Competition of Political Bad Joking

Eight of party leaders lined on one long table in the eve of official announcement of election of the House of Representatives. It was a routine policy discussion in every election hosted by Japan Press Club. The leaders asserted their own convictions without any fear of further discredit to politics by the people.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the President of Liberal Democratic Party, raised his slogan of “No other way than this” to sell Abenomics. But what he quoted as his success was inviting Olympic Games to Tokyo in 2020 or doing his best for reconstruction in devastated Tohoku region. His appeal of creating jobs has been criticized as limited to unofficial workers with low wage. Achievement of higher salary was offset by higher commodity price. “I promote security policy to protect people’s life, territory and beautiful sea,” he said, ignoring his historical revisionism that jeopardized the Japanese with deteriorated relationship with China and South Korea.

President of Democratic Party of Japan, Banri Kaieda, upheld “Change the course, now.” Everyone knows his frustration against Abe. So, what are you going to do? He told that DPJ would promote stable employment, support for kids’ parents and comfortable life after retirement. But it was unclear why investing people would bring economic growth. Although he denounced Abe’s coercive attitude in Cabinet decision for collective self-defense and passing Designated Secrecy Law, DPJ administration was also discretional in salvaging Tokyo Electric Power Company from bankruptcy, for example.

Argument of Innovation Party was irrelevant. Co-leader Kenji Eda stressed his determination to cut the number of lawmakers by thirty percent. But the core of the party’s policy was distribution of central power to local government. If they really wanted it, lawmakers representing local community should be better to be more. Another co-leader and Mayor of Osaka City, Toru Hashimoto, gave up his participation to national Diet again. Why a local mayor can reform national politics?

Komeito was simply selfish. President Natsuo Yamaguchi insisted that his party would introduce lighter rate for low-income people, when the government would raise consumption tax rate in April 2017. But Komeito was in the syndicate for the tax hike, along with LDP and DPJ. It is something like simultaneously pushing both pedals of acceleration and brake. Komeito cannot be a hero for the poor.

Party for Future Generation, Communist Party, People’s Life Party and Social Democrats are too small to be influential. Some of them will be sucked up by bigger parties after the election.