Lower House Election Campaign Begins: Inward-Looking Discussions Are Not Sufficient

Editorial

14:00 JST, January 27, 2026

How can Japan ensure its peace and security amid the current international turmoil?

Japan is facing a crucial moment, as its course and commitment to addressing these issues are being questioned. However, the recent inward-focused debate among leaders of the nation’s political parties was far from satisfactory.

Official campaigning for the House of Representatives election started today (Jan. 27). Ahead of this, a debate among leaders from various political parties was held at the Japan National Press Club.

A central pillar of each party’s pledges was reducing or abolishing the consumption tax.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said, “I would like to cut the tax within fiscal 2026,” following discussions by the National Council on Social Security System Reform, which is composed of representatives from the ruling and opposition camps as well as experts on the subject.

Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) coleader Yoshihiko Noda emphasized that investment funds should be utilized to cover the shortfall from reducing the consumption tax.

The consumption tax is a core revenue source supporting social security programs like pensions, healthcare and nursing care. Eliminating the tax on food items would result in a yearly tax revenue loss of ¥5 trillion. If the government cuts it without securing alternative revenue sources, social security services will inevitably have to be reduced.

The excessive depreciation of the yen is seen as reflecting concerns about fiscal deterioration caused by consumption tax cuts and Japan’s declining national strength in recent years. It will be crucial to revitalize manufacturing and other sectors, focusing on areas that drive growth. Achieving economic revival could also lead to a correction in the weak yen.

Regarding diplomacy, Noda said with China in mind, “They are aggressively trying to label Japan as reviving militarism.” He argued that the prime minister’s failure to explicitly affirm adherence to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles provides excuses to criticize Japan.

However, the CRA is partly responsible for the deterioration of Japan-China relations.

The decline began last November when a lawmaker from what was then the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, now part of the CRA, persistently questioned the government in the Diet about its response to a potential Taiwan contingency, prompting Takaichi to respond that it “could constitute” a survival-threatening situation.

Is this the time to entangle diplomacy in political strife? Parties should debate the direction of Japanese diplomacy with an eye on the turbulent world as a whole, rather than looking inward in their discussions.

The framework of the administration was also discussed during the debate. Takaichi said, “We have been making proposals to the Democratic Party for the People from an early stage,” expressing hope for them to participate in the coalition. DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki only said, “We will judge what choice is best.”

Even if the LDP and Japan Innovation Party secure a majority in the lower house through the election, they still remain minority parties in the House of Councillors. Expanding the coalition remains a significant issue for the administration.

Noda said, “Moderate conservatives could also join forces,” indicating openness to a political realignment involving the LDP. The outcome of the lower house election holds the potential for changes in the political landscape.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 27, 2026)