Japan PM’s Presence at Diet Deliberations Drops Sharply

Tokyo, July 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spent significantly less time attending intensive deliberations of the budget committees of both chambers of the Diet, the country’s parliament, than her recent predecessors during the latest special Diet session that ended Saturday. She has earned a reputation for avoiding Diet deliberations not only by opposition parties but also by members of the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party. During the just-ended Diet session, which lasted as long as an ordinary Diet session in a typical year, all 64 government-sponsored bills were enacted, including a bill to revise the Imperial House Law and another to establish a national intelligence council, both of which were strongly backed by Takaichi. A focused session of deliberations by the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, that had been scheduled for Friday will instead be held on Monday as a meeting during a Diet recess. Takaichi reiterated in Diet debates and other settings that she would attend the Diet and answer questions whenever requested. However, some within the LDP are skeptical, with one party executive saying, “No one takes those words at face value.” A comparison with the time recent prime ministers spent attending intensive budget committee deliberations in both chambers of the Diet during ordinary Diet sessions clearly suggests Takaichi’s reluctance to participate in such proceedings. Among her predecessors, Yoshihide Suga logged more than 50 hours in 2021, while Fumio Kishida spent between 50 and 80 hours annually from 2022 to 2024. Shigeru Ishiba, whose ruling coalition lacked a majority in the Lower House, attended for more than 90 hours in 2025. By contrast, Takaichi’s attendance amounts to only a little over 30 hours, even including Monday’s off-session deliberations. She is said to have frequently shown reluctance when opposition parties requested her presence. “She really dislikes appearing before the budget committees,” a former cabinet minister from the LDP said. Her hesitance to attend Diet discussions had a noticeable impact in the closing stage of the latest Diet session, where the House of Councillors became the main battleground, as the ruling bloc lacked a majority in the upper Diet chamber. Opposition parties demanded the prime minister’s attendance and refused to take part in deliberations without her presence. To secure the passage of bills, including legislation to establish a secondary capital of the country, the ruling coalition was forced to extend the Diet session by eight days. “I do not dislike attending the Diet. If I am asked to come, I will do so and answer questions sincerely,” Takaichi said at an intensive session of the Upper House Budget Committee on July 17, originally the final day of the Diet session. However, Renho from the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan argued, “Delays in deliberations stem from the prime minister’s unwillingness to come to the Diet.” Past prime ministers have responded to opposition requests for their attendance in order to ensure the smooth conduct of Diet proceedings. “The prime minister is being selfish by refusing to attend Diet deliberations,” a mid-ranking LDP lawmaker said, criticizing Takaichi’s stance as one that could fuel accusations that she does not take the Diet seriously. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]