No. 1423 Inauguration of President Takaichi of Liberal Democratic Party
Ms. Takaichi Sanae was inaugurated as President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and thus, she will be certainly elected as Prime Minister in the coming extraordinary session of the Diet. Though responses from the opposition bloc have not yet been officially expressed, a grave rightist trend has been heightened to a new stage, following its recent rise in the July election for the Upper House. A next focal point will be a general election to be held after dissolution of the cabinet.
A RIGHT-WING INCLINATION WILL SHIFT TO A NEW STAGE
Candidates for presidency were five, among whom Ms. Takaichi is in the furthest on the right. Even mass media did not anticipate her successful appointment. The result has been brought about, directly, by a fact that the vote count from party members (ballots counted on the prefectural level), which reflects a shared mood of LDP’s supporters, have liquidated MPs’ votes. We have seen, in the result of the recent Upper House election, a transformed society that ‘has become bottomless’. We must face up to this reality instead of judging it from an empirical viewpoint.
Five candidates catered to the Sansei-to Party
All of the candidates referred to measures how to treat ‘foreigners’, pandering to the social atmosphere that the Sansei-to (=Party of Do It Yourself) has produced lately. The runners did not even mention on criticisms to the government, which has long tolerated employers to have foreigners work extremely hard with low wages, ignoring their fundamental human rights. Ms. Takaichi was the most audacious competitor of the five, being the most impressive as far as this issue is concerned. She does not even deny political deal with the Sansei-to.
Meanwhile, Ms. Takaichi admits a policy to get down the consumption tax rate by an increased issuance of government bonds, sharing the idea in common with some opposition lawmakers. She is able to absorb dissatisfactions against the LDP’s main stream factions, which favor fiscal austerity measures, and those who dislike the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), which is reluctant to reduce the consumption tax rate. She can even embrace part of supporters of the Reiwa Shinsengumi party. We must stay alert.
For these weeks the opposition political parties have indulged themselves in ‘abolishing the temporary tax rate’ imposed on a gasoline price and in ‘deducting tax amount with payment of official benefits’, just vying each other so that a new administration could accept the requests. Concerning the Kokumin (=the Democratic Party for the People), it has been working on other opposition parties so as to present a bill on espionage prevention in the coming extraordinary session of the Diet. The Nippon Ishin-no-kai party= the Innovation Party has drafted a text for a new constitution, in which both of the two clauses of Article Nine, which pledges renunciation of war and non-possession of war potential, are deleted. Its stance is more rightist than that of the LDP.
Voices from Okinawa cannot be heard
Meanwhile, in the absence of parliamentary debates, war preparations are being undergone in a steady manner. The other day, a US-Japan joint military maneuver, the Resolute Dragon, was conducted in the largest scale in history and offensive weapons to attack enemy basis were deployed as the principal players. People in Okinawa organized protest actions, while Mayor of Yonaguni rejected stationing of the US’s missile launching systems in the island. However, these voices have not reached the Diet members.
In the end of October President Trump will pay a visit to Japan. Ugly performances in the meeting with new Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will be massively reported by mass media. During the extraordinary Diet session, a bill on prevention of espionage will be focused on. In addition, during the ordinary parliament session next year, the government’s budget will be compiled officially, which may certainly lead to general election following dissolution of the cabinet.
Let’s fight against the extreme-rightist camp!
Election results will move up a proposal for Constitution amendment, Article Nine, in particular. Will be the CDP able to oppose the bill on espionage, and to face resolutely against the Takaichi government and its allied opposition forces?
Furthermore, will the Social Democratic Party and we, the New Socialist Party be able to build up a powerful pro-Constitution front to respond to the cabinet dissolution and consecutive general election?
自民党の新総裁に高市早苗氏が決まり、臨時国会で高市首相選出が確実になった。野党の対応などは不明だが、参院選が示した深刻な右傾化傾向は新たな次元に進んだ。解散総選挙が次の焦点だ。
５人の総裁候補のうち最右派の高市氏の新総裁は、メディアも予想外だったようだ。直接的には、支持層の空気を反映する党員票（県本部票）の結果が議員票を流動化させたと見られる。参院選に現われた「底が抜けた」社会の変容を、経験主義的判断でなく、直視しなければならない。
参政党伸長に迎合
総裁候補は全員が参政党伸長の空気に迎合し、「外国人」対策を主張した。長年低廉な労働力として酷使し、人権無視を黙認した行政への反省もなかった。この問題では、参政党との協力も否定しない高市氏に他候補は迫力負けだった。
一方、高市氏は国債増発容認の消費税減税派であり、野党の一部とも通じ、緊縮財政派の自民党主流や消費税減税に消極的な立憲民主党への不満も吸収する。れいわ支持層の一部まで巻き込むのだから軽視できない。
この間野党は、ガソリンの「暫定税率廃止」や「給付付き税額控除」などを新政権に飲ませることを競い合うだけだった。国民民主党は、スパイ防止法案の臨時国会提出を他の野党に働きかけている。日本維新が発表した改憲草案は、９条２項も廃止するという自民党以上のウルトラぶりだ。
沖縄の声届かない
また、国会で議論がないままに戦争準備だけが着々と強行されている。先日、敵基地攻撃型兵器を前面に出した最大規模の日米共同軍事演習、レゾリュート・ドラゴンが行われた。沖縄では阻止行動が取り組まれ、与那国町長は米国のミサイル発射システムの配備を拒んだ。しかし、国会に沖縄県民の声は反映されない。
今月末のトランプ米大統領の訪日では、高市首相との醜悪なパフォーマンスがメディアで垂れ流されるだろう。臨時国会では「スパイ防止法」が焦点となる。更に来年の通常国会で予算を成立させて解散・総選挙の可能性は大きい。
極右連合と対決を
結果次第で９条改憲の発議は早まるだろう。立憲民主党が腹を決め、「スパイ防止法」反対をはじめ、高市政権と右翼野党の連合軍と全面対決姿勢を打ち出せるかどうか。更に解散総選挙にむけ社民党・新社会党が軸となって有力な護憲の陣形を構築できるかどうかだ。
英訳版↓
No. 1423 Inauguration of President Takaichi of Liberal Democratic Party
Ms. Takaichi Sanae was inaugurated as President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and thus, she will be certainly elected as Prime Minister in the coming extraordinary session of the Diet. Though responses from the opposition bloc have not yet been officially expressed, a grave rightist trend has been heightened to a new stage, following its recent rise in the July election for the Upper House. A next focal point will be a general election to be held after dissolution of the cabinet.
A RIGHT-WING INCLINATION WILL SHIFT TO A NEW STAGE
Candidates for presidency were five, among whom Ms. Takaichi is in the furthest on the right. Even mass media did not anticipate her successful appointment. The result has been brought about, directly, by a fact that the vote count from party members (ballots counted on the prefectural level), which reflects a shared mood of LDP’s supporters, have liquidated MPs’ votes. We have seen, in the result of the recent Upper House election, a transformed society that ‘has become bottomless’. We must face up to this reality instead of judging it from an empirical viewpoint.
Five candidates catered to the Sansei-to Party
All of the candidates referred to measures how to treat ‘foreigners’, pandering to the social atmosphere that the Sansei-to (=Party of Do It Yourself) has produced lately. The runners did not even mention on criticisms to the government, which has long tolerated employers to have foreigners work extremely hard with low wages, ignoring their fundamental human rights. Ms. Takaichi was the most audacious competitor of the five, being the most impressive as far as this issue is concerned. She does not even deny political deal with the Sansei-to.
Meanwhile, Ms. Takaichi admits a policy to get down the consumption tax rate by an increased issuance of government bonds, sharing the idea in common with some opposition lawmakers. She is able to absorb dissatisfactions against the LDP’s main stream factions, which favor fiscal austerity measures, and those who dislike the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), which is reluctant to reduce the consumption tax rate. She can even embrace part of supporters of the Reiwa Shinsengumi party. We must stay alert.
For these weeks the opposition political parties have indulged themselves in ‘abolishing the temporary tax rate’ imposed on a gasoline price and in ‘deducting tax amount with payment of official benefits’, just vying each other so that a new administration could accept the requests. Concerning the Kokumin (=the Democratic Party for the People), it has been working on other opposition parties so as to present a bill on espionage prevention in the coming extraordinary session of the Diet. The Nippon Ishin-no-kai party= the Innovation Party has drafted a text for a new constitution, in which both of the two clauses of Article Nine, which pledges renunciation of war and non-possession of war potential, are deleted. Its stance is more rightist than that of the LDP.
Voices from Okinawa cannot be heard
Meanwhile, in the absence of parliamentary debates, war preparations are being undergone in a steady manner. The other day, a US-Japan joint military maneuver, the Resolute Dragon, was conducted in the largest scale in history and offensive weapons to attack enemy basis were deployed as the principal players. People in Okinawa organized protest actions, while Mayor of Yonaguni rejected stationing of the US’s missile launching systems in the island. However, these voices have not reached the Diet members.
In the end of October President Trump will pay a visit to Japan. Ugly performances in the meeting with new Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will be massively reported by mass media. During the extraordinary Diet session, a bill on prevention of espionage will be focused on. In addition, during the ordinary parliament session next year, the government’s budget will be compiled officially, which may certainly lead to general election following dissolution of the cabinet.
Let’s fight against the extreme-rightist camp!
Election results will move up a proposal for Constitution amendment, Article Nine, in particular. Will be the CDP able to oppose the bill on espionage, and to face resolutely against the Takaichi government and its allied opposition forces?
Furthermore, will the Social Democratic Party and we, the New Socialist Party be able to build up a powerful pro-Constitution front to respond to the cabinet dissolution and consecutive general election?
October 15, 2025