"Separate Human and Bear Habitats," "Four-Day Workweek"... What Parties and Pledges Are Emerging? [Inside Japan's General Election]

2. A Closer Look at Parties and Pledges
Opposition Parties Shake Off the LDP and Join Hands
Ruling and Opposition Pledges Largely Similar, but Unconventional Pledges Stand Out

Editor's noteJapanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has taken the early general election card out of her pocket just three months after taking office. As Japanese media are calling the move highly unusual, attention is focused on how closely Prime Minister Takaichi's calculations to overturn the current situation in which the ruling party is outnumbered by the opposition align with voters' decisions. From each party's campaign pledges to unconventional candidates, this series looks at the upcoming Japanese general election from multiple angles.

Nuclear Fusion Party, Euthanasia Party... What kinds of parties are running?

In this Japanese House of Representatives general election, candidates have been fielded not only by the Liberal Democratic Party but also by 11 parliamentary parties and 9 minor parties.

Takaichi Sanae, Japan's prime minister, is appealing for support while campaigning for a candidate in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, on the 31st ahead of the House of Representatives election. Yonhap News.

Even among the parliamentary parties, there are many unique parties that are rarely seen in Korea. Although the Liberal Democratic Party is considered overwhelmingly dominant, Japan also has parties that represent a wide range of political spectra. Parties classified as progressive include the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and Reiwa Shinsengumi, while the far-right party Sanseitoh, which campaigned under the slogan "Japanese First" in the House of Councillors election, is also taking part in this election. In addition, the single-issue party Team Mirai (Future), which holds one seat in the House of Councillors, has also fielded candidates. This party focuses mainly on issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) and technological innovation.

A series of minor parties are also joining the race, such as Road to Regeneration, Independent Alliance, and World Peace Party. The Nuclear Fusion Party, which has put forward a sole candidate, is promoting itself by declaring that it will "launch a nuclear fusion industrial revolution with more than 1,000 types of nuclear fusion devices and turn Japan into a tax-free dividend state," and that it will "distribute 100 trillion yen (929 trillion won) in dividends from profits earned by selling electricity." In addition, the group Thinking About Euthanasia has fielded two proportional representation candidates in the Hokuriku region. This group advocates the institutionalization of euthanasia at the national level.

Election poster for Kuwajima Yasufumi, a candidate of the Nuclear Fusion Party in the Japanese House of Representatives election. Kuwajima Yasufumi.

Opposition parties that shook off the LDP and joined hands with each other... Can they check Takaichi?

What stands out is the opposition camp's coalition. Traditionally, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has secured seats by forming coalitions with opposition parties. However, as support for the Liberal Democratic Party has gradually declined under the Kishida and Ishiba administrations, the political landscape in the House of Councillors (upper house) has shifted dramatically to one where the ruling party is outnumbered by the opposition. The incentive for opposition parties to cooperate with the Liberal Democratic Party has disappeared. In fact, the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito had been coalition partners for 26 years, but after Prime Minister Takaichi was elected, Komeito declared that it was withdrawing from the coalition. As a result, the Liberal Democratic Party had no choice but to form a coalition government with Nippon Ishin no Kai.

Introduction poster for the coalition party of the Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito, 'Moderate Reform Alliance'. Moderate Reform Alliance.

In this situation, when Prime Minister Takaichi forcibly dissolved the House of Representatives, the opposition parties that had previously cooperated with the Liberal Democratic Party formed their own coalition. The largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, joined hands with Komeito to launch the Centrist Reform Alliance. Through this coalition, their strength has expanded to 196 members, making them the second-largest bloc after the Liberal Democratic Party. Including newcomers, they have fielded 227 candidates in this election. Before the coalition, attention had been focused on how landslide a victory the Takaichi administration's Liberal Democratic Party would achieve, but once the coalition was formed, the core of the electoral landscape shifted to whether Takaichi can secure a majority.

Tax Cut Japan - Patriotic Alliance is also a new party created as a result of the early dissolution of the House of Representatives. It was formed by lawmakers who left the Constitutional Democratic Party in protest against the creation of the Centrist Reform Alliance and lawmakers who left the Japan Conservative Party after clashing with its leader, in order to run for the House of Representatives.

Consumption tax cuts and foreigner regulations, plus unconventional pledges

The campaign pledges of most parties in this House of Representatives election converge on similar themes. All of them are calling for cuts in the consumption tax on food. The Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai have said they will accelerate discussions on setting the "consumption tax on food and beverages to zero" for two years. The Centrist Reform Alliance is pledging the permanent abolition of the consumption tax on food. The Democratic Party for the People and the Communist Party are calling for a 5% tax cut, while the far-right Sanseitoh has announced a phased abolition.

In addition, when it comes to regulating foreigners, the pledges of the conservative parties overlap. The Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin no Kai, and the Democratic Party for the People have all declared that they will review rules on the acquisition of housing and land by foreigners. On top of this, the Democratic Party for the People has announced as a campaign pledge the introduction of a "vacant house tax," which would impose an additional tax burden on foreigners who acquire real estate for speculative purposes.

Some unconventional pledges are also drawing attention. To curb the growing damage caused by bears, the Liberal Democratic Party has specified in its manifesto that it will "separate human and bear habitats." The party plans to install protective fences to prevent bears from appearing, and has also announced that it will provide support to expand the use of gibier (meat from captured wild animals and birds).

The Centrist Reform Alliance has proposed a three-day weekend system, equivalent to Korea's four-day workweek system. Nippon Ishin no Kai has pledged to enact laws to realize "secondary capital cities" in order to improve the current system in which the capital, Tokyo, is excessively dominant. The Communist Party has proposed a "35-hour workweek."

Reiwa Shinsengumi has pledged "free expressway tolls" as part of its infrastructure policy, while Tax Cut Japan - Patriotic Alliance has announced the creation of a special task force to track the privatization of tax revenues. Sanseitoh has put forward a pledge of "100% food self-sufficiency," and the Social Democratic Party has proposed reorganizing part of the Self-Defense Forces into a "disaster relief corps" specializing in disaster response.