2026 POLLS: Conservative Party to Focus on Foreigner Policies

Tokyo, Jan. 26 (Jiji Press)–The Conservative Party of Japan will call for a drastic review of government policies on foreign nationals and a permanent zero consumption tax rate on foods, party head Naoki Hyakuta said in a recent media interview. As the party’s pledges for the Feb. 8 election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, Hyakuta listed economic revitalization through tax cuts, a halt to what he sees as the wrong renewable energy policy and a drastic review of “immigration policy.” Asked how to make up for the decrease in financial resources that would follow the proposed tax cuts, he said, “Tax reductions would revitalize the economy and therefore boost tax revenues.” On renewable energy, Hyakuta said unstable solar power generation requires backup power sources and leads to higher electricity bills, damaging manufacturers’ international competitiveness and weakening the Japanese economy. He said nuclear power reactors that have been halted should be restarted promptly after safety checks. Asked about the feasibility of limiting the number of foreign nationals in Japan at a time of labor shortages, Hyakuta said Japan is not physically lacking in people. While the government allows foreigners in to work in low-wage jobs shunned by Japanese workers, it is “possible to improve the economic structure that makes us depend on immigrants, by revitalizing the economy,” he said. In the general election, the party aims to win 10 Lower House seats and collect three million votes under the proportional representation system, he said. Hyakuta expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration, complaining about a lack of policy measures that meet expectations. “I was surprised that Prime Minister Takaichi did not mention the immigration issue at the press conference in which she announced the dissolution of the Lower House,” he said. “The issue casting the largest shadow over Japan’s future is immigration,” he stressed. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]