Opposition parties turn up the heat on Ishiba | This week in Japanese politics

The gift-giving scandal consumes political attention, the Bank of Japan holds but issues a warning, and Japan prepares for a state visit

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The rundown

Opposition parties turned up the pressure on Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on his gift-giving to junior Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers, as ruling party lawmakers also fretted over Ishiba and his falling approval ratings. Several opposition parties, meanwhile, submitted a proposal to ban political donations from corporations and labor union donations. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) held rates steady, but Governor Ueda Kazuo sounded the alarm about global uncertainty. The Ishiba government is preparing to host a state visit by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as a meeting between the Japanese, Chinese, and South Korean foreign ministers and a Japan-China economic dialogue. Plus: Ohtani homers and the Dodgers sweep the Cubs out of Tokyo. All of this and more in This Week in Japanese Politics.