- Ishiba Cabinet’s Approval Rating Sharply Increased To 39%
Yomiuri conducted a nationwide opinion poll from the 22nd to the 24th of this month.
The approval rating for the Ishiba Cabinet stood at 39%, up 17 points from the previous emergency survey in July (22%), which was carried out immediately after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito suffered a crushing defeat in the House of Councillors election.
The disapproval rating was 50% (down from 67% in the previous poll).
Excluding times of prime ministerial change, this increase marks the largest jump in cabinet approval ratings since telephone surveys began in 2008.
In response to the election results, 42% said they thought Prime Minister Ishiba should resign (down from 54% in the previous poll), while 50% said they did not think so (up from 35%), reversing the results from the previous survey.
Regarding the prime minister’s policy to review rice production controls and increase output, 86% expressed support.
As for the prime minister’s plan to release his own statement—including an examination of the war—on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, 58% were in favor and 27% opposed.
Concerning negotiations between the Japanese government and the Trump administration over U.S. tariff measures, 42% said they evaluated them positively (up from 29% in the June survey), while 48% said they did not (down from 56%).
- Indian Prime Minister Modi Arrives in Japan, to Hold Summit with Prime Minister Ishiba
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Japan this morning.
He will meet with Prime Minister Ishiba at the Prime Minister’s Office in the afternoon of the same day.
The two leaders are set to issue a joint statement centered on strengthening security cooperation and economic partnership between Japan and India.
This is Modi’s first visit to Japan since May 2023.
On the 30th, Modi is scheduled to tour facilities such as semiconductor manufacturing plants before heading to his next destination, China.
The talks will also reflect on the 10th anniversary of the designation of Japan-India relations as a “Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” with discussions focusing on the direction of cooperation for the next decade.
The joint statement is expected to note “serious concern” over developments in the East and South China Seas, with China’s maritime expansion in mind.
The 2008 “Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation” will also be revised to deepen collaboration across a wide range of fields.
A joint vision will be unveiled, including cooperation in eight priority areas such as achieving ¥10 trillion in Japanese private investment in India and the introduction of a new high-speed rail system.
Right before his departure, Modi issued a statement saying, “Our focus will be on building the next stage of the ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership with Japan.’
We will give new wings to our cooperation and advance collaboration in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors.”
A draft revision of the Japan-India Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation has been revealed, incorporating new provisions for collaboration in areas such as economic security, the defense industry, and cyberspace.
According to multiple government sources, Prime Minister Ishiba and Indian Prime Minister Modi are scheduled to hold talks today and exchange the revised document.
The Joint Declaration was originally signed in 2008, and through this revision, the two nations aim to strengthen solidarity in addressing new security challenges that have emerged over the past 17 years.
In the field of economic security, the revised declaration will newly stipulate cooperation to strengthen supply chains—including critical minerals—and to respond to “economic coercion.”
The move is made with China’s use of rare earth export restrictions as a strategic tool in mind.
In terms of the defense industry, the document will specify cooperation in the joint development and production of equipment and technologies.
It will also include plans for joint research and development in new domains such as cyberspace, as well as in fields that could shape the future of warfare, including artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, while promoting collaboration among industry, government, and academia.
The revision will also reference the effective utilization of the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which entered into force in 2021, and will explore cooperation in defense against chemical and biological weapons.
Furthermore, the updated declaration will highlight the strengthening of existing cooperative and dialogue frameworks between Japan and India, including deepening cooperation within the Quad framework involving Japan, the United States, Australia, and India.
The revision is intended with China in mind, given its repeated coercive actions in the South China Sea and other areas between Japan and India.
It emphasizes the importance of efforts toward a maritime order based on the rule of law.
3. Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani and UK Defense Secretary Healey Issue First Joint Statement
On the 28th, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani held talks with UK Defense Secretary John Healey at the Ministry of Defense and issued a joint statement that outlined the expansion of bilateral security cooperation. This marks the first time that the defense ministers of Japan and the UK have released a joint statement, with the aim of countering China’s increasingly hegemonic moves in the Indo-Pacific region.
Regarding Britain’s growing engagement in the region, including the dispatch of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier to Japan, Nakatani highly praised the move during the meeting, saying it was “an initiative that contributes to further strengthening Japan-UK defense cooperation.”
The joint statement expressed “serious concern” over the situation in the East and South China Seas with China in mind, stating, “We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force.” The two sides also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
On the trilateral joint development of the next-generation fighter aircraft by Japan, the UK, and Italy, both ministers agreed to accelerate efforts toward concluding a contract by the end of the year.
They also emphasized the importance of continued support for Ukraine, which is under Russian aggression, and welcomed the strengthening of Japan’s ties with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) through such assistance.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has also deepened cooperation by conducting “asset protection” operations this month to safeguard Royal Navy vessels, including the aircraft carrier currently visiting Japan.
At the joint press conference following the talks, Nakatani stressed that “Japan-UK defense cooperation has reached a new dimension.”
Healey, for his part, stated, “Security in the Indo-Pacific and in Europe and the Atlantic is indivisible,” and emphasized that regarding the next-generation fighter project, “We will accelerate our work to sign the contract by the end of the year.”
- Bill Gates To Support Japan’s Efforts To Commercialize Decarbonization Technologies
The U.S. nonprofit organization founded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will begin jointly supporting research and development in the decarbonization field starting in fiscal 2026.
The initiative will provide subsidies and other forms of support to bolster Japan’s strengths in biomass and hydrogen-related research, with the aim of accelerating commercialization.
A support hub will also be established in Japan.
Gates founded Breakthrough Energy in 2015 as an investment company to advance initiatives such as climate change countermeasures.
The nonprofit organization under Gates’ umbrella provides grants for basic research as well as support for business development, while its investment fund is responsible for backing commercial ventures.
This nonprofit will establish a presence in Japan and, together with METI, support domestic decarbonization research.
Its expansion outside the United States follows Singapore in 2024, making Japan the second country.
Beginning in fiscal 2026, subsidies and other forms of support will be provided for Japan’s decarbonization technologies, including biomass, hydrogen, carbon capture, and green steel.
While Japan possesses advanced technologies in decarbonization research, it often faces challenges in transitioning these innovations into commercial ventures.
According to METI, 363 university-based startups were established in Japan in 2022—only about one-third of the 998 founded in the United States.
By incorporating the expertise and practices of Gates’ nonprofit organization, Japan aims to enhance the competitiveness of its research and development efforts.