Japan’s princesses face life-altering legal revisions ^77%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara - 7/3/2026, 9:20 AM

Biased Writer Voice 100% - Negativity Bias 56.3% - Availability Heuristic 50.9%

Japan’s princesses are potentially facing life-changing legal revisions to their status from a set of bills that propose giving them the option of staying in the imperial family after marriage and carrying on with their official duties, instead of becoming commoners. The million-dollar question is, would they want to? The flip side of... more

Law revisions regarding imperial family invite controversy about succession ^77%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara - 7/1/2026, 4:16 AM

Framing Effect 100% - Negativity Bias 100% - Ambiguity (Equivocation) 92%

A set of revised bills on measures to prevent the number of imperial family members from dwindling included a controversial clause that could affect the imperial succession line, triggering criticism from opposition parties. After months of discussion at a parliamentary panel, the Cabinet approved bills Tuesday evening that would allow... more

Magnitude 7.2 quake hits northern Japan ^6.7%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara, Jessica Speed - 6/24/2026, 11:43 PM

Appeal to Authority 24.7% - Availability Heuristic 19.2% - Quote-first Misdirection 12.6%

At least 10 people were injured after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit northern Japan on Thursday morning, registering a rare upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the town of Hashikami, Aomori Prefecture. No tsunami warning has been issued. A mild quake was also felt in Tokyo. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the... more

Parliamentary panel approves draft proposal on revising Imperial House Law ^24.7%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara - 6/10/2026, 9:34 AM

Appeal to Authority 33.6% - Negativity Bias 19.6% - Self-Serving Bias 19.6%

A parliamentary panel on the imperial family approved on Wednesday a draft proposal that would help prevent the number of royals from further dwindling. The draft states female members can stay on in the imperial family after marriage, and former male royals of the male line can be reinstated through adoption. The draft, described as the... more

LDP approves government proposal to revise retrial system ^34.2%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara - 5/14/2026, 6:47 AM

Framing Effect 46% - Optimism Bias 25.3% - Appeal to Emotion 25.3%

The Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday approved a government proposal to ban prosecutors “in principle” from appealing a retrial order, aiming to shorten the retrial process for those who might have been wrongly convicted to clear their names. The approval paves the way for the revision — a top priority for the government — to be... more

LDP panel approves government proposal to revise retrial system ^67.8%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara - 5/13/2026, 12:32 PM

Framing Effect 53.9% - In-Group Bias 53.9% - Biased Writer Voice 53.9%

A Liberal Democratic Party panel on Wednesday approved a government proposal to ban prosecutors “in principle” from appealing a retrial order, restricting a right of prosecutors that has been criticized for prolonging procedures for those who may have been wrongly convicted to clear their names. The approval paves the way for the... more

LDP and Justice Ministry remain divided over how to revise retrial system ^38.4%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara - 4/22/2026, 3:41 AM

Negativity Bias 38% - Hasty Generalization 30% - Biased Writer Voice 22%

The Justice Ministry and the Liberal Democratic Party have been at loggerheads over how to revise Japan’s retrial system, which has been criticized for its lengthy procedures that mean it can take decades for those who may have been wrongfully convicted to clear their name. The ministry first presented at the end of March its version of... more

Three GSDF members die after tank explosion during training in Oita Prefecture ^0.2%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara, Jesse Johnson - 4/21/2026, 8:37 AM

Three Ground Self-Defense Force members died and one other was seriously injured Tuesday after an explosion occurred inside a tank during training at the Hijudai maneuver area in Oita Prefecture. The GSDF unit had been conducting target practice with a Type 10 tank when a shell detonated prematurely inside the gun turret, GSDF officials... more

Japan issues rare special advisory over chance of more powerful quake ^32.1%

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

Why Princess Aiko won't ascend the chrysanthemum throne ^0%

The Japan Times - By Kanako Takahara - 4/15/2026, 6:24 AM

Availability Heuristic 56.8% - Halo Effect 51.4% - Anecdotal 45.9%

When Princess Aiko visited the city of Niigata on her own last September, hundreds of people thronged Niigata Station in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the princess, shouting “Aiko-sama,” with the honorific added to her name, as is typical for addressing royal family members. A local broadcaster described the phenomenon as “Princess... more