Ishiba to Submit Pension Reform Bill Soon, Says Japan Will “Demand Removal” of Trump’s Tariffs

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, May 13, 2025

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba indicated he would submit a pension reform bill to the Diet in the middle of this month, during a session of the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Monday.

The prime minister said the government will submit the bill, a move that was previously delayed, after the ruling parties discuss the matter among themselves. The committee session was attended by Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Takamaro Fukuoka, among other ministers.

At the core of the bill is a provision to expand the employees pension program to cover more part-timers and others working shorter hours. The prime minister explained that the bill is “extremely important because it includes measures to increase current pension payouts while also enhancing benefits for future recipients.”

The government had initially intended to submit the bill to the Diet in early March. However, there was strong opposition within the Liberal Democratic Party, mainly from LDP members in the House of Councillors, to the bill’s measures, such as raising payouts from the national pension program by using funds from the employees pension program. That led the government to drop this measure, which was another core part of the bill.

The LDP is expected to examine the bill at its Policy Research Council Board and General Council on Tuesday. After the LDP discussions, the government will adopt the bill at a Cabinet meeting as early as Friday. However, opposition within the LDP remains strong, and the party could be slow to offer its approval.

As for negotiations between Japan and the United States over tariffs, the prime minister said that Japan will “demand the removal” of President Donald Trump’s levies. “We will take additional measures without hesitation if necessary, while keeping a close eye on the lives of the people,” he added.

The prime minister also expressed resistance to cutting the consumption tax rate in response to high prices and the U.S. tariffs. “We are discussing how to provide generous support to those who are most in need,” he said.