What issues do you think will dominate the news in Japan and abroad this year?

Presidential incompetence in the US.

Cherry blossom, AKB48 and so on.

Everything that DT does or says, unfortunately.

Celeb gossip, terrorism, Trump.

fake news

The draft.

Booming US economy under Trump.

Unfortunately, as Moonraker says, Trump's ATTEMPTS at appearing presidential will.

One fine mess after another with Trump's trail of dirty linen in the White House and when it becomes manifest to all that he can't read followed by a host of other things he is incapable of doing, Abe's comeuppance for his hubris when Ahonomics finally hits the fan and his popularity nosedives taking a toll on his plans to "Make Nippon Great Again", Teresa's Mayhem over Brexit as the UK teeters on the brink and threatens to implode.Terrorism will be on the menu, too, since no solutions to the chaos in the Arab world appear to be forthcoming and lotsa chickens will be flying home to roost, and as Putin in his arrogance miscalculates and missteps, he may well reap the whirlwind at home for his propensity to make enemies. China will be economically-challenged and chastened by internal unrest while feeling the heat from abroad, possibly in the form of having to ingest a Trump (bad) fortune cookie. Fascism will probably rise from its slumber raising its profile in Europe and elsewhere having been solicitously incubated for decades by right-wing government agendas and willingly facilitated by the prostituted organs of the world's MSM. Fortunately, there should be a goodly measure of comic relief from the cartoonists to help some of us laugh our way through 2017 to offset the clouds of doom and gloom descending on our poor, pathetic, little planet. I hope most of these pessimistic predictions are wrong, though, and that we will be able to get along better than we did in 2016. Shalom and Happy New Year!

I don't think there's any question what will dominate the news domestically: Olympics (cost scandals first and foremost), Emperor's abdication, immigration, the continued failure of Abenomics (and its continued denial), Abe's personal mission to revise the Constitution (including snap elections to put in people that support him), lack of progress on island issues, US military base relocation, tax increases (decreases for corporations), etc. In other words, nothing really new barring any unforeseen events that will affect Japan.

Internationally: Europe and immigration, Brexit effects, the US collapse under Trump, Trump, Trump, beginning of WWIII under Trump. Trump's impeachment.

Domestic news that will grip the nation this year - sakura, momiji, the four seasons, traffic congestion during GW and O-Bon, and another celebrity who's been caught taking drugs. And Abe's attempt to make Nippon a beautiful country again. Grippin' stuff!

Moderator: This is not a sensible answer. Nor did you answer the question about international news. Please repost.

SMAP’s next concert; the cost of the Olympics, how to handle the number of foreigners coming for the Olympics, the so-called US president, the sagging economy, Abenomics, and how much politicians are making off of the Olympics. Oh, wait, not that last one.

At least in Tokyo: Toyosu disaster and not moving Tsukiji wholesale/jonai, plus, Tokyo 2020 Olympics mandate that all smoking indoors is banned. Would be the best improvement in daily life and welcomed by millions. Moderator: these are two reasonable ideas, so there is no reason to delete!

I think with the rise of the far right all over the world, that is going to make serious news here. I think the economy will also take precedent as it affects everyone here.

Nothing important will dominate the news. It will be the usual manufactured outrage at anything Trump says or does, with the space in between filled with celebrity gossip.

One bright spot might be that all those anti-democratic and authoritarian edicts passed by Obama might finally get the attention they deserve now that they can be used by Trump.

The logical consequences of all the things that dominated all the news cycles last year for the most part-with a few surprises that no one can predict at this point... One of the cycles will probably be Trump presiding over a grid locked Congress on his way to lame duckery in his first year...Another story that will continue will be the Russian hacks...That is something that will, quite rightly, be in the news for a very long time...

Recession