July 26, 2025
Japanese Communist Party Shirakawa Yoko, who was elected for the first time in the House of Councillors election on July 20 under the proportional representation system, spoke to Akahata dated July 26 about her determination to represent the interests of her constituency.
My job is to bring the voices of the people to the Diet, such as Okinawans who say, “We only lose when we give up,” in their fight to remove U.S. military bases from Okinawa, medical and care workers who are crying out, “Our facilities will have to close down due to a staff shortage and financial difficulties,” and a schoolboy who said to me, “The price of rice has gone up, so I can’t have seconds anymore.”
In the election campaign, I questioned policies like marriage counseling that assume childbirth as a measure to address population decline, asking voters, “Is it acceptable to live in a society where women’s voices are not reflected in politics?” I also criticized the claim, “Young women should not go to university but have children instead,” for disrespecting women. My election victory is also a result of voters’ support who recognize the need for female JCP Dietmembers.
I will work to stop the ruling LDP-Komei coalition and the “Ishin” party from cutting government medical spending by four trillion yen and to implement a policy shift toward strengthening social welfare programs. As a person with experience in the medical field, my first priority is to improve care workers’ working conditions. I will firmly oppose the government move to: reduce the number of hospital beds, exclude certain OTC-like drugs from national health insurance coverage, and make end-of-life medical expenses fully patient-funded. I will work to realize long-standing desires of women and minorities, such as the option for married couples to keep their separate surnames and establish the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Following the loss of their majority in the House of Representatives, we have pushed the ruling parties into a minority position in the House of Councillors as well as a result of the latest national election, but their supplementary forces and a party advocating xenophobia have gained ground. Cooperation between pro-constitution lawmakers and grassroots movements will be necessary to resist these forces. We need more support from the general public and more concerned citizens who decide to join in this fight for a better society.
My job is to bring the voices of the people to the Diet, such as Okinawans who say, “We only lose when we give up,” in their fight to remove U.S. military bases from Okinawa, medical and care workers who are crying out, “Our facilities will have to close down due to a staff shortage and financial difficulties,” and a schoolboy who said to me, “The price of rice has gone up, so I can’t have seconds anymore.”
In the election campaign, I questioned policies like marriage counseling that assume childbirth as a measure to address population decline, asking voters, “Is it acceptable to live in a society where women’s voices are not reflected in politics?” I also criticized the claim, “Young women should not go to university but have children instead,” for disrespecting women. My election victory is also a result of voters’ support who recognize the need for female JCP Dietmembers.
I will work to stop the ruling LDP-Komei coalition and the “Ishin” party from cutting government medical spending by four trillion yen and to implement a policy shift toward strengthening social welfare programs. As a person with experience in the medical field, my first priority is to improve care workers’ working conditions. I will firmly oppose the government move to: reduce the number of hospital beds, exclude certain OTC-like drugs from national health insurance coverage, and make end-of-life medical expenses fully patient-funded. I will work to realize long-standing desires of women and minorities, such as the option for married couples to keep their separate surnames and establish the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Following the loss of their majority in the House of Representatives, we have pushed the ruling parties into a minority position in the House of Councillors as well as a result of the latest national election, but their supplementary forces and a party advocating xenophobia have gained ground. Cooperation between pro-constitution lawmakers and grassroots movements will be necessary to resist these forces. We need more support from the general public and more concerned citizens who decide to join in this fight for a better society.
