Upper House Election: Sanseito Expands National Presence with Wins in Tokyo, Aichi, Fukuoka; Strategy of Fielding Candidates in Every Constituency Race Pays Off
During this election, the party fielded candidates in every constituency race, and it placed 10 names on the proportional ballot. Altogether it ran 55 candidates, the second largest slate after the Liberal Democratic Party, and this scale became the driving force behind its gains.
'The public now knows who we are,' said party leader Sohei Kamiya on an NHK program Sunday night. 'In the next House of Representatives election we want to win 50 to 60 seats and secure a position in a coalition cabinet.'
Campaign messaging revolved around a 'Japanese First' theme, emphasizing opposition to what Sanseito calls excessive acceptance of foreign nationals and proposing stricter screening of land purchases by foreigners. As its top policy priorities, the party also advocated tax cuts and an aggressive fiscal stance.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
28 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
15 U.S. Tariffs on Japan: Make Agreement a Starting Point for New Economic Development / Quickly Stabilize Administration after PM Resigns
Negotiations over the high tariff policy, which had been the biggest issue between Japan and the United States, have been settled. The agreement can be praised for having eliminated uncertainty about the future, and the content is acceptable to Japan. It is hoped that Japan will take this agreement as an opportunity to strengthen the cooperative relationship between the two countries, and to use it together as a starting point for new growth for the Japanese economy. This may be a major achievement for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who will likely be stepping down soon. Under the new power balance in the Diet, the ruling and opposition parties will have a heavy responsibility to devise economic policies aimed at bringing the economy out of its prolonged stagnation. Huge blow averted U.S. President Donald Trump announced through social media that an agreement has been reached on tariff negotiations with Japan. The rate of 'reciprocal tariffs' on Japan will be lowered from 25% to 15%. Also, additional tariffs on imported automobiles, which Japan had been demanding that Washington reduce as the highest priority, will be halved from 25% to 12.5%. Combined with the preexisting 2.5% tariff rate, the total tariff rate will be 15%. Japan's annual exports to the United States amount to about ¥21 trillion, making the United States the largest export destination for Japan. The figure accounts for about 20% of Japan's total exports. A high tariff of 25% would have dealt a heavy blow. Considering the technological prowess and competitiveness of Japanese companies, it can be said that the 15% rate was finally set at a level to which Japan will be able to adapt. The fact that Japan won a concession to lower tariffs on automobiles from the current 25% is also significant. This is because Trump has been advocating the return of manufacturing industries to the United States and the creation of jobs, showing a particularly strong attachment to tariffs on automobiles, which are a leading U.S. manufacturing industry. Automobiles are a key industry for Japan. Including related companies, the industry supports about 5.5 million jobs and is the backbone of the Japanese economy. Japan exports about 1.4 million units a year to the United States, accounting for about 30% of Japan's U.S.-bound exports in terms of value. The industry also leads the way in raising wages and has a significant influence on the Japanese economy. The tariff rate on automobiles may be a result of the Japanese government having persistently continued talks toward a comprehensive agreement as a nonnegotiable matter. This may also serve as a model for other countries in their negotiations. If the high tariff policy accelerates the trend of high prices in the United States, it is conceivable that Trump will move to modify the policy in the future. In April this year, the Trump administration implemented reciprocal tariffs, the most comprehensive high-tariff policy in its second term. Due partly to turmoil in the financial markets, the administration has repeatedly postponed the imposition of the additional tariffs and held trade negotiations with other countries. However, only four countries, including Britain and Vietnam, have been able to reach agreements. Trump evaluated the agreement by calling it 'perhaps the largest Deal ever made,' stating that Japan would invest $550 billion (about ¥80 trillion) into the United States, among other elements. Imports of U.S. rice into Japan will also be expanded. With the Aug. 1 deadline for negotiations looming, Trump may have wanted to show off the results of the agreement at an early stage. Consider steps to strengthen economy The Japan-U.S. alliance is becoming even more important amid the increasingly severe international situation. It would have been difficult to work to strengthen the unity of the alliance as long as the issue of high tariffs dragged on. It is hoped that the agreement will lead to the deepening of Japan-U.S. relations. How to deal with China, which has been strengthening its hegemonic moves, from the perspective of economic security is a major concern shared by Japan and the United States. Japan has discussed with the United States such topics as cooperative moves in the shipbuilding field, including the joint development and production of icebreakers, as well as the establishment of supply chains for semiconductors. They have also discussed rare earths, which are indispensable for the production of military equipment. It will become important for the two countries to develop together through new industrial collaboration. While the imminent tariff issues have come to a pause, it is important to use this opportunity to also examine the foundations for the growth of the Japanese economy. To this end, it will be necessary to develop markets in emerging and developing countries in Asia, Africa and elsewhere, and reduce Japan's dependence on the United States. The United States has played a core role in the postwar international economic order. But Trump thinks that the United States has been overburdened economically and militarily, leading to the hollowing out of the manufacturing sector in his country. It is believed that he sees tariffs, exchange rates and security issues as a single topic, and adheres strongly to a strategy to reduce the burden on the United States. Importance of free trade Japan should play a core role in protecting free trade in close cooperation with parties such as the European Union and other Asian countries. To this end, it is essential for Japan to enhance its negotiating power. Ishiba is likely set to step down following the conclusion of the Japan-U.S. talks. The ruling parties suffered a crushing defeat in the upper house election following last year's House of Representatives election. Despite this, Ishiba initially announced his intention to stay in office, probably because he wanted to decide whether to step down after discerning the success or failure of the Japan-U.S. tariff talks. With the ruling parties being a minority in both houses of the Diet, political chaos will likely continue. The hope is that the next president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will urge the opposition parties to broaden the framework for a coalition government and work to quickly stabilize the political situation. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 24, 2025)
The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
US automakers say Trump's 15% tariff deal with Japan puts them at a disadvantage
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. automakers worry that President Donald Trump's agreement to tariff Japanese vehicles at 15% would put them at a competitive disadvantage, saying they will face steeper import taxes on steel, aluminum and parts than their competitors. "We need to review all the details of the agreement, but this is a deal that will charge lower tariffs on Japanese autos with no U.S. content," said Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents the Big 3 American automakers, General Motors, Ford and Jeep-maker Stellantis. Blunt said in an interview the U.S. companies and workers "definitely are at a disadvantage" because they face a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum and a 25% tariff on parts and finished vehicles, with some exceptions for products covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that went into effect in 2020. The domestic automaker reaction reveals the challenge of enforcing policies across the world economy, showing that for all of Trump's promises there can be genuine tradeoffs from policy choices that risk serious blowback in politically important states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, where automaking is both a source of income and of identity. The United Auto Workers said in a statement it was "deeply angered" by the deal. "A better deal would have held Japanese automakers to the same standards U.S. workers have fought for at GM, Ford, and Stellantis," the UAW said. "If this becomes the blueprint for trade with Europe or South Korea, it will be a major missed opportunity," the union added. "We need trade deals that raise standards -- not reward the race to the bottom. This deal does the opposite." Trump portrayed the trade framework as a major win after announcing it on Tuesday, saying it would add hundreds of thousands of jobs to the U.S. economy and open the Japanese economy in ways that could close a persistent trade imbalance. The agreement includes a 15% tariff that replaces the 25% import tax the Republican president had threatened to charge starting on Aug. 1. Japan would also put together $550 billion to invest in U.S. projects at the "direction" of the president, the White House said. The framework with Japan will remove regulations that prevent American vehicles from being sold in that country, the White House has said, adding that it would be possible for vehicles built in Detroit to be shipped directly to Japan and ready to be sold. But Blunt said that foreign auto producers, including the U.S., Europe and South Korea, have just a 6% share in Japan, raising skepticism that simply having the open market that the Trump administration says will exist in that country will be sufficient. "Tough nut to crack, and I'd be very surprised if we see any meaningful market penetration in Japan," Blunt said. Asked at Wednesday's briefing about whether Trump's sectoral tariffs such as those on autos were now subject to possible change, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the issue had been going through the Commerce Department. The framework with Japan was also an indication that some nations simply saw it as preferential to have a set tariff rate rather than be whipsawed by Trump's changes on import taxes since April. But for the moment, both Japan and the United Kingdom with its quotas on auto exports might enjoy a competitive edge in the U.S. "With this agreement in place it provides Japan with a near-term operating cost advantage compared to other foreign automakers, and even some domestic U.S. product that uses a high degree of both foreign production and parts content," said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars. "It will be interesting to see if this is the first domino to fall in a series of foreign countries that decide long-term stability is more important that short term disputes over specific tariff rates." Autos Drive America, an organization that represents major Japanese companies Toyota, Honda and Nissan and other international automakers, said in a statement that it is "encouraged" by the announced trade framework and noted its members have exceeded domestic automaker production for the past two years. The statement urged "the Trump administration to swiftly reach similar agreements with other allies and partners, especially the European Union, South Korea, Canada and Mexico." The Japanese framework could give automakers and other countries grounds for pushing for changes in the Trump administration's tariffs regime. The president has previously said that he values flexibility in negotiating import taxes. The USMCA is up for review next year. Ford, GM and Stellantis do "have every right to be upset," said Sam Fiorani, vice president at consultancy AutoForecast Solutions. But "Honda, Toyota, and Nissan still import vehicles from Mexico and Canada, where the current levels of tariffs can be higher than those applied to Japanese imports. Most of the high-volume models from Japanese brands are already produced in North America." Fiorani noted that among the few exceptions are the Toyota 4Runner, the Mazda CX-5 and the Subaru Forester, but most of the other imports fill niches that are too small to warrant production in the U.S. "There will be negotiations between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico, and it will probably result in tariffs no higher than 15%," Fiorani added, "but nobody seems to be in a hurry to negotiate around the last Trump administration's free trade agreement."
Asahi Shimbun
an hour ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Governors slam xenophobia, call for open society where all equal
AOMORI--Alarmed at xenophobic sentiment expressed in the lead-up to the July 20 Upper House election, the nation's governors called for measures to nurture multicultural coexistence. The National Governors' Association met in Aomori on July 23 to discuss the challenges stemming from the rapid increase in foreign resident numbers. Discriminatory rhetoric was a hallmark of the election campaign fueled by upstart political party Sanseito which railed against foreigners under its 'Japanese First' policy. Its warnings about foreigners and crime were credited with helping the party to significantly increase its seat showing in the chamber. The National Governors' Association meeting wound up emphasizing that Tokyo and the other 46 prefectural governments view foreigners as residents and community members, unlike the central government, which regards them primarily as a labor force. The association called on the central government to accept foreigners in a wider variety of jobs under the Employment for Skill Development program, which will replace the problem-fraught Technical Intern Training Program. It also sought central government funding so prefectural governments can offer Japanese language education. The governors said basic laws were needed to form the foundation for a multicultural society. Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki, who spearheaded the drafting of the proposal, noted that responsibility for accommodating the daily lives of foreign residents has so far been left to local governments. 'We call on the central government to take responsibility and implement policies,' he added. Nara Governor Makoto Yamashita referred to 'baseless criticisms targeting foreign residents that are spreading online,' which he said smacked of discrimination and xenophobia. 'Japanese people, mainly young generations, have a vague anxiety, so we need to implement policies that eliminate it,' he said. 'Otherwise, it will lead to huge political and social problems.' Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said the association 'is united in its stance of rejecting xenophobia.' He added that the association would cite its opposition to xenophobia in its statement to be released on July 24, the final day of the meeting.
