Sharp, essential news and analysis from Malaysia.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made a ritual offering to Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine on the 81st anniversary of World War II's end, though she avoided a personal visit. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attended the site.
A resurfaced 2002 debate clip shows Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi defending Japan's wartime aggression in China as self-defence, triggering fierce domestic criticism and raising questions about her historical understanding.
Japan's overhauled Imperial House Law permits adopting males from former royal families to stabilize succession, but Imperial Household Agency staff worry about implementation while the public remains divided on whether female emperors should be allowed.
Japan's parliament has reformed its imperial succession law to allow adoption of distant male relatives and let women retain royal status after marrying commoners, yet it continues to bar women from becoming emperor—a position backed by 72% of the public.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet approval rating has fallen below 50% for the first time since taking office in October, according to a Jiji Press poll, signalling growing public dissatisfaction despite her earlier electoral successes.