Will Takaichi invoke 60-day rule to pass controversial bills? ^34.6%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 6/30/2026, 7:21 AM

Biased Writer Voice 47.6% - Unattributed Quote 34.7% - Confirmation Bias 32%

With less than three weeks until the current session of parliament is slated to finish, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government faces the question of whether to extend it for 60 days in order to debate controversial bills her ruling coalition wants passed before the autumn session begins. The Liberal Democratic Party and Japan... more

Takaichi and JIP agree to pass bill on backup capital this parliamentary session ^34.7%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 6/23/2026, 8:51 AM

Biased Writer Voice 27% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 19.3% - Negativity Bias 15.9%

With less than a month left in the current parliamentary session, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is accelerating efforts to pass key legislation, pushing forward controversial policies that include a revision of the Imperial Household succession law, a reduction in the number of parliamentary seats and a backup capital plan that is a key... more

Bill easing referendum procedures for constitutional amendments clears Lower House ^6%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 6/19/2026, 5:40 AM

Unattributed Quote 24.5% - Biased Writer Voice 18.6% - Negativity Bias 10.3%

A bill to ease procedures for conducting a national referendum on constitutional amendments after they’ve been approved by parliament cleared the Lower House on Friday. But while the changes address concerns about counting the votes and public service announcements, parliament still faces the thorny question of how to legislate internet... more

Fertilizer prices rise in Japan due to Strait of Hormuz squeeze ^29.2%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 6/15/2026, 6:46 AM

Post Hoc (False Cause) 32.2% - Negativity Bias 19.1% - Ambiguity (Equivocation) 13.5%

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created food security concerns in Japan as farmers are being charged more for imported fertilizer products. While severe domestic supply chain bottlenecks have hit naphtha supply chains, similiar shortage fears have yet to become a major issue in the fertilizer industry, experts say. But... more

Japanese tanker Idemitsu Maru arrives in Aichi after exiting Strait of Hormuz ^1.3%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 5/25/2026, 8:24 AM

Anchoring Bias 35% - Overconfidence Bias 35% - Framing Effect 26.5%

The first Japanese oil tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the Iran war has arrived in Japan. The Idemitsu Maru, an oil tanker belonging to energy conglomerate Idemitsu Kosan, docked at a pier off the coast of Chita City, Aichi Prefecture, around noon Monday, almost a month after it had reportedly passed... more

Survey begins to determine remote island’s suitability for nuclear disposal site ^14.7%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 5/21/2026, 7:16 AM

Appeal to Authority 28.2% - Framing Effect 21.8% - Pessimism Bias 16.4%

A survey to determine the suitability of a remote island in the Ogasawara Islands chain as a final disposal site for radioactive nuclear waste began Wednesday. The National Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) will carry out a review of the scientific literature on the geology of Minamitorishima, Japan’s easternmost island,... more

Amid shortage concerns, Japan works to secure sufficient supplies of key raw materials ^73.3%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 5/5/2026, 12:55 AM

The stoppage of Japan’s oil imports through the Strait of Hormuz has raised questions about what happens to available supplies of petroleum-derived naphtha across a broad range of industries. For the agricultural industry and food-packaging businesses, worries are particularly acute about what an oil and naphtha shortage could mean to... more

Japan secures enough petroleum-derived naphtha to last into 2027 ^48.9%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 5/1/2026, 5:35 AM

Overconfidence Bias 30.6% - Appeal to Authority 30.6% - Framing Effect 7.4%

Japan has secured enough petroleum-derived naphtha to last into 2027, with imports expected to triple in May as the country tries to address concerns about sufficient supplies of oil and oil-derived products. Questions over possible shortages of naphtha — used for products ranging from medical supplies to cheap consumer goods to plastic... more

How the Iran crisis affects Japan ^76.4%

The Japan Times - By Eric Johnston - 4/29/2026, 12:10 AM

Negativity Bias 65.5% - Unattributed Quote 45.2% - Framing Effect 40.5%

As the situation in the Middle East shows no sign of returning to normal anytime soon, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, preventing nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil exports from reaching their destinations. On Friday, Japan will begin to release another 20 days’ worth of oil from its domestic stockpiles. The use of stockpiles has... more

Japan issues rare special advisory over chance of more powerful quake ^32%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara, Yukana Inoue, Jesse Johnson, Eric Johnston - 4/20/2026, 9:28 AM

Indoctrination 19.5% - Availability Heuristic 17.3% - Appeal to Authority 14.6%

Authorities have warned residents of northeastern Japan to prepare for an even larger earthquake after a magnitude 7.7 quake struck off the coast of Iwate on Monday, triggering tsunami across a broad swath of the area. Residents in areas where a special advisory has been issued — for 182 municipalities from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture —... more