Policy Speech of Six “Defenses”

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba gave his first policy speech to the Diet on October 4th. As new leader of Japan who had been involved in defense policy, Ishiba insisted on defending six things: rules, Japan, the people, local community, young people and women, and the future. However, his speech did not include some policies which he raised as campaign promises in the presidential election of Liberal Democratic Party last month. 

Defending rules meant political reform. Abiding by regulation for political fund is something most needed for LDP to regain confidence of the people, since the slush fund scandal damaged political basis of the party. Referring to “deep reflection,” Ishiba promised that he would make his best for establishing ethics through discussion with lawmakers who had been involved in the scandal. However, the LDP is going to endorse all of those lawmakers as the official candidates in next general election of the House of Representatives later this month.

 

Defending Japan is obviously enhancing security capability. Quoting his usual phrase that Ukraine today would be East Asia tomorrow, Ishiba proposed achieving stability of Japan and the region based on Japan-U.S. alliance and frameworks with like-minded countries. Although he upheld in LDP presidential election establishing Asian NATO and revisioning Japan-U.S. status of forces agreement, Ishiba did not touched on those sensitive issues in the policy speech at all.

 

Ishiba stressed wage hike as a measure for defending the people. He set a target for achieving 1,500 yen per hour of average minimum wage by the end of 2020s, shortening the timeline setting goal in 2030s. Backing off his own policy which would be approaching a goal of no nuclear power plant, Ishiba included taking advantage of nuclear power generation to defend Japan from energy shortage.

 

What he most emphasized was policies to revitalize local community. As the first Minister of Regional Revitalization appointed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2015, Ishiba regarded local community as the main actor of economic growth. He declared that his government would double the budget for subsidy to local communities from 100 billion yen to 200 billion yen. He is going to establish new headquarters for local economy and environment of regional life.

 

But it was not clear how he would defend life of young people and women. Although he recommended further measures to support working mothers and marriage in local communities, policies for those goals were not detailed in his speech. Audience must not have been able to imagine how glorious the future of Japan offered by Ishiba would be.

 

Ishiba quoted the words of his political mentor and former Minister for Foreign Affairs Michio Watanabe, “Job of a politician is telling truth with bravery and sincerity.” It seems to have been too short from his victory in LDP presidential election to his first policy speech to prepare for telling the “truth” to the public.

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