Key Facts
• September 14, 2025: Jun Azumi, Secretary-General of the Constitutional Democratic Party, appeared on NHK’s “Sunday Debate.”
• Azumi criticized Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for focusing on internal party disputes post-election loss.
• Ishiba’s leadership faced backlash after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered a major defeat in the House of Councillors election.
• Azumi highlighted two months of inaction on inflation measures, calling it a “waste of time.”
• Inflation has worsened, causing significant hardship for citizens.
• LDP proposed cash handouts, while opposition parties advocated temporary consumption tax cuts.
• Azumi urged immediate parliamentary discussions to address inflation, citing opposition’s election victory as a mandate.
• LDP delayed bipartisan talks on inflation until a new leadership structure is established.
• Azumi plans to meet LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama next week to propose interim solutions.
• Azumi criticized cash handouts as unpopular and called for LDP to reconsider its approach.
• The opposition proposed transitioning to “tax credit with benefits” and reducing food consumption tax.
Summary
Jun Azumi, Secretary-General of the Constitutional Democratic Party, criticized the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for prioritizing internal disputes over addressing inflation, following their defeat in the House of Councillors election. Azumi highlighted the worsening inflation and urged immediate parliamentary action, emphasizing the opposition’s election victory as a public mandate for their proposed measures, including temporary consumption tax cuts. The LDP, under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, delayed bipartisan talks on inflation until a new leadership is established. Azumi plans to meet LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama to propose interim solutions and called for the LDP to abandon unpopular cash handouts in favor of more effective measures like tax credits and food tax reductions.
