- Prime Minister Takaichi Continues To Receive High Approval Ratings
The Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a nationwide public opinion survey from the 19th to the 21st.
The approval rating for the Takaichi Cabinet stood at 73%, virtually unchanged from the previous survey (conducted November 21–23, when it was 72%), but marking the highest level since the cabinet was formed in October.
The disapproval rating was 14% (down from 17%).
Maintaining an approval rating of over 70% two months after a cabinet’s inauguration has occurred only three times since the Ohira Cabinet was formed in 1978—under the Hosokawa and Koizumi administrations, and now under the current cabinet.
Meanwhile, regarding the government’s response to rising prices, 35% said they “approve,” while 50% said they “do not approve.”
As for reducing the number of seats in the House of Representatives, 78% were in favor, far exceeding the 13% who were opposed.
Support for restarting the operation of nuclear power plants that meet regulatory standards stood at 63%, while 26% were opposed.
With regard to generative AI (artificial intelligence), where the United States and China are taking the lead, 75% said Japan should pursue its own independent development, while 13% said it should not.
2. Japanese Government To Decide On An Upper-Limit Of Foreign Blue-Collar Workers
The government on the morning of the 23rd presented an upper-limit proposal to a panel of experts that would allow the acceptance of up to a total of 1,231,900 foreign workers (blue-collar workers) by the end of fiscal 2028.
The proposal envisions accepting about 800,000 workers under the “Specified Skilled Worker” residency status, and around 420,000 under the new “Training and Employment” program, which will replace the technical intern training program and is scheduled to begin in 2027.
Based on discussions within the ruling parties, the government aims to make a Cabinet decision in late January next year.
Under the proposed cap, the Specified Skilled Worker program—which allows for long-term employment—would accept 805,700 workers across 19 sectors over the three-year period starting in fiscal 2026.
This represents a reduction of about 10,000 from the previously estimated maximum of 820,000 over five years beginning in fiscal 2024, reflecting productivity gains from artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies.
The Training and Employment program, set to begin in April 2027, is expected to accept up to 426,200 workers across 17 sectors over a two-year period.
This marks the first time the government has presented projected intake numbers for the new program.
The initiative aims to alleviate domestic labor shortages by training workers to a certain skill level and encouraging their transition to the Specified Skilled Worker program, which allows for longer-term employment.
Under the new framework, job changes—generally prohibited under the technical intern training program—will be permitted after one to two years of employment, limited to the same industry, as part of efforts to improve working conditions.
The technical intern training program, which has been plagued by cases of excessive working hours and unpaid wages, will be abolished.
The intake caps for each sector were calculated by subtracting labor supply expected to be covered through measures such as greater participation by women and productivity improvements from projected labor shortages.
The caps are designed to avoid adverse effects on employment for Japanese workers, and the government will suspend acceptance if the limits are reached.
3. The Japanese Government Launched Basic AI Plan
On the 23rd, the government approved its first Basic AI Plan at a Cabinet meeting, aiming to fundamentally strengthen the domestic development and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI).
By pursuing “trustworthy AI” that leverages Japan’s strengths, the government set out a policy to make Japan “the world’s most AI-friendly country for development and deployment,” balancing technological innovation with risk management.
Based on the AI Act enacted in May, the Basic AI Plan specifies concrete policies the government should pursue under four pillars:
(1) promotion of AI utilization,
(2) strengthening development capabilities,
(3) governance (management), and
(4) social transformation.
Given the rapid pace of technological innovation, the plan is expected to be revised annually for the time being.
The plan expresses a sense of crisis, stating that Japan’s AI development and utilization have been “falling increasingly behind year by year.”
At the same time, it emphasizes making full use of the “high-quality data” accumulated domestically in fields such as industry, healthcare, and research, as well as Japan’s high-quality communications infrastructure, and calls for a concerted public–private effort to “launch a counteroffensive.”
Specifically, the plan highlights the promotion of “trustworthy AI grounded in Japanese culture and customs,” as well as the development of “physical AI” that operates in the real world, such as autonomous robots and self-driving technologies.
To facilitate data training, it also calls for the early revision of the Personal Information Protection Act.
With the Digital Agency’s generative AI platform “Gen’nai” in mind, the plan further seeks to thoroughly promote AI utilization by government officials.
As part of efforts to ensure reliability, the government also decided to immediately double the staffing (currently about 30 people) of the government-affiliated AI Safety Institute, which evaluates AI safety.
Looking ahead, the institute aims to expand to a scale of around 200 personnel, comparable to its UK counterpart, clearly stating that the government will take the lead in developing and securing AI talent.
With an eye toward wider adoption in society, the plan also includes consideration of “the framework for civil liability” in cases where AI-related accidents or damages occur, as well as the “appropriate protection of intellectual property.”
- TEPCO To Restart Unit 6 Of The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant
It has been learned that Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) has finalized a plan to restart Unit 6 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture on January 20 next year.
On the 24th, TEPCO applied to the Nuclear Regulation Authority for the required pre-operation inspection prior to the restart.
This will mark the first time TEPCO has restarted a nuclear power plant since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
Regarding the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi indicated on the 21st of last month his intention to approve the restart.
In order to seek the judgment of the prefectural assembly, the governor submitted a supplementary budget proposal that included public relations expenses related to nuclear power.
The proposal was approved by the prefectural assembly on the 22nd of this month, thereby completing the procedures for obtaining the necessary local consent required for the restart.