Premier Focuses on Election

As a business as usual for a prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba had a press conference on the day after closing of an ordinary session of the Diet. Although Ishiba managed his minority government in the House of Representatives, the leading coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito could pass FY2025 budget bill by the end of March and avoid non-confidence resolution against Ishiba Cabinet. Ishiba hoped to support every family as a campaign for the Upper House election a month later. 

Ishiba stressed his achievement of passing FY2025 budget bill with revision in the Lower House for the first time in 29 years and in the Upper House for the first time ever. “I made efforts to construct a consensus beyond party lines and to make sincere discussion in the Diet,” said Ishiba. Ishiba government could pass 58 bills out of 59 submitted by the Cabinet and all 13 treaties in the session.

 

The budget bill passed the Diet, because Ishiba accepted a demand of Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin-no Kai) to make high school tuition free. He also promised free lunch for elementary schools. Meanwhile, Ishiba set a target of nominal GDP from current 600 trillion yen to 1,000 trillion yen in 2040. Average income of Japanese citizens will then be 1.5 times higher than current annual 4 million yen, according to Ishiba.

 

One of the controversial policies of Ishiba government is distribution of benefits to the families with low income and with small child. In his plan to distribute 20 thousand yen for everyone, the low-income family would receive 40 thousand yen per person and every child will also be given 40 thousand yen. Ishiba introduces the policy to support wages still staying in a low level without depending on issuing new governmental bond.

 

In the last moment of the Diet session, the opposition parties were united to cut gasoline tax, threatening Ishiba administration with a possibility of defeating the Cabinet. Ishiba referred to the policy for stabilizing energy prices, including gasoline, electricity and gas. For future safety, he also raised active policy for disaster management and better treatment for personnel of Japan Self-defense Force.

 

The reporters raised questions on Ishiba’s handling of diplomacy. On tariff negotiation with the U.S. Trump administration, Ishiba insitsed on Japan’s national interest in achieving a deal acceptable for both sides. He expressed certain understanding for U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities as showing a determination to block Iran’s possession of a nuclear weapon. When Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear sites, Ishiba condemned Israel’s activity as unacceptable.

 

Ishiba could not reach a conclusion on regulation of political donation from companies and organizations by the end of March which he set as a goal. In the press conference, Ishiba reiterated his position that the LDP would seek transparency rather than prohibition. He set no new time limit for this issue.

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