同性婚排除の規定は憲法違反か　最高裁大法廷が26年度にも判断へ：朝日新聞 民法や戸籍法の規定が同性婚を認めていないのは憲法違反だとして、同性カップルらが国を訴えた6件の訴訟で、最高裁第三小法廷（林道晴裁判長）は25日、原告側の上告を受理し、裁判官15人全員で審理する大法廷…

The Japanese Supreme Court has decided to make a decision on the constitutionality of banning same-sex marriage. The decision is expected to come during fiscal 2026, although an exact date is still not decided.

www.asahi.com/sp/articles/...

This law, depending if the timing could make things more difficult for me too 😢

While there is a need if regulation to protect the persons involved and make the environment better, last year’s proposal had a lot of issues that would make harder for a lot of people to be able to have children

I recently met a same-sex couple who had a child in Japan, who felt this law may make it impossible for them to have more children. Conservative legislation causes real harm for people.

The article discusses the new suggested bill by JSOG (Japan Society for Obstetrics and Genycology) which, although slightly modified from last year, still recommends that only legally married couples be eligible for the treatment.

子が会う権利・体外受精認める　第三者の精子で不妊治療、学会見解案：朝日新聞 第三者の精子を使う不妊治療について、日本産科婦人科学会（日産婦）が１２日、新しいルールを定めた見解案を公表した。生まれた子どもが成人後に精子提供者（ドナー）と会う権利を認め、人工授精だけでなく、より…

Until now, same-sex couples have been able to receive AID treatment through a loophole in legislation, but this new bill would limit the treatment to legally married couples. The bill failed once in the Diet last year after CDPJ refused to debate it, but it may be reintroduced.

子が会う権利・体外受精認める　第三者の精子で不妊治療、学会見解案：朝日新聞 第三者の精子を使う不妊治療について、日本産科婦人科学会（日産婦）が１２日、新しいルールを定めた見解案を公表した。生まれた子どもが成人後に精子提供者（ドナー）と会う権利を認め、人工授精だけでなく、より…

I recently learned about this new bill, which risks taking away reproductive rights from anyone not in a heterosexual marriage.

digital.asahi.com/articles/DA3...

While young Japanese are often said to be tolerant of sexual minorities, but often this is a shallow tolerance and many LGBTQ+ youth still find it hard to find acceptance from their peers.

Congrats, that's really cool way to take 漢検！

ありがとう！

Thanks!!

Furukawa only got 14,215 votes, while Nishizawa got 24,594 votes. LDP candidate Komiyama who was the most popular candidate got 37,566 votes.

Nishizawa made a post about the "Party (DPP) not giving me enough information about why they cancelled my endorsement" as a reason for his resignation. In his place, anti-foreigner Furukawa Keigo from the minor right-wing party "Japan Yamato Party" may get his seat.

当選者が開票翌日に辞職願　当選証書も受け取らず　埼玉県議補選 | 毎日新聞 新人4人の争いとなった埼玉県議南2区補選（改選数2、川口市）が8日投開票され、新人で自民の元出版社社員、小見山祐紀氏（38）と、7日に国民民主党の公認を取り消された無所属の参院議員秘書、西澤理（さとし）氏（38）が初当選した。ただ、西澤氏は9日、白土幸仁・県議会議長宛てに辞職願を提出した。西澤氏の

Really silly story from my current hometown. In a special election for the Saitama prefectural assembly seats from Kawaguchi, DPP candidate Nishizawa Osamu got the second most votes and won a seat, but handed in his resignation the very next day.
mainichi.jp/articles/202...

Updated my profile a bit 😊

Even among young people who say they lean to the left, 30% voted for LDP hmmm

I wonder what will happen to the opposition next, will there be any new type of liberal politics, or will the opposition become dominated by conservatives like DPFP and Sansei?

I feared this based on the last week, but LDP are going to get possibly a supermajority from the election, giving an unproven Takaichi the reigns when she's barely set out policies (and what she has are economically and socially volatile) and there's bubbling new scandals

例え自分が投票した候補が落選したとしても、「もう終わった」ではありません。

「選挙で選ばれた＝全権委任された」ではないし「民主主義＝選挙が全て」でもありません。

今後もデモや署名など、意思表示の様々な方法を駆使し、選ばれた人間がそれにどう向き合うか、大切なのは「これから」。

Ok, this Japan election campaign I’ve been too busy with finishing my dissertation and personal matters to even care, but god does it look bleak… just gonna get a whisky and go to bed

(actually, the numbers in the article seems to be for the whole country, there is not 1 million foreigners in Kawaguchi - weird given the 「川口市の事情」in the title)

but yes, it is hard to compare given the different demographics of foreigners and Japanese populations.

データが打ち消す「外国人は社会保障ただ乗り」説　「負担の割に受益少なく」　市長選で注目・川口市の事情は：東京新聞デジタル 外国人が日本の社会保障制度に「ただ乗りしている」といった声は、ネットなどで広まっている。実際はどうなのか、現状を点検した。◆外国人は「...

While the right-wing says foreigners free ride on the NHI in Kawaguchi, as a matter of fact, foreigners pay a lot more into the system than they get out. As shown here, foreigners account for 4% of payments into the NHI but receive only 1.39% of reparations.
www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/464319

埼玉・川口市長選が告示　6氏が出馬　外国人政策など争点に論戦 | 毎日新聞 任期満了に伴う埼玉県川口市長選が25日、告示された。いずれも新人で、元県議の立石泰広氏（64）＝自民推薦▽元市議の矢野由紀子氏（62）＝共産推薦▽元県議の岡村ゆり子氏（44）▽住宅リフォーム会社代表の西内聡雄氏（52）▽介護サービス会社代表の古川圭吾氏（55）▽医療法人理事長の松浦玄嗣氏（53）―

I'm back again! With Japan going to a general election in a few weeks, my current hometown is also holding a mayoral election next Sunday. Among the six candidates, there are two right-wing racist nuts... And your run-of-the-mill LDP guy as well of course.
mainichi.jp/articles/202...

フィンランド「つり目」騒動、与党会派代表らが投稿議員の処分検討へ：朝日新聞 フィンランドの複数の国会議員らが、アジア人差別にあたる「つり目」の写真や動画をSNSに投稿した問題で、連立政権を組む与党の会派代表らは16日に集まり、処分を検討する。フィンランド首相官邸の報道官が1…

Yay, Finland makes Japanese views!! Oh… fuck.

フィンランド「つり目」騒動、与党会派代表らが投稿議員の処分検討へ
digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Indeed, the article says that the new taxation was announced based on urgings from the automobile industry.

来年度税制改正 EVに重量に応じた課税 導入の方向で検討 | NHKニュース 【NHK】来年度の税制改正で焦点の1つとなっている自動車関係の税制をめぐり、政府・与党は、ガソリン車より重く、道路への負荷も大きいとされるEV＝電気自動車に、重量に応じて課税する新たな仕組みを導入する方向で検討

Japan plans to increase tax on Electric Vehicles (EV) from next year. A new tax based on vehicle-weight will be started, which will be higher for EVs as they in general weight more than gasoline vehicles. I cant help but feel this is orchestrated by the anti-EV lobby.
news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/n...

I know this is very speculative but I wonder if this could have been influenced by pressure from the gov't, as the very same Tokyo High Court made the opposite decision just a year ago. Of course, it would be impossible to prove that Takaichi put pressure on court, but its still quite fishy.

Surprise, Anger, and Frustration as Tokyo’s High Court Rules Against Marriage Equality - Unseen Japan Supporters of marriage equality in Japan were met with an unexpected setback after a series of affirmative rulings.

Supporters of marriage equality in Japan faced a setback on November 28th that surprised many. After a series of favorable court rulings across the country, the Tokyo High Court ruled that the lack of recognition of same-sex marriage was constitutional.

buff.ly/HlG6HWe

Looking over this years electoral campaign, it’s quite obvious that Sanseito were allowed to steer the narrative, which likely is why Takaichi became PM in the first place.

I feel that UC is somewhat separate from Sanseito though… And my point was, one positive (among many obvious negatives). Re: foreigners, I have a feeling (but might be wrong) that LDP will moderate their positions once the issue is off the radar.

I think overall, it’s still preferable to Sanseito, in case this leads to the party becoming marginal and their influence waning, they won’t drive the narrative in future elections which I think would be preferable.