Party Chiefs Seek Support on 1st Weekend in Japan Lower House Race

Tokyo, Jan. 31 (Jiji Press)–Leaders of both Japan’s ruling and opposition parties called for voters’ support Saturday, the first weekend since the official campaign period for the Feb. 8 House of Representatives election kicked off Tuesday. In the city of Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, stressed the need to strengthen the country’s economic security and to turn the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector into a growth industry. Vowing to promote investments in domestic industries related to economic security, Takaichi sought understanding for her responsible yet proactive fiscal policy. On the farm industry, she said, “We’ll work to increase the number of agricultural areas capable of exporting (their produce).” Yoshihiko Noda, co-leader of the new major opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, took to the streets in the city of Kasukabe in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo. Criticizing the LDP for endorsing candidates who were involved in the party’s high-profile “slush fund” scandal, he said that the ruling party “has not reflected on the issue at all.” In the city of Asaka, also Saitama, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki called for increasing deductions for the residential tax. “We aim to further increase (people’s) take-home pay” by combining the envisioned hike in the tax deductions and a proposed system to refund some of social insurance premiums, he said. Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura, Japanese Communist Party chief Tomoko Tamura, Reiwa Shinsengumi co-chief Akiko Oishi and Sanseito head Sohei Kamiya also delivered campaign speeches on the day, in hopes to gain support from unaffiliated voters. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]