The CDP enters the budget discussion | This week in Japanese politics

The CDP proposes changes, Japan grapples with tariffs, and Iwaya goes to Munich

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The rundown

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa enjoy fugu following a meeting with the Shimonoseki Fugu Producers Association. Source: Prime Minister’s Office of Japan

The Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) proposed revisions to the FY2025 budget, setting the stage for negotiations with the ruling coalition that could enable the budget’s timely passage. The Japanese government is assessing the impact of new US tariffs proposed this week that could significantly impact Japanese exporters. Meanwhile, the government announced it would release rice from its stockpiles as it battles soaring prices. Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi traveled to Munich, where he held a trilateral with his US and South Korean counterparts as well as meeting with his EU counterpart. Plus: the first look at Roki Sasaki in Dodger blue. All of this and more in a new This Week in Japanese Politics.