Overview
- Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima urged Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to investigate and dismiss a senior official who said Japan should possess nuclear weapons, calling the stance an affront to atomic-bomb survivors.
- Prime Minister Takaichi convened a government–ruling party policy meeting at the Kantei and expressed gratitude for efforts to finalize the fiscal 2026 initial budget, slated for cabinet approval on December 26.
- Takemichio Kuroda, 65, took office as the new Imperial Household Agency chief and told reporters he would devote his efforts to the weighty responsibilities of the post.
- Five people were reported dead in a clash on the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border, including three who entered from Afghanistan and two Tajik border guards, according to TASS and other outlets.
- Japan named 23 players to the women’s ice hockey Olympic team for Milano–Cortina 2026, with a record 12 athletes tied to Kushiro and eight set for their first Games.