January 28, 2026

Official campaigning began on January 27 for the House of Representatives election to be held on February 8. Candidates of the Japanese Communist Party for proportional representation and single-seat constituencies delivered their first stump speeches at many locations across the country with the JCP leadership, including Central Committee Chair Shii Kazuo, Executive Committee Chair Tamura Tomoko, and Secretariat Head Koike Akira, in the lead.

Tamura, in her speech delivered near Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo, said that the major point at issue in this election is the lowering of the consumption tax rate, appealing for voters to support the JCP to achieve this.

Tamura criticized Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s “zero sales tax on food for two years” policy for likely leading to a recession due to the return to an 8% rate after two years. She said that the JCP proposal calling for cutting the tax rate to 5% across the board with eventual abolition is most effective to protect people’s livelihoods from rising prices. She said that regarding how to secure finances for the sales tax cut, the JCP proposes to impose a fair share of the tax burden on large corporations and the rich.

Tamura, as another key issue, cited xenophobic and discriminatory policies which can be seen as discrimination against foreigners and attacks on gender equality. She said that the JCP firmly stands against such a political trend.

Tamura said that Japan’s politics is exhibiting a right-wing shift. She pointed out that under this situation, the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Democratic Party for the People, and the “Sanseito” party all tolerate the military expansion policy under which the military budget jumped twofold in the past three years. She continued to say that they, like the Takaichi government, fail to voice objections to the U.S. Trump administration overtly displaying its “rule by force” attitude. Furthermore, she pointed out, the DPP and Sanseito openly express their willingness to cooperate with the Takaichi government.

Tamura emphasized, “At a time like this, as a party which stays the course and works for the people, we need to achieve a major advance in this election.” She called on voters to vote for the JCP and create a Constitution-centered collaboration to put an end to LDP politics.