​​The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party becomes the first woman to head the Tokyo government. The coalition does not have an absolute majority in parliament, but prevailed due to divisions in the opposition. Ishin will not have its own ministers. The government agreement includes a commitment to reduce the number of parliamentarians by 10% and suspend the food consumption tax for two years.

The split between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, allies in the coalition that has governed Japan almost continuously since 1999, ushers in a new phase of political instability in Japan. The recently elected LDP leader, conservative Sanae Takaichi, now risks failing to secure the majority needed to become the country's first female prime minister. The opposition, led by the Constitutional Democratic Party, is trying to join forces to block her election.

The Osaka University immunologist received the prestigious award along with two Americans for their work on the immune system. Sakaguchi hopes that the recognition will encourage new applications for cancer treatment and the prevention of transplant rejection. With him, the number of Japanese Nobel laureates now stands at 29 (six for Medicine).

The former interior minister, known for her tough stance on China and her nationalist policies, won the Liberal Democratic Party primaries and is set to lead the government as its leader. However, without a majority in parliament, she will have to seek new alliances. The crux of the matter is her relationship with the far right of Sanseito.

In the Noto Peninsula, the Diocese of Nagoya witnessed the joy of the consecration of a new church in Wajima 20 months after a devastating earthquake razed the old one. As a sign of things to come, the new place of worship welcomed some 20 Filipinos who discovered a home amid the tragedy and show of solidarity for this small community.

JICA, the development agency of Tokyo's Foreign Ministry, has been forced to abandon its twinning initiative between four Japanese cities and Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana and Mozambique. Perceived as encouraging immigration, it sparked demonstrations and alarm. This is a serious blow to development cooperation in a political climate marked by the rise of the far right.