- Ishiba’s Approval Rating Declined By 8 Points
According to the results of an NHK poll conducted from March 7 to 9, support for the Ishiba Cabinet dropped by 8 points from the February survey to 36%, while those who responded that they "do not support" the cabinet rose by 10 points to 45%.
Although the Cabinet received some level of recognition for negotiating with opposition parties as a minority ruling party to pass the revised 2025 budget bill through the House of Representatives and for establishing a policy of free high school tuition, voter dissatisfaction appears to have grown due to flip-flopping decisions on the revision of the high-cost medical care system and issues such as soaring rice prices.
- 14th Anniversary Of The Great East Japan Earthquake
March 11 marked the 14th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Along the coastal areas of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima — where massive tsunamis once struck — people were seen from early morning, joining their hands in prayer and remembering their lost loved ones. Memorial ceremonies were scheduled to be held in 15 cities and towns across the three prefectures, timed to coincide with the moment the earthquake occurred at 2:46 p.m.
However, the number of such ceremonies has been decreasing.
The search continues for what form "remembrance" should take.
According to a survey conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun across 37 coastal municipalities in the three prefectures, 32 municipalities held memorial ceremonies in 2021.
This number dropped to 17 in 2024 and further decreased to 15 this year, accounting for about 40% of the total.
Damage report from the Great East Japan Earthquake as of March 11, 2025
Deaths: 15,900
Missing persons: 2,520
Disaster-related deaths: 3,808
Houses completely or partially destroyed: Approximately 406,000
Evacuees: 27,615
Due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, over 160,000 residents were forced to evacuate at its peak.
However, as of February this year, many have returned to their original towns and villages, with approximately 24,000 people still unable to return to their home areas.
Meanwhile, the decommissioning of the damaged reactors remains delayed.
Although there has been some progress — such as the first-ever test retrieval of melted nuclear fuel debris — the government and Tokyo Electric Power Company’s target of completing the decommissioning within a maximum of 40 years, by 2051, remains uncertain.
3. Joint Operations Command Of The Self Defense Forces To Be Launched
On March 11, the Japanese government approved revisions to necessary government ordinances and decided on personnel appointments for the establishment of the Joint Operations Command, which will oversee the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces under a unified command structure.
The command is set to launch on March 24 with a staff of 240, based within the Ministry of Defense’s H.Q. in Ichigaya, Tokyo.
The command will consolidate and cross-check intelligence gathered by the three branches of the Self-Defense Forces to ensure optimal responses, including overseeing counterattacks.
To support this, a new "Integrated Command Software" system developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will be introduced.
This system is capable of handling a wide range of data, including from radar, drones, and small satellite constellations.
For counterattack capabilities, Japan is advancing the deployment of upgraded versions of its domestically developed Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles.
Until the domestic missile system is fully operational, the capability will be supplemented by U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles.
The Joint Operations Command will also play a key role in coordinating joint operations with U.S. forces stationed in Japan.
4. Training And Employment Working Visa To Take Over Technical Intern Trainees Visa
According to the Nikkei Shimbun, on the 11th, the Japanese government approved the "Basic Policy" outlining the principles and key elements of a new system called "Training and Employment," which will replace the current Technical Intern Training Program.
The policy stipulates that the number of foreign workers accepted will be determined every five years, in principle, based on labor shortages in each sector.
It also clearly states that the purpose of the new system is both to develop foreign talent and to secure a domestic workforce.
The policy facilitates a transition — typically after three years — to a higher-skilled residency status called "Specified Skilled Worker," paving the way for long-term employment in Japan.
Additionally, it includes measures to prevent an excessive concentration of workers in major urban areas.
５．Neutral Atom Based Quantum Computer Seriously Explored In Japan
The Nikkei Shimbun reported that Japan’s National Institute for Molecular Science, along with Hitachi and other partners, plans to launch a quantum computer using a neutral atom-based approach within this year — a method still competing globally among various quantum computing technologies.
The neutral atom method uses individual atoms as qubits (quantum bits) for calculations.
This approach offers high stability and is well-suited for large-scale expansion to handle extensive computations.
Professor Kenji Omori from the National Institute for Molecular Science stated, "By 2030 at the latest, we aim to achieve a quantum computer with 10,000 qubits, capable of solving real-world social problems."
Fourteen companies and institutions, including Fujitsu and NEC, are collaborating to establish a new company by the end of March 2025, combining industry and academic efforts.
Meanwhile, advancements continue in the superconducting quantum computing approach, which has led development so far.
Fujitsu plans to launch a 256-qubit machine — four times larger than its previous model — as early as March.
The company also aims to operate a quantum computer with over 1,000 qubits by next year.