Japan’s PM Takaichi Responds Carefully in Diet Q&A Session, Fends Off Strong Questioning by Main Opposition Party

By Tsuyoshi Oyabu / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:13 JST, February 25, 2026

The first day of question-and-answer sessions in the Diet began with a confrontation between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Junya Ogawa, the leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance, at the House of Representatives on Tuesday. While Ogawa took a strongly negative stance on the prime minister’s decision to dissolve the lower house and how she plans to conduct deliberations on the fiscal 2026 budget bill, Takaichi dodged his attacks by giving careful answers.

“Was there any consideration for the lives of the people?” said Ogawa. “Can we say that a surprise [dissolution] is good for democracy?”

Ogawa’s first target was the prime minister’s decision to dissolve the lower house at the beginning of the ordinary Diet session on Jan. 23, resulting in a short period for campaigning in the middle of a harsh winter. Takaichi apologized, saying, “I’m sorry for the shortened preparation period for the local governments that had to hold the election in the middle of winter.” She added, “The accusation that there was an intention not to give the other parties sufficient time to prepare is untrue.”

Takaichi’s restrained stance is believed to be aimed at curbing excessive backlash from opposition parties as the government and ruling parties seek to pass the budget by the end of the fiscal year. When Ogawa argued that the government should not insist on this timeframe, Takaichi said, “I would like to ask the opposition parties to cooperate in prompt deliberations so that there will be no disruption to the lives of the people.”

During the debate, there were times when Takaichi took advantage of past remarks by members of the opposition.

Regarding Takaichi’s call for participation in a cross-party national council to discuss a consumption tax reduction and other issues, Ogawa pointed out that “it is the usual practice to make a proposal to the Diet and discuss it in a full, open session.” To this, Takaichi said, “The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan made several proposals during last year’s extraordinary Diet session asking for a forum for discussion.”

Regarding the creation of a provisional budget in case it becomes difficult to pass the budget by the end of the fiscal year, Ogawa suggested that it include not only the minimum necessary expenses but also costs associated with the free-tuition high school program. Takaichi, however, only said, “I would like to faithfully respond to the deliberations in the Diet so that the budget bill will be passed by the end of the fiscal year.”

Ogawa spoke with reporters inside the Diet after the question-and-answer session. “I received polite answers to each question, but there were no in-depth answers,” he said.

A senior CRA official lamented, “No matter what we say, we will not be taken seriously by the giant Liberal Democratic Party when we have become such a small party.”