Surrounded on all sides | This week in Japanese politics

The Diet session ends with Kishida besieged, while the Tokyo campaign gets underway

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Prime Minister Kishida Fumio faces off with Constitutional Democratic Party leader Izumi Kenta in a leaders’ debate on 19 June. Source: LDP

The final days of the ordinary session of the Diet — which formally ends on 23 June — saw the passage of political reform legislation and the first leaders’ debate in three years. Kishida heads into the recess under siege within his own party, as lawmakers have become increasingly vocal about Kishida’s not running for reelection and potential candidates have stepped upon their preparations. In Tokyo, the gubernatorial campaign began ahead of the 7 July vote, with a record number of candidates in the race. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance shrugged off Japan’s inclusion on the US Treasury’s currency manipulation watchlist, as the weak yen fueled a continuing trade deficit and a report showed that it has sharply reduced the real increase in defense spending.

Politics

The House of Councillors votes on political reform legislation. Source: LDP

The House of Councillors passed the political reform bill on Wednesday, 19 June, with only the LDP and Kōmeitō voting in favor. The reform, which will take effect on 1 January, lowers reporting requirements for purchasers of tickets to fundraising parties; requires lawmakers to certify their financial reports; and will require posting reports online. Opposition parties, however, said that without on the number of fundraising parties, donors will be able to sidestep limits and more broadly criticized the legislation for not considering an outright prohibition on corporate donations. After supporting the bill in the lower house, Ishin no Kai voted against it due to what it said were broken promises by the prime minister.

CDP leader Izumi addresses Prime Minister Kishida in the 19 June leaders’ debate. Source: CDP

After the legislation passed, party leaders held the first party leaders’ debate since Kishida became prime minister on Wednesday, 19 June. The debate may be mostly remembered for a remark by Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) leader Tamaki Yūichirō, who noted that the prime minister is “surrounded on all sides,” which Kishida tried to deny. Mainichi reports that applause from LDP lawmakers for Kishida during the debate was conspicuously absent. Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) leader Izumi Kenta sought to pressure Kishida into calling a snap election but did not succeed.

Following the leaders’ debate, the Constitutional Democratic Party submitted a no-confidence motion in the House of Representatives on 20 June that was defeated by the ruling coalition without any defections. The CDP, DPFP, Ishin no Kai, and Japanese Communist Party (JCP) all supported the motion.

With the LDP’s political reform bill passed and the parliamentary session effectively over, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio apologized to a caucus of LDP lawmakers on 21 June for the chaotic process of revising the LDP’s proposal, stating that he intervened in the process to protect the party. The apology will do little to quiet the dissatisfaction among LDP backbenchers who – like Asō faction member Saitō Hiroaki – have begun asking whether the prime minister ought to take responsibility for the party’s collapse in public support. Kishida’s meeting with the lawmakers came after he missed a meeting with them on 20 June, prompting Motegi faction member Tsushima Jūn to criticize the prime minister for his neglect. Meanwhile, Azuma Kuniyoshi, a first-term Diet member from Hokkaido, said at a meeting with local party members on 22 June that he hopes that Kishida will “not speak rashly” about seeking reelection. As lawmakers return to their constituencies following the end of the Diet session, remarks from LDP lawmakers about Kishida’s candidacy could become more brazen and more frequent.