Latest news with #DPFP
6 days ago
- Politics
2025 POLLS: DPFP's Bullish Strategy in Tokyo Hit Snags
News from Japan Politics Jul 7, 2025 20:20 (JST) Tokyo, July 7 (Jiji Press)--Dark clouds are now hanging over the Democratic Party for the People's bullish strategy for the Tokyo constituency in the upcoming House of Councillors election. In late April, when the center-right opposition party announced it would field two rookies--former NHK newscaster Mayu Ushida and former corporate worker Yoshihiro Okumura--in the largest Upper House constituency with seven seats up for grabs in total in the July 20 election. "They both can win seats," a party executive said at the time in view of continued tailwinds for the DPFP, which quadrupled its seats to 28 in last autumn's election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber, and was enjoying higher approval ratings than the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in media polls. But the DPFP saw public support quickly go south in the wake of media reports that the party planned to pick Shiori Yamao, a sex scandal-hit former Lower House lawmaker, as a proportional representative candidate in the upcoming election. The plan was aborted later. DPFP chief Yuichiro Tamaki's comment likening government reserve rice set for release to consumers amid retail rice price spikes to "animal feed" also fueled backlash against the party. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
02-07-2025
- Business
2025 POLLS: DPFP Resolved to Hike Take-Home Pay
News from Japan Politics Jul 2, 2025 15:33 (JST) Tokyo, July 2 (Jiji Press)--The Democratic Party for the People will seek to implement measures to increase people's take-home pay, its leader Yuichiro Tamaki said in an interview ahead of Japan's House of Councillors election on July 20. Tamaki said that the opposition party will aim to win 16 seats in the race for the upper chamber of the Diet, or the country's parliament, as holding a total of 21 seats, including those not to be contested in the upcoming poll, would enable the party to independently submit bills needing budgetary measures. "We will make it a summer of raising take-home pay," he said. "We aim to increase our country's (annual) gross domestic product to 1,000 trillion yen in a decade," Tamaki continued. The leader said that the DPFP will work hard to promote investments, to increase education, science and technology budgets to around 10 trillion yen, and to resolve labor supply constraints by raising the minimum taxable income levels. He called the measures "the three arrows of the DPFP," in an apparent reference to the "three arrows" of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Abenomics economic policy mix. Tamaki said his party will focus on combating inflation in the Upper House race, arguing that the DPFP is the only party seeking to tackle the issue head-on by raising incomes. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
The Diplomat
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Japan's Democratic Party for the People Mixes Momentum and Backlash
The party's first-ever seats in the Tokyo legislature come amid scrutiny over its leader's remarks on gender and overall communication strategy. Japan's opposition parties are preparing to ramp up campaigning ahead of the upper house election, set for July 20, with efforts to draw clearer distinctions from the ruling coalition. But Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) faced an early setback, as leader Tamaki Yuichiro drew criticism for English language remarks that were slammed for being derogatory toward women. The center-leaning DPFP is Japan's second largest opposition party. It's known for drawing political support from the under 40 age group and is predominantly male. On June 24, Tamaki, the party leader, held a press conference, which he opened by praising the DPFP's recent electoral success. It won nine seats in the local Tokyo assembly elections on June 22, marking its first-ever representation in Tokyo. But the sense of celebration was short-lived. After outlining the DPFP's upper house policies at the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCCJ) in Japanese, Tamaki responded to reporters' questions in English. 'Many people say what we [the DPFP] are saying is very complicated and difficult to understand,' he said. 'Our policies are good for both men and women, but I think it is difficult for them to understand.' Tamaki's remarks went largely unnoticed by international media but they attracted fierce backlash from social media users and Japanese lawmakers, who said the phrasing reinforced outdated gender stereotypes. The DPFP leader has since posted an apology on X (formerly Twitter) explaining that he had used clumsy expressions on account of his 'inexperience with English.' He clarified what he wanted to say was, 'I believe the DPFP's policies are beneficial for women but in reality they haven't been reaching women, and I find that to be a challenge.' The whiplash between electoral milestone and public scandal was all too familiar for Tamaki and the DPFP. In the fall of 2024, hot off the party's success in the general elections, media reports forced Tamaki to admit to having an extra-martial affair. He was suspended as party leader for three months amid the backlash, but resumed his leadership role in March 2025. Tamaki, a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, sought to distinguish the DPFP's centrist platform as an alternative to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-Komeito coalition in his remarks to the FCCJ's foreign audience. Prior to the controversial remarks, Tamaki criticized what he described as a structural imbalance in Japanese politics, where electoral incentives favor policies that cater to older voters. He said the DPFP seeks to shift this focus by advocating for younger generations and working-age citizens, positioning the party as a counterweight to Japan's 'silver democracy.' The party's broader agenda includes redirecting fiscal and policy attention away from senior-centered entitlements toward long-term investments in future generations. Tamaki framed the rising cost of living as Japan's most pressing economic challenge, proposing a three-part plan to increase household disposable income without directly intervening in prices. To that end, the DPFP proposes three core policies. The first proposal is to raise the basic income tax deduction threshold from 1.03 million yen to 1.78 million yen, easing tax pressure on part-time and middle-income earners. Second, the DPFP would reduce social security premiums, including a means-tested increase in medical co-payments for individuals over 75 from 10 percent to 20 percent. Finally, the party seeks to lower household fuel costs by abolishing the provisional gasoline tax surcharge, which has been in place for 50 years. Tamaki said would reduce fuel prices by 25 yen per liter. The DPFP also supports abolishing the renewable energy levy to ease electricity bills. These measures, he said, are designed to ease the financial burden on younger families and working people. In the area of national security, Tamaki emphasized Japan's need for greater self-reliance. The DPFP supports increasing the defense budget, but with a focus on developing domestic defense manufacturing capacity rather than increasing imports. He also expressed support for the use of nuclear energy, including Small Modular Reactors and nuclear fusion in order to enhance energy security amid uncertainty. On education, Tamaki said Japan must double its investment in human capital. The party supports free education through to high school and expanded funding for graduate programs, financed through education-focused national bonds. 'Japan is a country without natural resources,' he said. 'Technological innovation and nurturing people will be the basis for future growth.' Tamaki said the party's goal of winning 21 seats in the upper house election would give it the minimum leverage to introduce budget legislation. While the DPFP's policy proposals target a broad range of structural challenges, the fallout from Tamaki's foreign press remarks, coming on top of last's year affair scandal, could complicate efforts to broaden support – particularly among women voters the party is keen to reach.
The Mainichi
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Japan's LDP has breached the public trust with corporate donations Diet dodge
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s unwillingness to take responsibility and measures over the money in politics issue is tantamount to a breach of public trust. The Diet did not revise the Political Funds Control Act regarding the treatment of corporate and organizational donations during the ordinary session that closed in late June. This was because the LDP refused to accede to the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and other opposition parties' demands that these donations be banned in principle, insisting instead that they continue. The bills respectively submitted by both sides have been carried over for further discussions, with no prospect they will be passed. The LDP-sponsored bill is designed to boost the transparency of corporate and organizational donations while retaining the system. Under the bill, the names of companies that donated upward of 10 million yen (approx. $69,000) a year will be released alongside their amounts. However, just 5% or so of the LDP's branches will be required to make such a disclosure, leaving an enormous loophole. In the first instance, donations to political parties by specific companies and organizations could distort policy. In the "Heisei-era political reform" about 30 years ago, it was envisaged that such donations would be banned after five years, but successive LDP administrations have shelved the issue. In the wake of the LDP factions' slush fund scandal, the need for reviewing those donations was once again pointed out, but the Shigeru Ishiba administration has repeatedly postponed a conclusion since its inauguration last autumn. Amid strong resistance within the LDP, Prime Minister and party chief Ishiba stopped short of exercising his leadership by drastically reforming the system. The issue of political funds concerns the management and governance of all political parties. Essentially, reform must be carried forward based at least on an agreement among the largest parties in the ruling and opposition camps. However, the LDP did not even agree to set a deadline for reaching consensus with the opposition. The responsibility of Komeito, the LDP's junior ruling coalition partner, and the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) is also grave as they have the de facto deciding vote under the minority government. Even though the two parties had called for stringent regulations for corporate and organizational donations, they changed course after negotiations with the LDP led to a move to allow such donations on condition that political funding reports be submitted online. While Komeito and the DPFP claim that digitizing the process will make it easier to check political funds, it will only end up preserving conventional donations. After the parties faced a public backlash for snuggling up to the LDP, they even stopped trying to get involved in drafting the bill. In the recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, considered a prelude to the July House of Councillors race, the LDP suffered a major setback, with the slush fund scandal hitting its faction in the assembly. If the LDP is to keep turning its back on moving to ban corporate and organizational donations, it will have to pay even a higher electoral bill. The party should be aware of the harsh gaze cast by voters.
26-06-2025
- Politics
Japanese Opposition Chief Causes Stir over Remarks on Female Voters
News from Japan Jun 26, 2025 10:40 (JST) Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)--English remarks made recently by Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, a Japanese opposition party, about female voters, are creating a stir. When asked about low approval ratings for the DPFP at a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Tuesday, Tamaki said: "Our policy is good not only for men but also women. I think it's very difficult to them." Kenta Izumi, former head of the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said in a post on X on Wednesday: "No way. For any party, it would be a big mistake to blame women for its low approval ratings." Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, another opposition party, said in an X post that Tamaki's remarks were "surprising" and "misogynistic." Tamaki said in an X post on Wednesday, "I should have used an expression like 'it's very difficult to deliver to them.'" He added, "I used a poor expression as I'm not skilled in English." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
