Japan’s prime minister vows to ease public anxiety amid security and economic problems

TOKYO (Kyodo) – Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed Friday to restore confidence in politics after a series of scandals and tried to reassure the public amid security threats from Japan’s neighbors and a higher cost of living.

The former defense minister, in his first speech to parliament after being elected prime minister earlier this week, called the security environment facing Japan “the most serious and complex since World War II.”

Noting recent airspace violations by Russia and China and North Korea’s missile development, he stressed the urgent need to fundamentally strengthen the country’s defense and expand the network of like-minded countries underpinned by Japan’s long-standing alliance with the United States.

Following the path set by his predecessor Fumio Kishida, the 67-year-old leader also pledged to continue providing support to inflation-affected households until the cycle of growth and wealth redistribution “firmly begins,” allowing people to feel the benefits of economic growth and wages .

He set a goal of reaching an average minimum hourly wage nationwide of 1,500 yen ($10) by the end of the 2020s, earlier than the previous government’s goal. It is currently 1,055 yen.

Referring to the money scandal that has undermined voter confidence in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Ishiba said: “I will restore confidence in politics lost over the issue of political funds and explain to citizens more clearly than ever the situation in which Japan finds itself.”

“It is policy’s responsibility to rebuild a safe and prosperous Japan by gaining people’s understanding and empathy,” he told parliament.

Ishiba has already announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives next week ahead of the October 27 general elections. The decision, announced the day before he took office, sparked a reaction from opposition parties.

Meanwhile, the speech made no mention of his long-expressed desire to create a NATO-style alliance in Asia, where tensions remain high between China and Taiwan.

The prime minister also did not mention his goal of revising the key bilateral agreement on which the operation of American troops in Japan is based, which is aimed at unifying what he described as an asymmetric alliance.

The omissions suggest that Ishiba is aware of the lack of consensus within his ruling party on such controversial issues.

On energy policy, Ishiba said Japan would ensure the safety of nuclear reactors and create the best energy mix to meet growing demand, a contrast with his stance during the LDP presidential election when he advocated for the country to reduce its dependence on nuclear power to zero. and greater use of renewable sources.

He also pledged to quickly develop a new package of measures to help households cope with rising prices as the depreciation of the yen leads to higher import costs.

“It is essential to provide support to those struggling with rising prices until a positive cycle of growth and redistribution begins, in which wage increases outpace inflation and companies invest proactively,” Ishiba said.

While Ishiba is known as an expert in defense, agriculture and regional revitalization, his skills have yet to be tested on the economic and diplomatic fronts, analysts say.

“I will enhance both diplomatic and defense capabilities in a sustainable manner,” Ishiba said, adding that Japan will take a leading role in maintaining the rules-based international order and making the Indo-Pacific region “free and open.”

The prime minister expressed his determination to make bilateral relations with South Korea “more robust and broader,” building on the momentum built under his predecessor.

As for China, which he says is increasingly trying to forcefully change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, Japan will urge it to behave more responsibly while pursuing “constructive and stable” ties through dialogue.

Ishiba said he would seek to resolve Japan’s territorial dispute with Russia, although bilateral relations have cooled since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine raised alarm over its ramifications for Asia.

The prime minister announced that “every effort will be made” to ensure the return of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago. However, unlike his predecessor, he did not say he would consider a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Media polls indicate Ishiba has a bumpy road ahead, given that support for his newly installed cabinet is not as high as it was for his predecessors in recent years, partly because of the money markup scandal plaguing the LDP.

This complicates Ishiba’s desire to pursue his own political agenda, such as revitalizing rural areas, where support for the conservative LDP is traditionally higher, and increasing the disaster-prone nation’s resilience.

Ishiba said his government will make preparations to create a disaster prevention agency, increase subsidies to local governments and boost agricultural exports as it sees the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors as “the backbone of regional economic growth” and key to national security.