November 7, 2025

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on behalf of the JCP took the rostrum in the House of Councillors plenary session on November 6 to question Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae about her policy speech of October 24. Koike criticized PM Takaichi for saying nothing in her address about the “politics and money” allegations and turning her back on a consumption tax cut and an increase in corporate taxes of which she had had a favorable view before she assumed office.

Koike called for government measures to guarantee the producer price of rice as well as for a drastic increase in social welfare spending. He also appealed for the need to withdraw U.S. military bases from Okinawa and the huge military buildup policy as they place people’s livelihoods at risk.

Koike touched on the formation of a coalition between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the “Nippon Ishin no Kai” party whose election promise was to ban corporate and organizational donations to political parties. He said that after the formation, both parties began claiming that corporate donations are necessary, and criticized them as being hypocritical. Referring to PM Takaichi’s remark in her policy speech that she will “restore the public’s trust in politics,” Koike said, “If you really intend to do so, you should impose a total ban on corporate and organizational donations.” Takaichi in response justified her stance, saying, “(Donations) are a matter concerning freedom to engage in political activities by corporations and organizations.”

Koike cited that PM Takaichi expressed her intent to follow the late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s economic policy centering on “monetary easing of a different dimension”. He pointed out that only the rich and large investors benefited a lot from this policy, while social and economic inequality widened and Japan’s economy became stagnant. He demanded that PM Takaichi admit the failure of that policy and shift to a people-oriented economic policy.

In addition, Koike stressed that in order to boost personal consumption which accounts for over 50% of GDP, the most powerful and quick-impact policy is to reduce or abolish the consumption tax, adding, “There is nothing better than this as a measure to combat rising prices.” Explaining that under the consumption tax invoice system, more than 40% of business operators are struggling with heavier tax burdens, Koike demanded that the invoice system be eliminated. Takaichi in her policy speech listed measures to cope with the rising prices, such as abolishing the provisional rate of the gasoline tax. However, she did not explain whether these measures would be more effective than decreasing the consumption tax rate.

Koike pointed out that Takaichi, during her first bid for the LDP presidency in 2021, had proposed raising the corporate tax rate. He added, “Now that you have become prime minister, you should put that proposal into action.”

Regarding soaring rice prices, Koike criticized the fact that, while the previous Ishiba government admitted its mistakes in agricultural policy and shifted toward increasing the production of rice, the Takaichi regime has decided to revert to a policy of adjusting production levels based on demand. Koike argued that price guarantees and income compensation for rice farmers are indispensable.

Regarding the healthcare crisis, Koike demanded that the government respond to the medical community’s call for an increase in initial and follow-up consultation fees as well as an increase in basic hospitalization fees by more than 10%. He warned that heavier burdens on patients that the government is considering placing, such as an additional copayment for prescription drugs, would endanger the lives and health of the general public. He demanded a substantial rise in the government share of contributions to medical services.

Turning to Japan-U.S. relations, Koike stated that “the damage and suffering caused by the U.S. military presence is increasing rather than decreasing,” citing issues like intensified military training exercises and sexual crimes committed by U.S. servicemembers. He emphasized that reducing and dismantling U.S. military bases in Japan as well as fundamentally revising the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) are a responsibility of the national government. He demanded that the controversial base project in Nago City’s Henoko district in Okinawa be withdrawn, and that the USMC Futenma Air Station in Okinawa’s Ginowan City be closed immediately without condition. However, PM Takaichi merely responded that the government will “continue working to ease the burden of U.S. bases on Okinawa” without presenting any concrete measures. She insisted that a new U.S. base in Henoko “can be constructed without any problems.”

Koike criticized the U.S. Trump administration for demanding that Japan increase its military budget to 3.5% of GDP which would amount to 21 trillion yen. Koike said, “This is four times the amount compared to that in fiscal 2022,” and stated that the Japanese government should promote a peace diplomacy from the standpoint of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, not deterrence by military force.