The Day of the Thirty-First Hanshin Anniversary

On January 17, Japanese editors prioritized the 31st anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Throughout the morning, national outlets like NHK and TBS shifted focus from traditional commemoration to the sociological challenge of 'transmitting' disaster lessons to a generation with no firsthand memory of the 1995 event. The political narrative evolved in the early afternoon as the newly formed 'Centrist Reform Alliance' released a pragmatic five-pillar platform. By dropping the 'nuclear-zero' pledge, the opposition signaled a shift toward policy realism to challenge the Takaichi administration. Simultaneously, the ruling LDP countered with a populist proposal to eliminate consumption tax on food, while confirming that members involved in the 'slush fund' scandal would be allowed to run on proportional ballots. In the evening, the retirement of former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga from politics became a primary focus, alongside reports of severe internet shutdowns and protest suppressions in Iran.