No Regret on Diet Affairs

Having Diet session gotten through, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held an ordinary press conference at Prime Minister’s Official Residence on July 27. She expressed no regret on her few appearances to Diet discussions. She also hoped to accelerate in implementing coalition agreement with Japan Innovation Party which pushed its own agenda in the Diet. Leaving measures to deal with price inflation behind, Takaichi looks to reshuffling her cabinet and party leaders. 

After passing annual budget bill every year, it is usual for the prime minister to join intensive discussions on major topics in the Committee on Budget of both chambers. Takaichi’s predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, attended the intensive discussions for 90 hours in 2025. Takaichi spent only 29 hours for the discussion this year. Her reluctancy on answering questions of opposition parties in the Diet is outstanding.

 

Takaichi seems to find less value in Diet discussion. To promote reduction of Lower House seats and Backup Capital Act, which originally are JIP’s agenda, Takaichi urged LDP leaders to unilaterally accelerate the Diet discussion, causing opposition parties’ boycott of discussions for all the bills. Nevertheless, Takaichi said “I have no specific introspection” in the press conference, asked about her management of Diet affairs.

 

Before the Diet session started in February, the greatest issue was how to handle recent price inflation. Consumer price index (CPI) rose by 1.3 to 1.7 percent, compared to the same month of last year, during February and June. Japanese yen depreciated from 153 yen against U.S. dollar in February to 163 yen in July. Surprising interventions of purchasing yen by Ministry of Finance in late April and early May did not work.

 

Takaichi showed no regret on her handling of price inflation. “Dealing with price inflation is at the top priority. I am going to take measures using 2.5 trillion yen of reserve in the budget,” said Takaichi. Although she raised consumption tax cut for foods in campaign platform in February Lower House election, multi-partisan national council gave up wrapping up its proposal on the tax cut, failing in reaching a consensus.

 

It is possible that Takaichi is reluctant to join the Diet discussion, being afraid of false statement by herself. It was her answer to a question of opposition lawmaker when she referred to Japan’s possible use of force in Taiwan contingency, which significantly exacerbated bilateral relationship with China. In her press conference, Takaichi hoped to maintain dialogue with China every level and looked forward to visiting China in APEC summit meeting scheduled in November.

 

Takaichi lost her approval rate by around ten percentage points after she insisted on revision of Imperial House Law, which introduced adoption of male in former imperial families. She plans to change members of her cabinet and board of Liberal Democratic Party in August or September. While she said she has no idea on the reshuffle, it is closely watched whether she will be able to change the trend of slowdown of her popularity.

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