Japan: Political Developments and Data in 2022

The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzō Abe in July had an enormous impact on politics in Japan in 2022, with subsequent recriminations regarding connections between ruling party lawmakers and the controversial Unification Church new religious movement leading to public outcry and forcing Prime Minister Kishida to remove several high‐profile Ministers from his Cabinet. There was contentious debate over whether a state funeral should be held for Abe, and a new law was passed restricting the fundraising activities of religious groups like the Unification Church. Meanwhile, Japan continued to slowly roll back restrictions introduced to combat COVID‐19, finally reopening its borders in October. The Russian invasion of Ukraine provoked protest from the Japanese government and contributed, along with a major drop in the value of the yen to the US dollar, to rising consumer prices, with inflation reaching a 42‐year high in October.