‘We Will Raise Wages': Party Leaders in Japan Appeal to Voters in Campaign Speeches
'We will raise wages and strengthen the Japanese economy. The economy is definitely improving,' said Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in Yokohama.
He criticized the opposition parties that are proposing consumption tax cuts, asking, 'Where are they going to find the financial resources [for social security]? Can you define such behavior as anything other than irresponsible?' He also expressed concern about his party's election campaign: 'There are serious headwinds.'
LDP coalition partner Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito referenced the fiscal 2025 budget in his speech alongside the prime minister in Yokohama to emphasize his party's ability to implement policies. 'When we say we will do something, we will do it,' he said.
Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, spoke about the significance of consumption tax cuts in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.
'Japan has the highest inflation rate among developed countries. The crisis is on your dinner table. We will temporarily reduce the consumption tax rate on food from 8% to 0%,' he said.
During his speech in Kyoto, Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of the Japan Innovation Party, said: 'The burden of social insurance premiums is too great. This burden will continue to increase,' and promised to reduce insurance premiums through social security reforms.
Tomoko Tamura, the head of the Communist Party of Japan, said in Yokohama; 'I would like to open the way for consumption tax reductions by any means through the power of the joint efforts of the opposition parties.'
In Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, called for income tax cuts.
'We will support the working-age population. I want to restore a society where salaries and pensions increase,' he said.
'We want to increase the amount of money we can spend. We want to abolish the consumption tax,' said Reiwa Shinsengumi leader Taro Yamamoto in Saitama City.
'We are calling for 'Japanese people first.' We want to protect the people's livelihood,' said Sohei Kamiya, head of Sanseito, in Saitama City.
The party leaders also engaged in a war of words over the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations on NHK and Fuji TV programs.
'We will not make easy compromises, so it will take time,' Ishiba said.
A letter from U.S. President Donald Trump may arrive notifying Japan of tariff rates, but the prime minister insisted, 'We're prepared for any possibility.'
Noda said that Ryosei Akazawa, the economic revitalization minister in charge of tariff negotiations with the United States, 'is not functioning' and urged negotiations between the leaders.
Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, and Naoki Hyakuta, leader of the Conservative Party of Japan, made television appearances.
The election will be held on July 20.
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The Diplomat
20 minutes ago
- The Diplomat
Japan Steps Up New Security Assistance to Countries Caught Between US and China
Japan is expanding its security assistance to strategically located countries across the Indo-Pacific, reflecting Tokyo's embrace of its security role in the region and its desire to provide more options to countries that feel caught between the United States and China. That aid comes through the Official Security Assistance (OSA) program, which is only in its third year but has grown considerably, from about $13.8 million in 2023 to about $34.6 million in 2024 to about $56 million for the 2025 fiscal year, which began on April 1. The number of recipients has also increased from four in each of the first two years to the eight countries now in discussions with Tokyo, Japanese media reported last month. Those candidates are Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, which have received OSA grants in the past (the Philippines in both years), and Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Tonga, which would be first-time recipients. Japan has provided some security-related resources through its long-running Official Development Assistance program, but that program is officially for economic and social development and has generally focused on non-military aid. It also hasn't provided aid directly to foreign militaries. OSA is meant to provide equipment, supplies, and support for infrastructure to 'armed forces and related organizations of like-minded countries' to strengthen 'their security and deterrence capabilities,' according to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which says OSA projects 'are limited to areas not directly related to international conflict.' OSA was unveiled in Japan's 2022 National Security Strategy, and while it has received less attention than other initiatives announced in that document – most notably the counterstrike missile capability – it is still significant. 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24 minutes ago
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