2026 POLLS: JCP Chief Says Tax Cut Must Be Paired with Funding Steps

Tokyo, Jan. 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Communist Party leader Tomoko Tamura has said that a consumption tax reduction, a proposal in the party’s policy pledges for the upcoming general election, should be implemented together with financing measures such as a tax hike on large corporations. Securing financial resources for a consumption tax cut is a key issue and a focus of the Feb. 8 election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of Japan’s parliament, Tamura said in a recent interview. While arguing that her party’s call for lowering the consumption tax to 5 pct across the board would have the best economic impact, she stressed that the election is not a battle between a proposal to cut the consumption tax on food to zero, which is advocated by the ruling bloc and the new opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, and a uniform reduction to 5 pct. “We must ensure stable tax revenues to pave the way for a consumption tax reduction,” the JCP chief argued. “We can carry out the tax cut if we properly tax profits amassed by large shareholders and large corporations.” Japan’s consumption tax currently stands at 10 pct, excluding food and some other items for which the tax rate is 8 pct. She criticized Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for dissolving the Lower House for the snap election, saying she did so “for partisan interests, to avoid parliamentary debates amid a serious impasse in domestic and foreign policies.” “Her proactive fiscal policy has led to the yen being sold on the belief that Japan will issue debt-covering bonds, and her diplomatic policy is at the mercy of U.S. President Donald Trump,” Tamura argued. She expressed doubt over how Takaichi plans to overcome Tokyo’s diplomatic rift with China, and said her party will face the government head-on to change the style of politics characteristic of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Tamura said the JCP will aim to win seats in all proportional representation blocs and increase its seat share, with a target of garnering at least 4.5 million votes and 7.5 pct of the total vote share. The party will also seek to win the Okinawa No. 1 constituency, held by a JCP incumbent. “Politics is shifting to the right and is being swallowed up by the LDP,” she warned. “We want to strongly advocate for the protection of peace, human rights and livelihoods.” The leader criticized the Centrist Reform Alliance, which was formed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and formerly LDP ally Komeito. “The CDP has been influenced by Komeito and has accepted the politics of the LDP-Komeito coalition,” she said. “It is a breach of trust (by the CDP) for the Centrist Reform Alliance to take the stance that Japan’s national security-related legislation is constitutional, despite (the CDP and the JCP) having worked to form a united front for the repeal of the laws,” she added, referring to legislation that enables Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense under limited conditions. Regarding the increase in political parties represented in parliament, Tamura said that most parties have sought to realize their policies by negotiating with the Takaichi administration. “Although there are many parties, it’s the JCP that can say no to the dangerous trends that have emerged since the administration of (former Prime Minister Shinzo) Abe,” she claimed. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]