The budget nears passage | This week in Japanese politics

Ruling and opposition parties clear the budget but political reform is delayed, Ishiba hints at counter-inflation policy, and the Self-Defense Forces stand up a new command

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The rundown

The ruling and opposition parties reached an agreement to move the budget through the Diet before the end of the fiscal year, an important hurdle for the Ishiba government, but Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru was criticized by upper house lawmakers for hinting at what sounded like a proposal for a supplemental budget before the general budget had passed. Meanwhile, ruling and opposition parties will miss a deadline for passing new political reforms. The Bank of Japan offered some insight into its thinking amidst global and domestic economic uncertainty, while the US and Japanese governments began working-level talks on tariff exemptions following the Trump administration’s announcement of a 25% automobile tariff. The Self-Defense Forces established a new operational command, but doubts remain about the outlook for a new US operational command in Japan. Plus: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was in Japan for a state visit as the two governments seek to upgrade their relationship. All of this and more in This Week in Japanese Politics.