- Ishiba Cabinet Sets Upper House Election for July 3 Announcement, July 20 Voting
At a Cabinet meeting on the morning of June 24, it was decided that the upcoming House of Councillors (Upper House) election will be formally announced on July 3, with voting and ballot counting to take place on July 20.
Key campaign issues are expected to include rising prices, rice policy, and how to respond to tariff measures imposed by the Trump administration in the United States.
Of the House of Councillors' total 248 seats, 124 seats will be up for regular election — 74 from electoral districts and 50 by proportional representation — along with 1 additional seat in a special by-election to fill a vacancy in the Tokyo electoral district, bringing the total number of contested seats to 125.
This will be the first Upper House election under the Ishiba administration, which became a minority government following the general election last autumn.
Prime Minister Ishiba has set a goal of maintaining a majority in the Upper House through the combined strength of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito, including non-contested seats.
The opposition parties, on the other hand, aim to deprive the ruling coalition of its Upper House majority as a stepping stone toward a change in government.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, seen as a prelude to the Upper House election, was held on June 22.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered a historic defeat, securing only 21 seats, even when including three additional officially endorsed candidates, marking its worst-ever performance.
- Joint Public Opinion Survey by Yomiuri Shimbun and Hankook Ilbo of Korea Found Mutual Peoples Comfortable With The Bilateral Relationship
From June 13 to 15, Yomiuri Shimbun and the Hankook Ilbo of Korea conducted a joint public opinion survey.
In the results, 52% of respondents in Japan said that current Japan–South Korea relations are “good” (compared to 50% in last year’s survey), marking the second consecutive year with a majority.
In South Korea, the percentage was 55% (up from 42% last year), exceeding 50% for the first time since surveys began in 1995.
This is also the first time that “good” responses have outnumbered “bad” ones.
On June 4, a new left-leaning administration led by President Lee Jae-myung took office in South Korea.
Nevertheless, the improving trend in Japan–South Korea relations that progressed under the previous conservative administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol appears to be continuing.
When asked whether they feel an affinity toward the other country, 47% of respondents in Japan said they “feel affinity” (almost unchanged from last year’s 48%), while in South Korea, 41% expressed such sentiment (up from 33%), marking the second consecutive year of increase.
Public opinion about President Lee Jae-myung, who had previously made several anti-Japanese remarks, showed a stark contrast between the two countries.
When asked about expectations for President Lee, 57% of respondents in Japan said they “do not have expectations,” outnumbering the 31% who said they “have expectations.”
In contrast, 65% of South Korean respondents said they “have expectations” for him, while 33% said they “do not.”
Regarding the future of Japan–South Korea relations under the new Lee administration, 62% of Japanese respondents said relations will “remain unchanged,” whereas in South Korea, the most common response (36%) was that relations will “improve.”
Asked whether they believe the two countries have built an overall friendly relationship over the 60 years since normalization of diplomatic ties, 47% of Japanese respondents said they “agree,” while 45% said they “do not,” showing a near-even split.
In South Korea, only 41% said they “agree,” while a higher 52% said they “do not.”
3. Nippon Steal Reported Its Acquisition Of U.S. Steel At Its Shareholders Meeting
On June 18, Nippon Steel completed the full acquisition of U.S. Steel for approximately $14.1 billion, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.
As part of the deal, Nippon Steel entered into a national security agreement with the U.S. government and issued a golden share to the U.S. government.
Under the terms of the agreement, Nippon Steel has committed to investing $11 billion by 2028, while also pledging to maintain U.S. Steel’s company name and headquarters location, and to avoid relocating production outside the United States.
At Nippon Steel’s shareholders meeting held on June 24, while there were voices welcoming the acquisition of U.S. Steel, some shareholders expressed concerns about the loss of managerial autonomy and the impact of such a large-scale investment on profitability.
Furthermore, concerns were also raised regarding U.S. Steel’s relatively weak market position, as it currently ranks third in crude steel production in the U.S., behind Nucor (No. 1) and Cleveland-Cliffs (No. 2).
In response to these concerns, Nippon Steel Chairman Eiji Hashimoto provided the following reassurances:
Managerial autonomy remains with Nippon Steel and is not constrained by the agreement.
The U.S. market is expected to continue growing, so profitability will not be an issue.
U.S. Steel’s strength lies in its dual capabilities, possessing both blast furnaces and electric arc furnaces, which will enable it to focus on high-grade steel products and thereby differentiate itself from the top two competitors.
4. Tokyo University Successfully Synthesized Ammonia At Room Temperature And Atmospheric Pressure
A research team led by Professor Yoshinori Nishibayashi of the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo has become the first in the world to successfully synthesize ammonia at room temperature and atmospheric pressure by exposing a mixture of nitrogen, water and reducing agent to light.
The details of the study were published in the May issue of Nature Communications.
Conventional ammonia production methods require hydrogen and involve high-temperature and high-pressure processes, which result in CO₂ emissions during manufacturing.
Another drawback of the conventional method is the need for large-scale equipment.
The inspiration for this new method came from an enzyme found in bacteria that live symbiotically in the roots of leguminous plants.
These enzymes are capable of converting nitrogen in the soil into ammonia without emitting CO₂.
Although the current method still requires a reducing agent—making it difficult to put into practical use at this stage—Professor Nishibayashi stated that ammonia synthesis without any reducing agent is “within reach.”
The team aims to announce further results within the next few years.