things about it. Apparently this has never come up for Noah Smith.

Más personas ha muerto de hambre en lo últimos 11 días en Gaza que en los 21 meses anteriores. Esto es intencional

This thread is total win 😂😂😂

DOGE Wasted Tens of Billions While Chainsawing the Government in the Name of 'Efficiency': Senate Report | Common Dreams Elon Musk's DOGE wasted more than $21 billion in just six months. Other studies have found that in the longterm it may cost the government more than it saved, while resulting in millions of deaths.

Elon Musk's DOGE wasted more than $21 billion in just six months. Other studies have found that in the long term it may cost the government more than it saved, while resulting in millions of deaths.

www.commondreams.org/news/doge-wa...

Interesting article, I think many who have come to Japan as exchange students will have at least some experience with GTN, and this shows how the company was started.

Maehara Seiji does it again—after leading the DPJ and setting off its 2017 collapse, he later co-leads Ishin. This time, he led the party into one of its worst elections in years. A real party pooper!
www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...

経歴詐称疑惑の伊東市長、事前表明していた「月内辞職」せず続投表明：朝日新聞 学歴詐称疑惑を指摘されている静岡県伊東市の田久保真紀市長が7月31日夜に記者会見し、7月中に辞職するとしていた意向を撤回し、続投する方針を表明した。　田久保氏は学歴詐称の指摘に対し、7月2日に「東洋…

The mayor of Ito, who had previously said she would resign within the month following allegations of her forging her educational records, now rescinds her resignation and signals she aims to continue as mayor.

digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

… not guilty by a local court on similar grounds, but prosecutors appealed the decision and he was found guilty by a High Court in 1995.

While he was not given the death sentence, this case reminds me of the Hakamata case, pushing for retributive justice even when the evidence is too weak

Maekawa finished his sentence in 2003, but started a re-trial process in 2004. It was found that the main witness had come up with fraudulent claims against Maekawa. Incidentally, in the original court case in 1990, Maekawa was found not guilty on similar grounds, but was found guilty by …

「証拠の扱い不公正」　福井事件の再審無罪判決、検察が上告断念へ：朝日新聞 福井市で1986年に女子中学生を殺害したとして、殺人罪で服役した前川彰司さん（60）を無罪とした名古屋高裁金沢支部のやり直し裁判（再審）の判決について、検察側が上告を断念する方針を固めた。証拠の扱い…

A re-trial of the Fukui murder case from 1987 has found the man indicted for the murder Maekawa Shoushi “not guilty”. Maekawa is was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to 7 years in prison in 1995. However, it was found the evidence against him was fraudulent

digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...