No Hesitation to Change Policies if Necessary: Kishida

Jiji Press

12:27 JST, January 1, 2022

Tokyo, Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)—Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday said he will not hesitate to change policies that have already been decided if he can better serve the people by doing so.

“I am determined to make decisions faithfully and produce results from the perspective of what is best for the Japanese people,” while listening to the voices of many people, Kishida said in a New Year’s statement.

Kishida expressed readiness to make changes to policies if such action becomes necessary, saying that he will respond “in a flexible manner without being bound by precedent and without hesitation” for the sake of the people.

He also said the international situation is becoming complex, highlighting the importance of “the skillful steering of diplomacy and national security and the establishment of stable political administration.”

Kishida thus signaled his resolve to secure a victory for his Liberal Democratic Party in the election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, in summer.

Over the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant, Kishida said he will deal with the development according to the basic principle of “assume the worst and proceed with great caution.”

He also said that the proposed new form of capitalism aimed at realizing a virtuous cycle of economic growth and wealth distribution will be key to reviving the Japanese economy.