Each week, here at Osaka.com, we bring you a selection of some of the top stories about Osaka making the local and national news here in Japan. Sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s funny, but it’s always direct to you, from Osaka.
Table of Contents
Party Leader Quits After Election Slump
Osaka has seen its first major political casualty of last month’s House of Councilors national election. Seiji Maehara, co-head of the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party (JIP) resigned this week. He said he was doing so to take responsibility for the Party’s poor showing at last month’s upper house election. Whilst the powers of the upper house are limited, much like the US mid-term elections, party members often view them as a barometer of support for a party and its leader among the wider public.
The results made grim viewing for the JIP. The party held up fairly well in Osaka, and much of its other Kansai strongholds. Nationally, however was a different story as the JIP’s vote share plummeted.
Japan Innovation Party Leader Quits as Party Loses Almost Half its Voters
Maehara himself had only been in the job for a matter of months. He was appointed to the JIP leadership by the party’s other co-leader, Hirofumi Yoshimura. This was deemed necessary as, despite his popularity in Osaka, where he still holds the role of governor, Yoshimura does not hold any political office at the national level.
Maehara was appointed by Yoshimura after the latter won a contest to choose the party’s new leader. This came after a disappointing showing in October 2024’s lower house election. However, having failed to reverse the JIP’s downward trend, Maehara chose to step aside this week.
His resignation comes after the number of votes the JIP secured nationally was finally revealed recently.
The JIP claimed just under 4.4 million votes on July 20th. However, this is a massive drop from the more than 7.8 million votes the party collected at the previous upper house election in 2022.
Whilst no announcement has been made yet, he will have to appoint a successor to Maehara, who will lead the JIP’s diminished parliamentary wing.
Governing Party, Opposition Show Solidarity as Ukraine Minister Plans Visit to Osaka, Tokyo
One of the few things that most of Japan’s increasingly fragmented political classes seem to agree upon these days is their ongoing support for Ukraine.
However, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, with his first visit to Japan expected imminently, plans to ask for more.
Originally, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko planned to visit the Osaka Expo on Tuesday of next week. The visit coincided with the event’s Ukrainian National Day.
However, Svyrydenko cancelled, amid domestic concerns with the ongoing fight against Russian occupation.
Instead, Andrii Sybiha, who assumed the role of foreign minister last year, will deputise for the Prime Minister. He is expected to visit the Expo next week. Sybiha will then head to Tokyo, to meet with his Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya. Top of the agenda is increasing sanctions on Russia.
The historic will also discuss concerns around the increased military build up in both North Korea and China recently. Of particular concern for Ukraine are signs of increasing military ties between the Putin and Kim Regimes.
And Finally…
Naomi Osaka was in a party mood this week. She continued her recent run of good form in Tennis’ National Bank Open in Canada this week.
Osaka surprised many onlookers over the weekend, recording the second fastest victory of her professional career. The former World number one took just 49 minutes to see off Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-0 amidst blustery conditions in Montreal.
The victory marked the first time in 19 months that Osaka reached the last eight of a WTA ranking event.
However, Naomi wasn’t done there. She went on to clinch an equally convincing win over No. 10 seed Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday morning, Japan time.
She will now face off against Clara Tauson, the number 16 seed, in the semifinals. If Osaka makes it through, it will be the first time since early 2022 that she appears in the final of major tennis tournament.
The Osaka-born star recently parted company with her long-term coach. She appeared reenergized over the past few days, displaying the same power and poise that propelled her to the World Number One slot earlier in her career.
Osaka looked to be regaining form earlier this year, but a disappointing 3rd round exit at the Wimbledon Championships in London seemed to derail her momentum.
Thankfully, Naomi Osaka looks much more like her old self again this week, and her fans will be hoping she can go all the way in the days ahead.
That’s all for now but be sure to check back again same time next week for another round of this week in Osaka!
