Prime Minister Kishida Expresses Eagerness for Amending Japan Constitution

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:05 JST, February 27, 2023

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed an eagerness on Sunday for amending the Constitution as soon as possible, while also saying he intended to address the issue of imperial succession.

“The times are calling for quickly amending [the Constitution],” Kishida said in his address at the Liberal Democratic Party’s regular convention at a Tokyo hotel. “With the cooperation of the opposition parties, I will more actively initiate deliberations in the Diet.”

Kishida, who is also the LDP president, also brought up bringing stability to imperial succession, saying, “This is an issue that we can no longer put off, so I will push for progress in reviewing the system,” an expression of his intent to encourage all political parties to address the matter.

On the key policy issue of the declining birthrate, Kishida affirmed that it remains a top priority. “We will change attitudes of society as a whole and create a society in which people do not need to sacrifice their careers to raise children,” he said.

Regarding increasing wages, Kishida pointed to the resumption in March at the earliest of trilateral meetings among government, business and labor leaders to exchange opinions.

“Wage hikes that can overcome rising prices are imperative,” he emphasized. “We will find common ground between government, business and labor and make the utmost efforts based on each one’s respective positions.”

In fact, topping the list of the LDP’s most urgent policy initiatives adopted on the day was overcoming soaring prices.

On another matter, Kishida underscored the importance of five by-elections for seats in both houses of the Diet, likely to be held in April. “These are very important elections that could have an effect on national politics going forward,” he said.

Kishida also rallied the party for victories in unified local elections to be held in the same period as the by-elections.